Affordable lightweight frameset (not Winspace SLC 3)

[TidyDinosaur]

What is the consensus about this website ?

Not great it seems...

https://chinertown.com/index.php?topic=4988.0

[Takiyaki]

You dont need a super light frame to get a build under 15lb. That's almost like a regular midrange build these days. I had a 6kg rim brake build around a ~950g frame a few years ago. And that's with everything- pedals, bottle cages, computer mount. It was heavily compromised though- carbon saddle, garden hose Tufo tubular tires- it was kind of awful to ride.

It's all about picking the right components. My suggestions?

- Frame- something with a round seatpost so you have cheaper options there. Rim brake is getting tough as there are less and less options. The innovation/investment is in disc.
- Wheels- not hard at all to find sub 1200g wheelsets these days. You don't even have to compromise much on width/depth. You can prob find sub 1000g wheels if you're willing to compromise on performance (I wouldn't)
- Tires- I might just not have known about better options when I did my build but I don't think you have to compromise here. BRR has the info to let you find the best compromise of weight, rolling resistance and puncture protection: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews?orderby=weight Shouldn't be an issue for you to find 23c tires under 200g/axle that aren't complete trash.
- Cranks- not hard to find ~400g crank arms. I have Extralite chainrings and they are OK. If you can go 1x, even better.
- Groupset- mixed bag; mechanical rim is the lightest but eh. Carbon rim brake surfaces just suck and turn your wheels into wear items. I would def look into disc, not sure if hydro or cable is lighter. Again go 1x if you can

Etc. You can def get under 15lb without sacrificing much of anything; I'd wager you can even get under 14lb if you are very careful. I will say it is very nice to have a bike that "holds speed" so I would also factor aero in...... aero & rolling resistance take over pretty early so I think it's worth eating a few grams for stuff like rim depth, faster tires etc will make for a more enjoyable experience. My bike is prob 1kg heavier now but it is so much faster and nicer to ride. My next build splits the difference with the best of both worlds.

[jonathanf2]

I'd say 15 lbs. is really easy with a mid-level 900g'ish frame. Wheelsets are more plentiful and have the advantage of being cheaper to buy, plus rotational weight will make a bigger difference. If I was building a dedicated road climber, I'd totally opt for a 1x setup. A 38 to 44t upfront and something like a Spedao 10-42t cassette in the rear. The removal of the FD offsets the slight weight gain in the cassette. I think going 1x mechanical or electronic is a personal preference. Both should work fine. Though if I was going 2x, I'd definitely go electronic.

Panaracer Agilist TL would be my go-to. The 25c version is 210g and the duro version is 235g. You can go with the non-tubeless that come in at around 190g with TPU tubes, but I find those tires flimsy as heck. They even have a 170g version, but I'm guessing those are like paper.

There are a bunch of cheap carbon cranks on AliExpress now. Pick whichever.

I'd also consider a separate bar + stem combo. A 90g UNO stem paired to a sub 200g drop bars should weigh and cost less than an integrated bar.

The Big Rock Sohtea just has the ugliest branding, so my vote would go to an ICAN FL1 even if it weighs a bit more. It's cheaper and has all the modern amenities.

My cheap ass TFSA frameset with 1100g Easedon wheels is just hovering above 15lbs. and I haven't even gone full weight weenie on it. If I went with an ICAN FL1 or Flyee and focused on weight reduction, I'm pretty sure I could hit or go below the 14 lbs. mark.

[BeR]

I'd say 15 lbs. is really easy with a mid-level 900g'ish frame. Wheelsets are more plentiful and have the advantage of being cheaper to buy, plus rotational weight will make a bigger difference. If I was building a dedicated road climber, I'd totally opt for a 1x setup. A 38 to 44t upfront and something like a Spedao 10-42t cassette in the rear. The removal of the FD offsets the slight weight gain in the cassette. I think going 1x mechanical or electronic is a personal preference. Both should work fine. Though if I was going 2x, I'd definitely go electronic.

Panaracer Agilist TL would be my go-to. The 25c version is 210g and the duro version is 235g. You can go with the non-tubeless that come in at around 190g with TPU tubes, but I find those tires flimsy as heck. They even have a 170g version, but I'm guessing those are like paper.

There are a bunch of cheap carbon cranks on AliExpress now. Pick whichever.

I'd also consider a separate bar + stem combo. A 90g UNO stem paired to a sub 200g drop bars should weigh and cost less than an integrated bar.

