Author Topic: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in  (Read 8620 times)

Boybiskit

Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« on: September 17, 2021, 11:12:33 PM »
I learned so much from this forum, time to repay my dues! My 1 month in review of my favourite new steed - an Airwolf YFM-026[/size]
    • Frame: Airwolf YFM-026 with headset and BB included. 29er, BOOST. Custom painted by Airwolf. I printed my own stickers and wrapped in 3M paint protection film
    • Bar/stem: Airwolf ‘Newest one-shaped MTB bike handlebar carbon Handlebars with 2° degree stem’. 40mm stem and 800mm width bar
    • Seatpost: Airwolf carbon post
    • Fork: NOS 2018 Rockshox SID RL Charger, 100mm travel, BOOST
    • Brakes: Magura MT Sport w/ Storm rotors. 180mm front, 160mm rear
    • Wheels: Syncros (Formula) BOOST hubs and Syncros (Alex) 30mm rims from a 2019 Scott Genius
    • Gears: Shimano XT 12sp shifter and Deore derailleur. SRAM GX cassette and X01 chain
    • Crank / Chainring: ZRACE HARDROCK - DUB 1 x 10 11 12 Speed Boost Crankset Eagle Tooth, 175mm
    • Pedals: Shimano PD-M785
    • Tires: Vittoria Barzo 2.35
    • Seat: Specialized Toupe
    • Grips: Wolftooth silicone
What I’m aiming for
I have been eyeing up unbranded frames from China for about 20 years. I really missed a 2013 Kona Hei Hei XC bike that I had sold and liked the idea of a hardtail to replace it. I wanted something light but capable, understanding that a 100mm fork that I found on sale sets something of a limit. I wanted to build it on a budget with a focus on function and value rather than bling and ultra-light weight.

I live on Vancouver’s North Shore which has a reputation for pretty gnarly trails, but wanted something that would be a blast on the less extreme trails that often get forgotten. That said, I know this bike will end up on some of the harder trails from time to time (see below!).

The frame, bar and seatpost were bought through the Airwolf store on Aliexpress. Their communication was excellent. It took about 6 weeks to arrive, but would have been quicker if I hadn’t had it painted. This is one of the few frames I could find with modern XC geo – notably reach, head and seat angles and BOOST. It was extremely well packaged with no damage. The only fault I could find in the finish is some rough edges in the head tube. I did not see any of the issues that some have reported about poor dropouts or fork crown hitting downtube (this is a large frame).

The crank was ordered from Zrace on Aliexpress. Their communication is OK, and I'm really pleased with them so far.

Other parts I either already owned, bought second hand or found on Ebay. The build went very smoothly. Any issues I had were definitely my error, not with the frame. The internal routing for the rear brake was a lot of work, but no harder than it would be on any other frame and it looks good once done! One thing to note: the other ports on this frame are designed to run inner cable only in the frame, as opposed to a full length of outer. This means I’ll need to do some fiddling if I want to fit a dropper post.

Initial impressions
This thing is light! The frame comes in at about 1150g with hanger, thru-axle and seat collar. Built up, the bike is 19.6lbs without crank or pedals, so I’m expecting 22-23lbs once the new crank arrives. I’m really pleased with how it looks with matte black components and a bright colour on the frame. No-one really seems to notice my little stickers, which is fine by me. I know what they mean (UK riders may be familiar with the Mint Sauce font and quotes!).

Even with the 40mm stem, it’s quite long (size large and I am 178cm tall). The steering is really quick. The brakes didn’t work (not bed in). The whole thing feels ‘tight’.

First ride
I was in a rush. I needed to get up the mountain by 6pm and I didn’t get home from work until 5.15. I stuffed my backpack with shakedown test musts like a shock pump and multitool and sped out the door.
Coming from a big-ish trail bike the Airwolf immediately felt weird, with lightning quick steering and very fast acceleration. The beginning of the ride was mostly on road to get up the mountain as fast as possible, but the little sections of singletrack gave me an inkling of how this was going to be: playful and fast (and too long).

