Spcycle New Mold SP-R088 Carbon Road Frame

[simo8891]

This has probably already been written....I'd like to know how much to tighten the expander inside the fork steerer tube.
The Specialized SL8, if I remember correctly, should be tightened to 5Nm.

I used the cane creek Ancora expander on mine.
9nm torque spec, so did it to that. No issues.
I used some cheapo AliExpress expanders before including the FSA clone and had constant reoccurring loose headset, as the expanders kept rattling loose. Cane creek gave me good bearing preload since and have not needed to re-tighten.

[Bonus79]

I used the cane creek Ancora expander on mine.
9nm torque spec, so did it to that. No issues.
I used some cheapo AliExpress expanders before including the FSA clone and had constant reoccurring loose headset, as the expanders kept rattling loose. Cane creek gave me good bearing preload since and have not needed to re-tighten.

I opted directly for a Deda 70mm expander which should be tightened to 5Nm max....so I don't think there should be any problems with the fork steerer tube, but I don't seem to have read any specific instructions from Spcycle.

[Namenlos]

So after a few trips to the customs it's finally there (to Germany ordered 24th, letter from customs on 23rd). Chameleon Purple matte, looks bluer in the daylight photos than it actually is. In artificial light more like metallic purple in late summer daylight it changes from a rich purple to a purplish blue that is on the lighter blue side. I am quite happy with the colour, even though I assumed a more pronounced chameleon effect. If there is a next time I'd consider a plain metallic colour (or paint it myself).

Weight is (56cm):
904g frame with 5(+2 on fd mount) screws + front derailleur mount + mounted UDH; advertised 780g +/-50g
404g uncut fork; advertised: 390+/-15g
180g seatpost with screws; advertised: 175+/-10g
360g handlebar; advertised: 360+/-20g
23g thru axle front
37g thru axle back with one washer

Not too happy about the overweight frame even considering it's 56cm and painted.

Quality wise the bad stuff first:

• The drain hole is not the most precise (not round and you can feel the carbon fibres on the inside) I hope it will not negatively affect the integrity probably the the most failure prone area of a carbon frame.
• You can feel quite a few slight bumps in the paint, they are to small to see though.
• Very minor imperfections in the paint (2-3, the worst is in the last picture, however it is hard to capture and is way more noticeable and bumpy than it looks).
• Seatpost is a very tight fit, too much for my liking.

I consider most of the bad stuff quite minor and otherwise it seems to me very well built, the insides that I can touch smooth and clean, the holes on the fork are good. Overall I am very happy considering the price I paid (with coupon codes and cashback on Aliexpress). Also it is incredibly easy to see and feel very minor imperfections on the paint and I consider the paint job good to very good.

edit: I just mounted brakes and pulled the cables through. The cables went through very easily, probably this means it's very smooth inside. I think that's a good sign for the quality of the mold. One thread for the brakes on the fork was very rough. I considered cutting the thread again, but in the end decided against it. edit2: One brake screw hole was hard to screw in. I considered recutting it but ended up screwing it out and in a little bit more a few times and it was okay.

[HarryFunmaker]

So after a few trips to the customs it's finally there. Chameleon Purple, looks bluer in the daylight photos than it actually is. In artificial light more like metallic purple in late summer daylight it changes from a rich purple to a purplish blue that is on the lighter blue side. I am quite happy with the colour, even though I assumed a more pronounced chameleon effect. If there is a next time I'd consider a plain metallic colour (or paint it myself).

Weight is (56cm):
904g frame with 5(+2 on fd mount) screws + front derailleur mount + mounted UDH; advertised 780g +/-50g
404g uncut fork; advertised: 390+/-15g
180g seatpost with screws; advertised: 175+/-10g
360g handlebar; advertised: 360+/-20g
23g thru axle front
37g thru axle back with one washer

Not too happy about the overweight frame even considering it's 56cm and painted.

Quality wise the bad stuff first:

• The drain hole is not the most precise (not round and you can feel the carbon fibres on the inside) I hope it will not negatively affect the integrity probably the the most failure prone area of a carbon frame.
• You can feel quite a few slight bumps in the paint, they are to small to see though.
• Very minor imperfections in the paint (2-3, the worst is in the last picture, however it is hard to capture and is way more noticeable and bumpy than it looks).
• Seatpost is a very tight fit, too much for my liking.

I consider most of the bad stuff quite minor and otherwise it seems to me very well build, the insides that I can touch are well build, the holes on the fork are good. Overall I am very happy considering the price I paid (with coupon codes on Aliexpress).

Is that chameleon and matte? I saw that as an option and wondered if it was possible.

