Looking for insight on road bike frame/suppliers

[samky]

Well about four weeks ago, I lost my long loved (and abused) Trek Emonda sl6 to a gnarly chain drop due to my negligence. Lost about 7-8 layers of cf near the BB and could probably poke a hole through it if I tried lol. Anyway, toyed with the idea of fixing it myself with a shotty DIY kit (only thing cost effective alternative of buying legit materials), having it professionally repaired or simply getting a new bike. Decided to go with the later, but keep the Emonda on the wahoo and maybe DIY patch it.
I've since started pulling the trigger on a few parts and am now looking for a road bike disc frame. Trying to keep the total build around $2500 total. Have everything but the frame, handlebars, BB, tires, rotors/pads. Currently in it for a total of $1140.
My riding these days typically consist of solo 20-40 miles with approximately 1000-2500 feet of elevation gain.
Been lurking these forums/reddit/youtube for the past week and have narrowed it down to a few choices.

Elves Falath EVO+ - seems like a decent brand with above average china customer service, slightly overpriced for what it is though - some people love it and say the product is great, some say its a fad driven by youtubers - My dilemma with this one is only the Evo is reviewed and it seems that Elves addressed some of the negative feedback with the evo+? at $1210 for the frame+bars I'm not sure it would be worth the small price difference of a nicer frame like the winspace 1550 or 2nd hand frame from a big brand.

Light carbon R017D - this one I was quoted at $730 total. Seems like decent geometry for how I ride and the price is right, but my dilemma with this one is all the negatives I've seen about the quality recently. I know most of these frames coming from china (and even some big brands) are hit or miss but not sure if the potential headache of dealing with a qc mishap is worth the lower price.

Winspace 1550 1st or 2nd gen - I think this one would be a great choice from everything I've seen/read about them, but the price puts me well over the $2500 budget. Unless they offer some killer Black Friday deals, which then I would hold out on buying one if its similarly priced to the Evo+

2nd hand big name frame - my last resort choice which might be the best choice, but could also come with some major headaches if I cant find one local and inspect it myself prior to purchase.

Anyhoo, just wondering if I've overlooked any notable frames/distributors producing quality road frames below $1200 shipped. Or if anyone has recent first hand experience with these brands or has insight to any black friday sales that would be worth waiting for. Thanks!

[Serge_K]

I'd never buy an elves or a winspace (chinese "brands" so you pay for the brand but your resale value is still trash, so i think it makes much more sense to buy chinese OEM for ~ half the price). They also spend way to much money on influencers for me to trust them, or be interested.
The 17D has a down tube shaped like a school bus, that's a hard pass for me, i do way too much riding on the flat to deliberately ride a brick.
I'd go with the speeder 55 something. Great reputation, looks lovely, modern, light. You'd be within budget easily.

[Macedingle]

Serge is correct that the smartest choice is to buy an unbranded carbon frame straight from the manufacturer. Personally I took advantage of Winspace’s massive black Friday deals last year on a T1550 gen 1, and I am in love with it. I dont care about the resell argument at all since I plan to ride this bike for a very long time. Plus with Winspace you can just use your card and not have to deal with paypal/(feels mega sketchy to me) bank transfers. So I vote you get a Winspace! But I am biased

[SillyMochi]

I'm with Serge on this one. If you go China, go full China!

[samky]

Serge is correct that the smartest choice is to buy an unbranded carbon frame straight from the manufacturer. Personally I took advantage of Winspace’s massive black Friday deals last year on a T1550 gen 1, and I am in love with it. I dont care about the resell argument at all since I plan to ride this bike for a very long time. Plus with Winspace you can just use your card and not have to deal with paypal/(feels mega sketchy to me) bank transfers. So I vote you get a Winspace! But I am biased

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I agree that the extra $ for the branding probably isn't worth it, other than slightly better customer service and more reviews. Although I really dont plan on reselling either unless the bike doesnt fit (still a newbie when it comes to fit, but using bikeinsights to compare dimensions). Ill take a look into speeder, serge. And Macedingle, if you dont mind me asking, how much did you pay for the t1550 frame during black friday?

[Macedingle]

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I agree that the extra $ for the branding probably isn't worth it, other than slightly better customer service and more reviews. Although I really dont plan on reselling either unless the bike doesnt fit (still a newbie when it comes to fit, but using bikeinsights to compare dimensions). Ill take a look into speeder, serge. And Macedingle, if you dont mind me asking, how much did you pay for the t1550 frame during black friday?