You’ll be pleased to know I made it to the trail head on time. Everyone was interested in the new bike (most of them knew it was in the works), and there were plenty of jokes about me emerging from the forest with shards of carbon fibre up my arse. I had promised myself that I would not go straight into the gnar with this bike, but the group was heading up to a black-rated trail (7th Secret). I figured I’d give it a go and tweak the bike as I went / walk if necessary.

The ride to the top confirmed what I’d found on that initial climb: a bike that is quick to accelerate and encourages you to fast.

The beginning of the ride down was a different matter. The top of 7th Secret is quite steep, rocky and rooty. It was also greasy that day. I had not had a chance to bed the brakes in and I am used to a 160/150mm bike with a 65 degree head angle so I was pleased that I managed to drop in to the trail without snapping me or the bike. After about 2 minutes I put the seat post in my bag because I couldn’t drop the seat enough. If I’m going to keep riding trails like this, I’d need a dropper. As the brakes started to bed in, I started to appreciate the quick steering on the tight switchbacks.

As 7th Secret merges into the lower trails, things start to mellow out. This is where I realized the bike is exactly what I was hoping for. This is no 90s alloy hardtail throwback – there is quite a bit of flex in the frame and it’s pretty comfortable for a hardtail. That quick acceleration is addictive coming out of corners! I’m sure the fastish rolling tires helped here, and it’ll be interesting to experiment with North Shore go-to Maxxis DHF and DHRs at some point.

From the first ride I learned a few things. First, I really like this bike. It makes the ‘easy’ trails a hell of a lot of fun, which is just what I was hoping for. I would far rather have this than a gravel bike, and it’s probably not much slower on dirt road.
 
Secondly, a little faith in the established Chinese manufacturers is probably warranted. I really hope this frame lasts and becomes great value. I don’t think it will take long for me to trust it.
Thirdly… rushing out for a ride down ‘big’ trails on a bike that isn’t really set up yet is probably not a great idea. Go and bed the brakes in, tighten any loose bolts and realize you need a dropper before you go out in public.

One month in
I would highly recommend anyone looking at this frame to be careful on sizing. It's long. I have got the seat nearly all the way forward and it's fine now. Just after I got the YFM026 working a friend of mine bought a gravel bike and we went for a long but gentle ride. I loved it - fast, comfortable and light but much more capable than a gravel bike.

I have some fast singletrack trails close to my house and I absolutely love this bike there. So much fun!

A couple of tweaks to come! The bars are too wide. I'll cut them down to about 760mm. I have a seatpost shim on the way so I can install a dropper. A clip for one of the cable port covers has snapped and I also want some more to run full length inner cables for the gears and dropper. Airwolf have been really helpful and, after a bit of a language barrier, I think are sending some.

Pics
Lastly… pics! No post would be complete without pics of the bella machina.

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« Last Edit: September 17, 2021, 11:29:34 PM by Boybiskit »



was8v

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2021, 09:24:03 AM »
Brill thanks for the review!

I'm British so get the Mint Sauce references! I've also ridden 7th Secret on a Giant Reign... glad the Airwolf was a blast.

I just got one too, not built yet but went for the 142 rear end. I got it as you say for those less Gnar rides but glad it can cope on the fun stuff too.


« Last Edit: September 28, 2021, 09:26:29 AM by was8v »

carbonazza

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2021, 11:13:18 AM »
Nice bikes ! I love the design of this frame.
None of you had the problem of interference with the fork hitting the down tube when you turn ?

2Wheelzgood

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2021, 12:12:52 PM »
nice, thanks for the review, do you have a link to it on AE?

i'm also in North Van, i have another China 29er but its mostly set up for gravel rides (have an Evil Offering for the gnar), I have taken it down some north shore blacks but it was a bit hairy to say the least - no dropper, on the mellow stuff its fun.  I can put my Evil enduro wheelset on it if i like and it makes a world of difference.  The thing absolutely rips on gravel and i can keep up with most people on dedicated gravel bikes no problem.  The problem with it is its based on the Trek Stache and the max front chain ring is a 32 which is why i'm looking for something else, I like the sound of yours.

Boybiskit

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2021, 05:44:32 PM »
Thanks for the replies  :) 

I had no issues with fork hitting the frame. Only issue I have had so far is that the plastic (not rubber) cable port covers are not great, but I had no trouble asking Airwolf to send more.