I think the weight is to be expected. They tend to weigh in small sizes with no hardware and the lightest paint possible. I ordered mine with chameleon paint and I had a feeling that it's one of the heaviest paints, probably even heavier than white.

Looking forward to seeing this one all built up.

[Namenlos]

Is that chameleon and matte?[…]

Yes its matte (I'll edit my post). I assumed it would be a little bit heavier, but rather on the 850g-875g. My build will probably be done in late October to November, my wheels look like they'll take some additional time if I am very lucky they arrive mid October . I am looking forward to pictures, I hope your frame will arrive soon!

[jonathanf2]

Having done paint work myself, a few coats of color/clear coat can definitely add up in weight. Also being a size 56 frame, 904g seems within reason with a chameleon paint job. Looking forward to your build!

[PJW]

I’m considering the R088 in size 58, but I’m a little concerned about frame stiffness. SPcycle told me the max loaded weight is 105 kg, and I weigh 93 kg (205 lb), so I’m getting close to that limit after the bike is fully built and loaded with gear.

Anyone else around this weight riding the R088, and how does it feel in terms of flex (especially when sprinting)?

Would really appreciate feedback before I pull the trigger.

[Greenred]

Is this like a vbr 168 / sl7?

[Bonus79]

So after a few trips to the customs it's finally there (to Germany ordered 24th, letter from customs on 23rd). Chameleon Purple matte, looks bluer in the daylight photos than it actually is. In artificial light more like metallic purple in late summer daylight it changes from a rich purple to a purplish blue that is on the lighter blue side. I am quite happy with the colour, even though I assumed a more pronounced chameleon effect. If there is a next time I'd consider a plain metallic colour (or paint it myself).

Weight is (56cm):
904g frame with 5(+2 on fd mount) screws + front derailleur mount + mounted UDH; advertised 780g +/-50g
404g uncut fork; advertised: 390+/-15g
180g seatpost with screws; advertised: 175+/-10g
360g handlebar; advertised: 360+/-20g
23g thru axle front
37g thru axle back with one washer

Not too happy about the overweight frame even considering it's 56cm and painted.

Quality wise the bad stuff first:

• The drain hole is not the most precise (not round and you can feel the carbon fibres on the inside) I hope it will not negatively affect the integrity probably the the most failure prone area of a carbon frame.
• You can feel quite a few slight bumps in the paint, they are to small to see though.
• Very minor imperfections in the paint (2-3, the worst is in the last picture, however it is hard to capture and is way more noticeable and bumpy than it looks).
• Seatpost is a very tight fit, too much for my liking.

I consider most of the bad stuff quite minor and otherwise it seems to me very well built, the insides that I can touch smooth and clean, the holes on the fork are good. Overall I am very happy considering the price I paid (with coupon codes and cashback on Aliexpress). Also it is incredibly easy to see and feel very minor imperfections on the paint and I consider the paint job good to very good.

edit: I just mounted brakes and pulled the cables through. The cables went through very easily, probably this means it's very smooth inside. I think that's a good sign for the quality of the mold. One thread for the brakes on the fork was very rough. I considered cutting the thread again, but in the end decided against it.

The stated weight, if I remember correctly, refers to the raw, unpainted frame...my size 56 raw frame weighed 820g (with screws and FD mount), while the painted frame (white marbled effect with stickers and an additional coat of clear coat between the frame and stickers) now weighs 930g (without screws and FD mount).

[DavidG]

Frame now painted Black Gloss and shipped. :-)

858.5g in size 52

https://ibb.co/m57g4kyB
https://ibb.co/k6JkzTZr

[HarryFunmaker]

Hi, does anybody know the length of the bolts needed to install Sram brake calipers (front and rear)?

Edit: I already figured 15mm front and 32mm rear.

Did you measure or did you figure it out a different way?

[jonathanf2]

Frame now painted Black Gloss and shipped. :-)

858.5g in size 52

https://ibb.co/m57g4kyB
https://ibb.co/k6JkzTZr

My size 52 UD raw glossy came in around 790g. Either black paint adds almost 70g or maybe they've switched out or added CF material to the frame?

[Bonus79]

So after a few trips to the customs it's finally there (to Germany ordered 24th, letter from customs on 23rd). Chameleon Purple matte, looks bluer in the daylight photos than it actually is. In artificial light more like metallic purple in late summer daylight it changes from a rich purple to a purplish blue that is on the lighter blue side. I am quite happy with the colour, even though I assumed a more pronounced chameleon effect. If there is a next time I'd consider a plain metallic colour (or paint it myself).

