Velobuild VB-R-177

[coffeebreak]

What diameter is needed to drain water? 2mm enough?
Not build the frame yet but I'm also considering drilling the frame as I have problems on another bike without a draining hole...

My VB frame came with 2mm dia hole on the BB for water egress. I think you should be good with 2mm on yours too.

[carbonazza]

My VB frame came with 2mm dia hole on the BB for water egress. I think you should be good with 2mm on yours too.

I do that on all my bikes when they are fully built.
Look for the lowest point under the BB and make a hole of 2.5mm in the center. Stop before the BB or the crank axle 

[patliean1]

Conti GP5000 TR-S 32c - 60psi

Turns out 32c tires do in fact clear the frame. At least in the fork, haven't tried the rear tire yet but it shouldn't be a problem. Build up of debris might be an issue but in dry conditions should be fine.

Apparently the original tires I tried, Specialized Roubaix labeled "30/32" must have inflated up to about 34-35c because they absolutely did not fit.

[coffeebreak]

Man personally it's too close for my comfort. I probably won't go that far.

[pearl]

Pat, what do they measure though? My 32mm Conti 5000's are only 29.5mm on my wheels.

[patliean1]

I don't own a caliper measuring tool, so I pulled this data directly from the Rolling Resistance website. Looks like they measure at 30mm, although others locally here told me the GP5000s are a true 32c. YMMV. Personally I wouldn't run 32s on my 177, but simply highlighting that technically they do fit.

Sidenote: Having raced on those Roubaix Pro tires before and always feeling like they felt sluggish...it's interesting to confirm I was losing about 15 watts in rolling resistance versus GP5000s. 

[pearl]

I don't own a caliper measuring tool

all those gadgets you have and you dont have a pair of calipers!? get down to the hardware store lol

[Liter]

Drilled a hole in the bottom of the BB and whenever I ride in the rain I try to leave the bike on the rear wheel so the water also drains from the rear deraileur.

Update on my 177 after about 1000km. I got the headset rubbing issue fixed, not by the replacement bearings which VB sent, but by sanding away the paint in the areas which rubbed. Not pretty, but worked. I swapped the horrible flexy handlebar for the Deda superbox stem and some Zipp alloy bars. I'm done with internal cble routing, especially on bars!

Had a bit of a problem after a long ride last week - the frame was full of water with no obvious way to drain it, and the headset bearings were grinding and making a terrible noise. I took the front end apart and the bearings are totally rusty. I don't have spare hoses and cables to be able to swap them right now so just greased as best I can, and reassembled.

Has anyone else had issues with water ingress? I'd like to drill a hole in the bottom of the BB shell, but this seems like a perfect way to start a crack.

Current build:


Previously (same wall!):

[yannic_97]

I ordered this frame with custom paint two weeks ago and have received nothing so far except payment confirmation. I know it was Chinese New Year, but is it normal during this time not to get any feedback for so long?

[renosparks]

I ordered my frame with custom paint back in November 30 2022 to Luxembourg, update on 20th December to say the frame had been dispatched. Following up with Chris I've had updates a few updates to say the frame is with customs (where it has been since January 3 2023). Still no updates on the tracking. In the meantime I ordered some carbon wheels from another manufacturer early December and these arrived January 28. I understood it would take some time, but there appears to be some cause for delay... chinese new year... I don't know. Chris is happy to respond but has asked to be patient (not my strongest attribute).

Anyone else experienced or experiencing similar delays in delivery?

[mwh0169]

Anyone else experienced or experiencing similar delays in delivery?
[/quote]

I ordered mine around the same time last year. Couldn't track it, but to my surprise it suddenly arrived in February.
So just try to patient 

[gruengelb]

Hello guys,

i decided that i also want to buy from "china". Since i live in the alps i am looking for a bike to do a lot of climbing. I think the velobuild 177 would fit nicely into this. However, i am not sure if it is too aggressive for me since i am totally new to cycling and i do not have anything to compare it to. In general, i am quite sporty, mostly trail-running (training for my first ultra this year), maybe a bit more flexible than the average of my age group (~30 years) but also not super flexy. Would you guys think this would fit? I am aware that it is quite hard to make such judgment from the distance but it is still better than nothing.

Also, i read thoroughly through this thread and i wanted to sum up some points and problems:

The frame is quite light and stiff for the price
In the beginning there were some problems with loose handlebars but they are fixes now, right? Are you happy with the handlebars or would you rather buy one somewhere else?
Some complain that the seat tube slips. Is this still an issue?
Some holes are covered with paint. Not a huge issue but still.
Are you all still happy with the frame - would you recommend it or would you rather buy from another brand?

Thank you in advance!!

[pearl]

my only concern for a first timer is the internal routing and bike fit. you really need to be sure of how your bike fit is before you want to run the cables. if you decide to go taller/shorter on the front end or a wider bar, you pretty much take the whole bike apart.

unless you plan on running an external handlebar/stem, then it just goes through the frame, then you should give it a go!

[gruengelb]

my only concern for a first timer is the internal routing and bike fit. you really need to be sure of how your bike fit is before you want to run the cables. if you decide to go taller/shorter on the front end or a wider bar, you pretty much take the whole bike apart.

unless you plan on running an external handlebar/stem, then it just goes through the frame, then you should give it a go!

thank you for your reply. Taking the bike apart would be annoying but i think i can deal with that. As long as it will fit me in the end....

[gruengelb]

It's me again  Are you happy with the paint job? Would you recommend it? If you buy the frame without custom paint, then it will still be covered in matte black color right?
Another question: I asked chris which size he would recommend for me (187cm, 89cm inseam) and he suggested XL. Maybe somebody here has similar proportions to mine and can tell me if it fits them. Thank's!!