There are a lot of listings for this frame, but this is the one I used (check around, this may no longer be the cheapest listing): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001271470282.html

Shim for the dropper arrived this week (frame is 31.6; the dropper I have is 30.9) and am looking forward to fitting.

was8v

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2021, 04:20:11 AM »
My frame is a large, the fork is a Manitou M30 29er 100mm axle with straight steerer and reducer crown.

I do have a boost lyrik I could try to show rockshox if someone wants.



Mine was from this link https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001271470282.html I went the cheapest delivery and it came quickly without any further tax to pay. Look at their listing, the prices and delivery fluctuates a bit, also check their ebay - I paid £243 total delivered and then $15 extra for a spare dropout set. I designed the decals myself and got them cut and sent by an aliexpress seller for about £3.50!
« Last Edit: September 29, 2021, 04:59:08 AM by was8v »

carbonazza

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2021, 12:00:45 AM »
...I do have a boost lyrik I could try to show rockshox if someone wants...
Thank you for the picture, plenty of space compared to the others who had issues with their fork.
What size is your frame?
Thanks @boybiskit too for the reply.

nicklej

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2021, 12:50:26 AM »
I also have this frame and first impressions are good. Just finished it last night but still waiting on some final bits before the bike is “complete” (saddle, pedals and new seatpost clamp).

I agree about the imperfections in the frame. The upper and lower bearing areas on the head tube looked a little more ropey than expected. However, fitting their own bearings and setting the preload, it all worked without a hitch or any notchiness. The frame was wrapped so well and arrived in 6 days to the UK but I just went for the black option with the intention of perhaps painting it in the future. 

I am British and ride the South Downs way often as I live near the start in Winchester. This rig is designed to be a very light hardtail. I use the bike to commute hence the G-Ones and rigid fork but will Chuck on a RockShox Sid when I’m on the downs and some Mezcals. For my typical rides around the new forest too, this current setup works great where the terrain isn’t demanding.

Bike as it stands is 7.63kg and was a blast to ride home last night! My only mistake was that the E13 XCX cranks use a larger offset on the chainring whereas I have a standard 3mm offset boost chainring. I didn’t check that in advance.  This means the chain line isn’t quite right so there is a bit of noise to the drive train however, it is still rideable and shifts well but I will sort that out to prevent chain from wearing too much. I am using a rigid fork from trifox. It looks lovely and is very stiff. If anyone else out there goes for it, keep in mind the post mounts will need facing as my calliper was not parallel to the rotor so took a little longer to sort out.

All in all, I am very happy with this bike. I’m am 180cm tall and the large frame is just a smidge too big for me personally. I can make it fit but I have always found myself on the cusp of medium and large frames. I’ll ride with this for some time but may eventually swap components onto their medium frame instead.

Picture won’t upload for some reason
« Last Edit: September 30, 2021, 01:00:43 AM by nicklej »

was8v

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2021, 04:22:29 AM »
What size is your frame?

@carbonazza its a large

@nicklej yeah they are quite long for a china direct frame (its why I chose it!) 450 reach on the large. I am also 180cm and will run a 50mm stem and inline seatpost.

Some more info I've collected on this frame:

Video of it on a test rig: http://video01.alibaba.com/vod-icbu/7c569251818fbca4/rwmGfhDkuafxuGYiGQd/Y50kpUZpVAw5oAsTQch_295718423364_sd_hq.mp4?w=962&h=540&e=sd&t=2101e38516329920937882481e9e64

From: https://yaoflying.en.alibaba.com/product/62419780834-804391055/2020_29er_carbon_mountain_bike_frame_full_toray_T1000_carbon_hardtail_mtb_frame_with_135_9_142_12mm_hook_XC_carbon_mtb_frame.html?spm=a2700.shop_index.82.7.7ddf112d78JMhF

There is a little review here showing fork clearance: https://catalog.alibuy.biz/product/airwolf-yfm026-hardtail/

nicklej

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2021, 01:29:09 PM »
So I am 3 weeks into riding this frame and have done just over 1000 miles all told. The most “extreme” riding I’ve done is in the New Forest UK, not very extreme…!