Weight is (56cm):
904g frame with 5(+2 on fd mount) screws + front derailleur mount + mounted UDH; advertised 780g +/-50g
404g uncut fork; advertised: 390+/-15g
180g seatpost with screws; advertised: 175+/-10g
360g handlebar; advertised: 360+/-20g
23g thru axle front
37g thru axle back with one washer

Not too happy about the overweight frame even considering it's 56cm and painted.

Quality wise the bad stuff first:

• The drain hole is not the most precise (not round and you can feel the carbon fibres on the inside) I hope it will not negatively affect the integrity probably the the most failure prone area of a carbon frame.
• You can feel quite a few slight bumps in the paint, they are to small to see though.
• Very minor imperfections in the paint (2-3, the worst is in the last picture, however it is hard to capture and is way more noticeable and bumpy than it looks).
• Seatpost is a very tight fit, too much for my liking.

I consider most of the bad stuff quite minor and otherwise it seems to me very well built, the insides that I can touch smooth and clean, the holes on the fork are good. Overall I am very happy considering the price I paid (with coupon codes and cashback on Aliexpress). Also it is incredibly easy to see and feel very minor imperfections on the paint and I consider the paint job good to very good.

edit: I just mounted brakes and pulled the cables through. The cables went through very easily, probably this means it's very smooth inside. I think that's a good sign for the quality of the mold. One thread for the brakes on the fork was very rough. I considered cutting the thread again, but in the end decided against it.

I see they changed the top cover of the headset and now the standard equipment also includes various spacers for the handlebar.

[DavidG]

My size 52 UD raw glossy came in around 790g. Either black paint adds almost 70g or maybe they've switched out or added CF material to the frame?

In fairness to them they said it'd come around 840g before getting  painted so they weren't that far off. I've watched few videos of people painting frames and the paint weighs 100/150g so I gues maybe they actually did a good job painting :-) 

[HarryFunmaker]

I received my frame today. I ordered from AliExpress on September 16, so it came much faster than expected. I live in the US and it came via FedEx. Shipping and fees were expensive on AE, but I did not have to pay anything extra for customs, tariffs, or anything extra after the purchase.

The frame came in a plain looking cardboard box. The frame, fork, and seatpost were well protected and wrapped in foam. It's a good thing, because the extra goodies were not so well protected. The baggie with the saddle hardware, headset spacers, etc. was no longer sealed and things were loose in the box.

My frame is size 52 with glossy chameleon blue paint. I requested a zero setback seatpost in the longer length and they messaged me back right away through AliExpress confirming the seatpost requests. I had a feeling that I'll end up cutting the seatpost, but I figured I might as well get the longer one if it was an option just to be safe. The seatpost comes with different sets of hardware that allow you to clamp round rails or non-round rails. That's a nice touch.

I love the paint. I know there have been mixed reviews about paint quality, but I'm very happy with mine. It switches between dark blue and purple, and it has a lot of sparkle to it. I'm going to keep everything else as black and logo-free as possible, and I think the frame will really pop. The headset bearings fit in with no problems at all. Same for the seatpost. I might have to do a little sanding on the brake mounts, but they made an effort to keep them clean. BB area looks good. I read some complaints about the fork compression plug, but my current bike actually has a shorter one, so I'm confident that this one will be solid.  Overall I am very happy so far and I'm eager to receive the rest of my parts so I can get started building.

Here are some weights:
Frame (size 52 without any hardware): 854g
Fork (uncut): 413g
Seatpost: 202g with hardware, 132g without
Through Axles (total for both): 66g
Headset Bearings (total for both): 61g
Compression Plug: 57g
Seatpost Clamp: 21g
Headset Cover: 24g
Derailleur Hanger: 24g
C Ring for Headset (not sure what it's called): 12g

I'm happy with the weight considering the paint option that I chose. So far my build includes a Lexon Vero integrated handlebar and a Campagnolo Ekar groupset. I was going to buy the new Sram Force, but I found a killer deal on Ekar that I couldn't refuse. I'm not convinced that 1x will be great for the road, but you can't knock it until you try it, right? If I don't like it, then I'll have a good excuse to build up a gravel bike. I haven't decided on wheels yet, but will most likely go with Elite Edge wheels that I've seen in stock on Amazon with quick shipping. If the wheels are close to their advertised weight, then I still have a chance to hit the 6.8kg limit. I don't race or anything, but it's a number that I've always had in the back of my mind.

Thanks to everyone in this thread for posting your experiences, both good and bad. It's been very helpful. I don't expect a quick build, but I should have it done by the end of the month.