The Big Rock Sohtea just has the ugliest branding, so my vote would go to an ICAN FL1 even if it weighs a bit more. It's cheaper and has all the modern amenities.

My cheap ass TFSA frameset with 1100g Easedon wheels is just hovering above 15lbs. and I haven't even gone full weight weenie on it. If I went with an ICAN FL1 or Flyee and focused on weight reduction, I'm pretty sure I could hit or go below the 14 lbs. mark.

There is so few reviews of TFSA. Which model is it ?

[JayBee]

The Big Rock Sohtea just has the ugliest branding, so my vote would go to an ICAN FL1 even if it weighs a bit more. It's cheaper and has all the modern amenities.

I pulled the trigger on the FL1 a few days ago for basically this reason. I'm not planning to build it super light -- I'm drawn to this frame as much for the Aethos-esque aesthetics as for the low-ish weight -- but hope to achieve 15-ish lbs with 2x12 and 50mm deep rims.

[jonathanf2]

There is so few reviews of TFSA. Which model is it ?

I think TFSA went under. Their AliEx presence disappeared. It's the same open mold frame as the Trifox X-16 or the Delihea Rest frameset. It's basically a Tarmac SL6 copy. Handling-wise I have no issues. Though like any cheap carbon frameset, you'll have to do your own fine touches.

I bought it a few years back, but there are new lightweight options now available that I'd opt for something else.

[Takiyaki]

Ah that's a shame. TFSA had some nice paint jobs.

[TidyDinosaur]

Ah that's a shame. TFSA had some nice paint jobs.

Check Delihea like Jonathan said. I think they also do great paint-schemes sometimes.

[JayBee]

Received ICAN FL1 today. Took approximately 3 weeks from order to receiving (British Columbia, Canada), including the weeklong Chinese national holiday.
Deets:
Size 52 in chameleon 19818C paint. $979USD including shipping ($135), extra hangar ($8) and two bottle cages ($11.50 each)
Weights:
Frame including various clamps, bolts, hangers - 875g
Uncut fork - 362g
Seatpost - 188g
Headset and compression plug - 120g

XMcarbonspeed wheels on order. Need to purchase groupset, handlebar, etc.

[Serge_K]

Good candidates for light frames:
https://www.icanbikes.com/Products-list/t1000-carbon-road-disc-brake-frame-fl1-795g/#
Ican, 800g in size 54.
https://www.flybike-asia.com/product/139.html
Fly bike (mothership behind carbonda, and OEMs for a lot of brands, ICAN included, de rosa...). They dont advertise weights here but i suspect the specs to be similar to the ican one.
And if you buy these, you get something that's 1. not illegal and 2. will not break from under you in a sprint.
this isn't meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather i just came across these so posting here for reference.

Speeder SC-R55D - 51cm Weight: 780g (frame) + 77g (Aluminum Parts) + 50g (Painting). As per their website. They used to offer different layups, now they only offer this light layup version. Great reputation as an OEM. It looks like a Rose Xlite, which i think looks amazing. I like that look better than the SL8, so my interest in fakes is officially over. if i were to pull the trigger on a frame today, i think i'd buy that 55D.

[CountUgolino]

If I were you, I'd think hard about the Bigrock frame.  I have done 1,100 miles of hard riding on mine and it has honestly been fantastic.  I think the name is funny, whenever someone asks me about it, I tell them that I only ordered it because I misread the "R" as a "C."  The frame is incredibly well done though, very stiff, great geometry, and the carbon layup is so clean it puts my big name carbon bike to shame.

[Serge_K]

Think hard about bigrock. Hard riding, very stiff. Five stars. All of the stars.

[JayBee]

With the disclaimer that this is my first bike build and that I know little about carbon frames in comparison to many others on this forum, I'm impressed with my initial inspection of the FL1 frame.

[CountUgolino]

Think hard about bigrock. Hard riding, very stiff. Five stars. All of the stars.

I want to be clear that while the jokes do write themselves, my Bigrock has left me completely satisfied.  Oops, guess I can't be stopped.  It's seriously a good frame though!

[KaiDeus]

With the disclaimer that this is my first bike build and that I know little about carbon frames in comparison to many others on this forum, I'm impressed with my initial inspection of the FL1 frame.

Well, this is actually a lot of paint overspray, nothing which should be a deal braker, but that was not cleaned up after spraying. Not that you should expect that, but it is just an okay job. The BB shell will have contact with the overspray and most likely crack the paint.

The brake mounts may need some work with a razor blade to clean up the overspray, if you have trouble aligning the brak caliper.

The bearing seat of the headtube looks very good though.