Velobuild VB-R-177

[mesosbrodleto]

Anyone has noise coming from the headset/spacer? I am using the integrated handlebar from velobuild and I hear a "click" everytime I put load on the handlebar. I suspect it could be the cables entering on the head tube, they are very compressed (i have shimano di2 11v, so 4 cables are passing through the head tube). It could also be due to the spacers, I still have 3 of them installed.

[gruengelb]

Hey all, i am currently waiting for my frame and i need to buy some missing parts. I bought a used 105 r7000 group which came without bolts. The velobuild websites states that the frame is made for 160 mm rotors. Since i also got 160 mm rotors i don't need to buy an adapter right? Can anyone tell me what kind of bolts i need to mount the brake calipers on the front and back? I guess i need the type c ones but i am totally in the dark about the length... Thank you!!!

[s3si1u]

Hey all, i am currently waiting for my frame and i need to buy some missing parts. I bought a used 105 r7000 group which came without bolts. The velobuild websites states that the frame is made for 160 mm rotors. Since i also got 160 mm rotors i don't need to buy an adapter right? Can anyone tell me what kind of bolts i need to mount the brake calipers on the front and back? I guess i need the type c ones but i am totally in the dark about the length... Thank you!!!

You will always need an adapter for the fork, the flippable 140/160 kind. For the rear you can run a 140 rotor naked but will need an adapter for 160

[gruengelb]

You will always need an adapter for the fork, the flippable 140/160 kind. For the rear you can run a 140 rotor naked but will need an adapter for 160

Ok thank you! -that already helps a lot

[gruengelb]

I ordered my frame on the 24th of february and it arrived on the 15th of march. I used DPD XBD shipping method in order to not pay any customs (according to Chris) to Austria. Not too bad i would say. Overall the frame seems to be fine but there are some scratches (see images). Would you say this should be expected if you buy a chinese frame or shall i contact velobuild about it?

Also, for anybody interested, I asked velobuild to provide some torque values for the frame. Here is what Chris replied:

Stem lock on fork 5.0Nm
Seat clamp lock on seat post 5.5Nm
Seat post lock saddle 8.0Nm

Cheers!

PS: sorry for the feed pic...

[TidyDinosaur]

That paint on the bottle cage mount looks really crappy... It looks as if they had to remove the original rivnut when painted, pulled some paint with it, and put a new rivnut in. It's very different from the other bottle cage mounting point in the picture...
It will be almost invisible when you put a bottle cage on there, but they should not have sent it to you like that...

[gruengelb]

That paint on the bottle cage mount looks really crappy... It looks as if they had to remove the original rivnut when painted, pulled some paint with it, and put a new rivnut in. It's very different from the other bottle cage mounting point in the picture...
It will be almost invisible when you put a bottle cage on there, but they should not have sent it to you like that...

Your description matches quite well with the paint damage I see. Thanks for reassuring -  I will definetly contact Velobuild about it.

[gruengelb]

That paint on the bottle cage mount looks really crappy... It looks as if they had to remove the original rivnut when painted, pulled some paint with it, and put a new rivnut in. It's very different from the other bottle cage mounting point in the picture...
It will be almost invisible when you put a bottle cage on there, but they should not have sent it to you like that...

Do you think I should cover it with some kind of paint? Basically, the frame is not painted at this location and therefore exposed to sunlight and water etc., right?

[pearl]

While that paint mishap sucks, I wouldn't fret about it. Once you put a bottle cage over it you'll be good to go.

[gruengelb]

While that paint mishap sucks, I wouldn't fret about it. Once you put a bottle cage over it you'll be good to go.

Yeah it's not that big of a deal. Anyhow, i wrote Chris and (after a little bit of haggling) he agreed to send me a a saddle for free! I am quite happy about it!
Anybody has a velobuild saddle here? Not sure which one i should get...

[BerndSon]

Yeah it's not that big of a deal. Anyhow, i wrote Chris and (after a little bit of haggling) he agreed to send me a a saddle for free! I am quite happy about it!
Anybody has a velobuild saddle here? Not sure which one i should get...

Hi, i´ve just received this saddle (http://www.velobuild.com/products/carbon-fiber-saddle-with-pu-wrapped) together with my Frame and other parts.
Just built the bike today and did not manage to do a ride, so what i can say is that it looks well made and fits the Seatpost-interface.
The "PU-wrapping" looks quite convenient but the overlay does not overlap the edge of the saddle and ends exactly where the thigh normally rubs past with each pedal. I'm afraid that this will rub on the thigh on the one hand and possibly also loosen after some time.

Will report more details as soon as i did some kilometers. 

[gruengelb]

Hi, i´ve just received this saddle (http://www.velobuild.com/products/carbon-fiber-saddle-with-pu-wrapped) together with my Frame and other parts.
Just built the bike today and did not manage to do a ride, so what i can say is that it looks well made and fits the Seatpost-interface.
The "PU-wrapping" looks quite convenient but the overlay does not overlap the edge of the saddle and ends exactly where the thigh normally rubs past with each pedal. I'm afraid that this will rub on the thigh on the one hand and possibly also loosen after some time.

Will report more details as soon as i did some kilometers.

Thank's for the feedback! I also ordered the same one. Let's see how long it holds up. If the pu is getting loose i may as well try to print a new cover myself ;-)

[patliean1]

Probably a good time to follow up with my thoughts on the 177. Anecdotal of course, so take with a grain of salt.

1. By and large I think the 177 is the better frame versus the 168. It's lighter, much stiffer, and I've found it to be more responsive of a riding experience. EPS molding if that's important to you. The geometry is more forgiving as well.

