Seraph Bikes Superlight 836g X68 - Alternative to SL8 Fakes?

[SWeiden]

It sucks that tantan screwed up on the paint you wanted and the handlebar, but that red to black fade with black sparkle looks gorgeous in gloss

[Rebel_Yell]

So, I've been lurking here for some time and sometime in early May I placed an order for a X68 with complete Ultegra di2 groupset and a set of 50/65 Falcon pro turbo from Light bicycle. The wheels are 34mm wide and I run Conti GP5k 30C that expand to 33mm.

Beautiful bike. How much were the Wheels if you don’t mind sharing?

Thanks!

[Lanzerman]

Yeah well, the experience with Tantan hasn't been the best and the outcome of the paint was not as intended but it still was suprisingly good so I'm still happy about it.

The wheels were ~1050$ + 150$ shipping to .se so far from being cheap for being a chinese wheelset.

[glepore]

Something different. Ali Trek style aero bottles on an x68. Stock they're grey and black. Might need an accent or graphic on the bottle but they look good. They function well, just wish they had a normal pull open spout.

[OralMaster]

Nope I don't get paid. And I don't offer nor accept any sort of upfront "flat fee" from brands either. Never have thus far. TanTan like most frame brands I've dealt with doesn't offer affiliate links either. So really the only gross income I make is maybe the $15-$20 USD from YouTube ad revenue, and whatever the frameset is worth down the line when reselling - which is practically worthless on the second hand market. So I have a closet filled with old cheap framesets that nobody wants.

For myself I just love building new bikes. It's a fantastic therapeutic hobby. Doesn't matter whether if it's a $4000 frame or $400. Bikes are just fascinating to me. I have zero attachment or feelings to any particular brand. My passion is the main reason brands even deal with me. That and my engagement with viewers. Because statistically my YouTube/IG is very low level compared to the Hambinis/GC Performances/Peak Torques of the industry. However, the $300 I make monthly from YouTube isn't exactly enough to reinvest into constantly buying new frames/wheels from a completely unbiased perspective. Even if I raised capital via GoFundMe or Patreon to fund new projects, someone will always make a stink about. Not to mention the hours upon hours of my time each week.

Sure other YouTubers are probably making loads of money. I am not one of them. This whole thing is truly a labor of love. So until someone provides a financial solution that doesn't put me in the red according to my accountant for the past 5 fiscal years, influencing helps subsidized an already expensive hobby. I earn no net income. Watch my videos or don't. Either way it costs me money in the end.

patrick you probably already knew this but you are my favorite BBC (Bike Builder & Commentator) on the internet. I will not describe in full details what i do to myself while watching your videos.

[Cnasta]

patrick you probably already knew this but you are my favorite BBC (Bike Builder & Commentator) on the internet. I will not describe in full details what i do to myself while watching your videos.

Considering your nickname, I think ppl are getting quite curious. You must do yoga

[kozak567]

Something different. Ali Trek style aero bottles on an x68. Stock they're grey and black. Might need an accent or graphic on the bottle but they look good. They function well, just wish they had a normal pull open spout.

looks good 

[Cnasta]

Got this on order, coming sometime this fall...

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLRwWUuOIwc/

I allready liked your posts (and IG account). I'm not much of a youtube-watcher. But considering I'm ordering exactly that frame (same colour, but with custom decals) I will watch your vid this time I hope you build your frame before me, so I can just copy what you did

I'm getting a 54 frame, 178cm tall, normal proportions. Not sure about the handlebar. Think I'll need 110x38. Does that sound 'normal' or would that be too long?

[patliean1]

I'm getting a 54 frame, 178cm tall, normal proportions. Not sure about the handlebar. Think I'll need 110x38. Does that sound 'normal' or would that be too long?

Tough to say without knowing your fitness, bike fit needs, or your current bike setup. But 110 is probably a good place to start I reckon.

My bike fit is all messed up these days from constantly testing different bikes. I've ran on my SL8 140, 150, and even 160mm length stems LoL. Because I'm an idiot.

[Cnasta]

Tough to say without knowing your fitness, bike fit needs, or your current bike setup. But 110 is probably a good place to start I reckon.

My bike fit is all messed up these days from constantly testing different bikes. I've ran on my SL8 140, 150, and even 160mm length stems LoL. Because I'm an idiot.

I'd say my fitness is good. I do timetrials/triathlon (competitive for the podium in the region/locally), but riding my roadbike more than my TT bike (due to traffic, the occasional climb/holliday-mountains abroad, and grouprides).
For a above average fitness, would a 120 stem make more sense? I know it's a guess, but not paying for a bikefit (and my last one was 7 years ago).