It was $1230. https://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,4739.msg55639.html#msg55639
That is a link to my build thread with pricing on the whole build.

[osalois]

I'm considering similar frames as you. I've narrowed it down to the Velobuild 268 and the SC-Speeder R55D. The Velobuild is more affordable and offers the option for custom paint, but it's slightly heavier.

[Macedingle]

Well the black Friday deals from Winspace are not great, with stacking discount codes Frame + Bar would be around $1500. With your budget I would look at Speeder or Velobuild 268 then. Pandapodium also has the Yoeleo R12 on sale for under $1200

These lower quality black friday deals that have come out so far are wild considering the strength of USD vs Yuan. US consumers will see small discounts compared to 2023, on products that have seen price increases since then.

[100poods]

https://www.brossbikes.com/en/bikes/bikeList?bikeName=VAGABOND%20AERO&cateId=19

Excellent price for complete bike if you take the Shimano 105/Ultegra di2 version, the frame is separately ~1000$. Modern geometry and aerodynamics, but you will need to figure out how to bring it. Seka Exceed can also be found in China for ~$1000 or a little more.

[toxin]

Ciclisti.cc will have them eventually, though with a ~700€ markup

[100poods]

Full Ultegra di2, 50mm carbon wheels, weight ~8kg — 18000rmb/2500$. Even in China, I have not yet found a bike that can compete with this offer, taking into account all spes..

[patliean1]

As the resident in-floooo-ennn-sirrr in this forum I have reviewed brands from $500 frames upwards of $4000. We are all free to spend our money however we deem important. Just keep in mind our personal purchases neither make us more righteous or shrewd than the next person.

Some the most of popular brands in this forum I have worked with: VeloBuild, TanTan, Yishun/LightCarbon, Yoeleo, Winspace. The list goes on. Who would have thought affordable OEM brands also spend money on influencers to market their products too. Let's hope I don't start working with Speeder...

If you have a hard cap at $1200 for the frame I would either just buy a VeloBuild 268 and spend the rest of the money towards upgrading to the best set of wheels/components you can. Frame is important, but an overall optimized bike experience is more important. TanTan is also a great alternative as they have a wider selection of frames versus VeloBuild. TanTan is constantly releasing new frames which is great to see.

Yishun/LightCarbon make incredible frames for the price. Stiff, more good reviews than bad, and easy to work on. You'll just have to see which frames are available to general public for sale and select a frame that fits your general geometry.

Now if you can magically stretch the budget to $1500 I personally would look at the latest Tavelo Arow (currently on BF sale). It's surprisingly incredible to ride. I might argue this bike could easily consolidate my Giant Propel, Winspace T1500, Tavelo Attack, and all my other bikes (except my SL8) into a single bike. It's that good. Still testing though. Perhaps Speeder can sell you one of their frames similar to Tavelo. But easily the most well-rounded bike I've ridden under $2000. Another option if you can stretch is a used Giant TCR. Especially for the type of terrain you ride.

This is a controversial take, but I've noticed that the rise in ultra affordable frames has inadvertently made cheap frames the "fast fashion" of bike trends. Disposal if you will. You may love your affordable frame but you may also find yourself just wanting "a little more." This is perfectly normal. I felt this way with my original VeloBuild 168. Might be a good idea to just save a little more to ultimately get the frame you really want. A frame you'll be happy to keep for years.

[Macedingle]

Full Ultegra di2, 50mm carbon wheels, weight ~8kg — 18000rmb/2500$. Even in China, I have not yet found a bike that can compete with this offer, taking into account all spes..

OP stated he only needs a frame

[Macedingle]

This is a controversial take, but I've noticed that the rise in ultra affordable frames has inadvertently made cheap frames the "fast fashion" of bike trends. Disposal if you will. You may love your affordable frame but you may also find yourself just wanting "a little more." This is perfectly normal. I felt this way with my original VeloBuild 168. Might be a good idea to just save a little more to ultimately get the frame you really want. A frame you'll be happy to keep for years.

This is one of the reasons that I want with my Winspace T1550 Gen 1 instead of something like a Velo build 268. I understand a lot of people are on this form to get a cheap performance bike but something about having that brand behind it  makes it feel a little more luxurious for the long haul.

[Macedingle]

The Bigrock Aero should be added to your list, lower on the price list as well.