2. I've tested both the 168 and 177 with a variety of wheels: Winspace Hypers, Farports EVO, Elite Drive, and VeloBuild's own 38mm depth road wheels. This is where the differences in the frames became most apparent. The 177 comes alive with quality wheels. Despite most of the aforementioned wheels being stiff race wheels they felt somewhat soft under load with the 168. Marginal but noticeable. While the 168 is an aero frame (and arguably looks faster), you can easily slap some aero wheels on the 177 as well as optimize your on-bike position.

3. Velobuild's 38mm depth road wheels - Yes they're heavy but retail is only $339 USD. 1778g for what is suppose to be climbing wheels. Very noticeable on bad pavement and upon acceleration. Steel spokes and Novatec's cheapest generic hubs. For an ULTIMATE budget build where weight isn't a priority they are probably fine. Overall system weight is still more important. Sidenote...Novatec's top-tier hubs on the other hand are fantastic and I run them on my gravel wheels.

4. Front derailleur cable port - If you're running mechanical shift cables, routing and setting up the FD will most likely account for half of the entire time you spend on the bike build itself. The 177, 168, and CX-002 all use this style of cable port. Just be patient...

5. Separate Stem Combo - We can all agree the supplied stem which comes with the separate bar/stem combo is flawed in its design. VB updated the supplied metal C-ring/clip and removed the metal tabs, however you may still find difficulty removing all the headset slack/play. A fool-proof alternative is to opt for the integrated handlebars, use FSA's ACR system, or my favorite which is the FSA no.69 headset if you need to run your own stem. Hoping one day VB offers a separate stem with internal routing capabilities but with a tradition round top-cap design.

So for $500+shipping you get a classic looking frame resembling an S-Works SL6, a non-proprietary seatpost, and a frameset that comes in well under 1000g without paint and hardware. Solid if you ask me. Sadly I had disassemble my 177 (for a 2nd time) to donor the components for another build.

I'm running SRAM eTap on my VB CX-002 frame and the setup/experience is so awesome...I'm most likely gonna rebuild my 177 yet again but also use eTap. Make it my travel/climbing/holiday bike. Won't have to worry about FD routing issues either. THIS IS THE WAY.

[hazzer19]

Awesome summary of your experience on the 177 patliean1, thank you. I've been riding a 168 for almost 2 years now (May 2021) and have been super happy with it. I have a 177 on the way and excited to look out for the differences you pointed out between the two.


 

Probably a good time to follow up with my thoughts on the 177. Anecdotal of course, so take with a grain of salt.

1. By and large I think the 177 is the better frame versus the 168. It's lighter, much stiffer, and I've found it to be more responsive of a riding experience. EPS molding if that's important to you. The geometry is more forgiving as well.

2. I've tested both the 168 and 177 with a variety of wheels: Winspace Hypers, Farports EVO, Elite Drive, and VeloBuild's own 38mm depth road wheels. This is where the differences in the frames became most apparent. The 177 comes alive with quality wheels. Despite most of the aforementioned wheels being stiff race wheels they felt somewhat soft under load with the 168. Marginal but noticeable. While the 168 is an aero frame (and arguably looks faster), you can easily slap some aero wheels on the 177 as well as optimize your on-bike position.

3. Velobuild's 38mm depth road wheels - Yes they're heavy but retail is only $339 USD. 1778g for what is suppose to be climbing wheels. Very noticeable on bad pavement and upon acceleration. Steel spokes and Novatec's cheapest generic hubs. For an ULTIMATE budget build where weight isn't a priority they are probably fine. Overall system weight is still more important. Sidenote...Novatec's top-tier hubs on the other hand are fantastic and I run them on my gravel wheels.

4. Front derailleur cable port - If you're running mechanical shift cables, routing and setting up the FD will most likely account for half of the entire time you spend on the bike build itself. The 177, 168, and CX-002 all use this style of cable port. Just be patient...

5. Separate Stem Combo - We can all agree the supplied stem which comes with the separate bar/stem combo is flawed in its design. VB updated the supplied metal C-ring/clip and removed the metal tabs, however you may still find difficulty removing all the headset slack/play. A fool-proof alternative is to opt for the integrated handlebars, use FSA's ACR system, or my favorite which is the FSA no.69 headset if you need to run your own stem. Hoping one day VB offers a separate stem with internal routing capabilities but with a tradition round top-cap design.

So for $500+shipping you get a classic looking frame resembling an S-Works SL6, a non-proprietary seatpost, and a frameset that comes in well under 1000g without paint and hardware. Solid if you ask me. Sadly I had disassemble my 177 (for a 2nd time) to donor the components for another build.

I'm running SRAM eTap on my VB CX-002 frame and the setup/experience is so awesome...I'm most likely gonna rebuild my 177 yet again but also use eTap. Make it my travel/climbing/holiday bike. Won't have to worry about FD routing issues either. THIS IS THE WAY.

[Sebastian]

Thanks for your thoughts, @patliean1

I gotta say the VB177 really starts to grow on me. Overall it’s a nice offering.
Combined with a solid bar and stem solution it’s a very nice frameset.

Regarding Novatec hubs: As an amateur wheelbuilder I gotta say, Novatec hubs are just very solid value for money. Even their lower level offerings are good hubs. Easy to service. And super flexible because you can convert them to work with almost anything. I’m running 6 wheelsets with various types and levels of Novatec Hubs. Disc and Non Disc. Entry level up to flashy lightweight stuff with carbon hub shells. And they’re all running smoothly. Especially if you source them from Aliexpress, you might occasionally get a set with rough bearings. I’ve had two hubs which I had to replace bearings on pretty early. I wonder sometimes if there’s sellers on Ali who are selling b-stock or stuff that didn’t quite make it through qc. But overall, I really rate them.