Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame

[patliean1]

Anyone use their 168 for cyclocross?

[OlieSimpson]

Quick question on building the bike. When installing the anti-vibration foam, do you run it full length down the downtube and through the chainstay, or do you tend to run it in the downtube only?

I'm asking as I'm struggling to run it through the chainstays with how tight the space is, it keeps bunching up and not running the full length.

[J-S-Q]

Quick question on building the bike. When installing the anti-vibration foam, do you run it full length down the downtube and through the chainstay, or do you tend to run it in the downtube only?

I'm asking as I'm struggling to run it through the chainstays with how tight the space is, it keeps bunching up and not running the full length.

I did the full length of the down tube and then just a short piece as the cable enters the chainstay, near the bottom bracket. It would have been difficult/impossible to run it the entire length of the chainstay. I cannot detect any cable rattling noises when I ride the bike so I think this method is absolutely fine.

[Irideslowly]

My bike is fully built, but i forgot to install the foam to prevent the rattling noises. Is it possible to install it without having to recable the entire bike?

[OlieSimpson]

My bike is fully built, but i forgot to install the foam to prevent the rattling noises. Is it possible to install it without having to recable the entire bike?

Here's one way of doing it:

[J-S-Q]

My bike is fully built, but i forgot to install the foam to prevent the rattling noises. Is it possible to install it without having to recable the entire bike?

I don't know how you would do that but I can tell you that one of the great (and unexpected) things about fully integrated cables is how quiet the bike is. All you hear is the wheels in the wind! So, I would definitely want to avoid cables rattling in the downtube, even if it meant recabling.

[Irideslowly]

Won't you end up with a bunch of foam in your frame once you decide to change your cables?

Here's one way of doing it:

[hazzer19]

I bought one of the new SL7 supper long expander plugs only to find out that it won't fit in my 168 steerer! I could barely get a few millimetres of the metal part on the bottom to go in. Anyone experience this if you're tried one of these?

For reference the middle one is the stock VB one and the one of the right is a lightweight option I was gonna try, chickened out, and now may try again.

[hazzer19]

I bought one of the new SL7 super long expander plugs only to find out that it won't fit in my 168 steerer! I could barely get a few millimetres of the metal part on the bottom to go in. Anyone experience this if you're tried one of these?

For reference the middle one is the stock VB one and the one of the left is a lightweight option I was gonna try, chickened out, and now may try after all.

[Zdrenka89]

I bought one of the new SL7 supper long expander plugs only to find out that it won't fit in my 168 steerer! I could barely get a few millimetres of the metal part on the bottom to go in. Anyone experience this if you're tried one of these?

For reference the middle one is the stock VB one and the one of the right is a lightweight option I was gonna try, chickened out, and now may try again.

Did you loosen the stem?

Also.... What do you want to achieve with this exchange? There will be no discernable benefit from doing this from my point of view.

[hazzer19]

Did you loosen the stem?

Also.... What do you want to achieve with this exchange? There will be no discernable benefit from doing this from my point of view.

I actually took off the stem so am confident there was no force compressing the steerer.

At first I just wanted to switch to something "safer", however now it's more out of necessity as the stock expander is not gripping well internally and slipping up when I compress the headset (using carbon paste as well).

[FHS]

I actually took off the stem so am confident there was no force compressing the steerer.

At first I just wanted to switch to something "safer", however now it's more out of necessity as the stock expander is not gripping well internally and slipping up when I compress the headset (using carbon paste as well).

I switched to this one. Works a lot better, no slipping issues.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274059545505?hash=item3fcf38cba1:g:dJMAAOSwuShai4Wg

[1Sigma]

Quick question on building the bike. When installing the anti-vibration foam, do you run it full length down the downtube and through the chainstay, or do you tend to run it in the downtube only?

I'm asking as I'm struggling to run it through the chainstays with how tight the space is, it keeps bunching up and not running the full length.

Just the downtube.  That's where you will experience the most rattle.  Personally, I do not notice any rattling emanating from the chainstays

[1Sigma]

My bike is fully built, but i forgot to install the foam to prevent the rattling noises. Is it possible to install it without having to recable the entire bike?

I suppose it is possible with...less...disassembly. 
The "easiest" way I could think of doing it without having to reroute the handlebars would be:
-Remove crank and bottom bracket (this would be the hardest part depending on your tools, tolerances, and type of BB used)
-Pull out cables from the rear of the bike, through the BB Shell
-feed anti-vibration foam on cables up the downtube from the BB Shell opening
-feed cabling back through chainstays (might want to preplan and get creative how you will guide the back through the holes again - I just use inner cables as guides)
-and after some cursing you are done!

I imagine you could hack-job it a bit by simply stuffing some Roxul or other batting into the downtube from the head tube.
Or if you really wanna get scorched-earth policy on it, spray some Great Stuff down the downtube! 

I don't think the OZ Bike method would work with the 168, as it is 100% integrated.

[J-S-Q]

I actually took off the stem so am confident there was no force compressing the steerer.

At first I just wanted to switch to something "safer", however now it's more out of necessity as the stock expander is not gripping well internally and slipping up when I compress the headset (using carbon paste as well).

I used one of these in my VB-R099 - Quite a tight fit (Needed to tap it with a rubber mallet to get it in) but it works very well:

https://dedaelementi.com/expander-70

If I remember rightly, it was lighter than the stock plug, despite being considerably longer.