I really like the integrated bars over a seperate stem.Is there a specific length that I can measure from my current bike set-up (like reach?) to get a better guess/estimate? If so, what exactly do a measure (mid-seatpost to mid-handlebars? Of mid-sadle to mid-handlebars)?

[Lanzerman]

I really like the integrated bars over a seperate stem.Is there a specific length that I can measure from my current bike set-up (like reach?) to get a better guess/estimate? If so, what exactly do a measure (mid-seatpost to mid-handlebars? Of mid-sadle to mid-handlebars)?

If you're not interested in a complete bike fit you can measure your current bike and copy/paste over to your new bike. Reach and stack are good measurements but they don't say that much by themselves. I would say you'll really want the position of the saddle (reach/stack to saddle from BB) to get the fit for your lower body. You'll also want measurements from the saddle to the hoods. Last one is not all that easy to measure but it's needed for upper body fit.

If you play around with this in excel (with geometry for your current frame, spacers, stem, bars etc) and add a new row with geometry for new bike/prospect you can calculate reasonable size of bike and components. If you're confident you don't need to change your fit on the bike this is the cost-effective way to do it.

[Sander2177]

I allready liked your posts (and IG account). I'm not much of a youtube-watcher. But considering I'm ordering exactly that frame (same colour, but with custom decals) I will watch your vid this time I hope you build your frame before me, so I can just copy what you did

I'm getting a 54 frame, 178cm tall, normal proportions. Not sure about the handlebar. Think I'll need 110x38. Does that sound 'normal' or would that be too long?

Cnasta
I always have a set of 380x110cm you can buy for peanuts if you want to try another bar size.
I cannot remember but a set of bar from Tan Tan is like $60usd I think.
I ride 54cm an I am 178cm but I have gone back to 120cm.
I was running 120cm on my SL7 then sized down to 110cm on my SL8 but it felT cramped so went back to 120cm again

[Cnasta]

If you're not interested in a complete bike fit you can measure your current bike and copy/paste over to your new bike. Reach and stack are good measurements but they don't say that much by themselves. I would say you'll really want the position of the saddle (reach/stack to saddle from BB) to get the fit for your lower body. You'll also want measurements from the saddle to the hoods. Last one is not all that easy to measure but it's needed for upper body fit.

If you play around with this in excel (with geometry for your current frame, spacers, stem, bars etc) and add a new row with geometry for new bike/prospect you can calculate reasonable size of bike and components. If you're confident you don't need to change your fit on the bike this is the cost-effective way to do it.

Measuring the Stack is clear to me. But how to measure reach in a way I can compare it to the X68. I other words, form where tot where do I measure? Look at these charts, wouldn't it be easier/better to measure effective toptube?

https://geometrygeeks.bike/bike/tantan-tt-x68-2024/

[Cnasta]

Cnasta
I always have a set of 380x110cm you can buy for peanuts if you want to try another bar size.
I cannot remember but a set of bar from Tan Tan is like $60usd I think.
I ride 54cm an I am 178cm but I have gone back to 120cm.
I was running 120cm on my SL7 then sized down to 110cm on my SL8 but it felT cramped so went back to 120cm again

Thanks for the reply! Been admiring your IG account and especially the goodies on your x68. Might take some inspiration (for the 'cheaper' upgrades). If I need a 110 I'll contact you. Got some friends living in the .UK, so that could work out

[Lanzerman]

Measuring the Stack is clear to me. But how to measure reach in a way I can compare it to the X68. I other words, form where tot where do I measure? Look at these charts, wouldn't it be easier/better to measure effective toptube?

https://geometrygeeks.bike/bike/tantan-tt-x68-2024/

You have 3 contact points on the bike, the pedals (centered around BB), the saddle and the bar (or hoods where most people have their hands). The top tube doesn't really say anything about any of the contact points. BB is the only contact point you can't adjust, so measure the other contact points relative to the BB. Make sure saddle is reasonably close to where you want it, adjusting the saddle is easy. Put more effort into the bars, they are more complicated (and expensive) to adjust if you need to change integrated bars because the stem is the wrong length.

The problem with the geometry chart is that it only tells part of the story. It only tells you about the frame and not about the complete bike and the extra parts needed to make the frame fit your body. If you have the geometry chart for your current bike you can compare stack/reach between the frames and then you can compare how many spacers and what stem length you need to get the bars in the same position as on your current bike.

If you don't have the geometry chart for your current bike you can measure from the BB to the bars/hoods and calculate spacers and stem from the X68 geometry.

If you measure to the hoods you'll have to compare the handlebars too (reach). Could be worth looking into it though, would be annoying if the bar is in the correct place but the hoods are 1-2cm off. I think the Roval Rapide clone bars are quite compact.