Anyhow, have developed a hairline crack between the upper exposed seat tube section where it curves onto the downtube. My seatpost has plenty of length in the frame so I’m disappointed in this frame right now. It’s a shame because it looks lovely and rides great too.

Have contacted Airwolf this evening so will see what there customer service is like

was8v

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2021, 11:45:22 AM »
That's not a good look....

How much seatpost did you have in the frame? Was it below this join?

Any seatpost shims?

Let is know what they say. You should also be protected by credit card.

Boybiskit

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2021, 05:42:09 PM »
@nicklej Your pic sent me running into the basement to look for frame cracks after recently abusing the Airwolf. Thankfully no issues here. Fingers crossed for you. My aftersales experience has been good (although only for broken cable port covers).

I'm now 2 months in and my only real issue has been with the Magura Brakes. They have been a pig to get right BUT now I have bled them really well, worked with tight clearance around rotor and got some high quality (KoolStop) pads on they are incredibly good.

nicklej

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2021, 06:45:13 AM »
That's not a good look....

How much seatpost did you have in the frame? Was it below this join?

Any seatpost shims?

Let is know what they say. You should also be protected by credit card.

I am running a 400mm post with 180mm in the frame. Can trim this down but haven't bothered yet. So plenty in there.
The frame is not unsafe to ride in my opinion and I am still riding it now. The crack is getting fractionally worse over time but I have not heard back from them yet.

I my picture and video was not clear enough so they asked for more photos. Can't really who anything else lol. I'm loving the bike though. I have sent pics over so hoping for a reply within a week about what my options are/ what they can sort for me.

I may have a little scout at other frames tomorrow and see what options i have so that i can use my cranks and seatpost.


nicklej

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2021, 06:49:53 AM »
@nicklej Your pic sent me running into the basement to look for frame cracks after recently abusing the Airwolf. Thankfully no issues here. Fingers crossed for you. My aftersales experience has been good (although only for broken cable port covers).

I'm now 2 months in and my only real issue has been with the Magura Brakes. They have been a pig to get right BUT now I have bled them really well, worked with tight clearance around rotor and got some high quality (KoolStop) pads on they are incredibly good.

Haha glad yours is okay. I only noticed the crack initially because i thought it was weird that this line kept appearing after i wiped it down. I thought maybe my nuts were sweating down onto that sectiona nd then i had a reality check that my nuts don't sweat that much!!  ;D

What issue did you have with your brakes? I am running MT8s on my bike and they're great - I have SwissStop pads and will get some more soon. I just had issues with the fork (not from Airwolf) which is that i get a lot of resonance through the fork so may have to add a small lead weight to change the resonance
 frequency. Overall, i am loving the bike. I will keep riding it as it is and monitor it. I ride every day for 40 miles minimum so easy to "feel" when something isn't right!

Boybiskit

Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2021, 07:03:11 PM »
Haha glad yours is okay. I only noticed the crack initially because i thought it was weird that this line kept appearing after i wiped it down. I thought maybe my nuts were sweating down onto that sectiona nd then i had a reality check that my nuts don't sweat that much!!  ;D

What issue did you have with your brakes? I am running MT8s on my bike and they're great - I have SwissStop pads and will get some more soon. I just had issues with the fork (not from Airwolf) which is that i get a lot of resonance through the fork so may have to add a small lead weight to change the resonance
 frequency. Overall, i am loving the bike. I will keep riding it as it is and monitor it. I ride every day for 40 miles minimum so easy to "feel" when something isn't right!


My problem with the brake was I just couldn't get a good bleed on the back. In all my mucking about I must have also contaminated the pads. I also found pad clearance pretty tight. All good now.

More news: my bag of extra cable port covers showed up last week. This replaces a broken one and they sent a mix of sizes to fit inner cable and full hose sizes, so my dropper is now fitted too. I'm really pleased with this, partly because the customer service so far has been better than I have experiences with other mainstream western brands in recent years!

The only thing I'm wondering now is if I want to up the fork travel. If I can persuade a friend to lend me something with 120mm, I'd like to give it a try.