Hi everyone,
I wanted to share my experience with my very first custom bike build. For the frame, I went with a carbon option from AliExpress by a brand called THRUST. According to their sizing chart, it should be the B036 model, though some of the product photos also listed it as the RF036—so those might have just been generic stock photos.
I chose the Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed group set, mostly because I wanted to avoid the headache of routing mechanical cables through a fully integrated cockpit.
As for the geometry, it feels like a sweet spot between aero and endurance, which is exactly what I was looking for. That was actually one of the main reasons I picked this frame, along with the reasonable price and EU warehouse shipping (delivery was super fast and smooth). Even though I couldn't find much info online about Thrust, they’ve been around for about 10 years, so I figured I’d give them a shot.
Packaging was decent, and my first impression of the paint job and quality was quite solid. The bottom bracket shell seems precisely machined, and the brake caliper mounts looked good too. I had zero prior experience building a bike, so I relied entirely on YouTube tutorials. Of course, you need some proper tools and a bit of tinkering skills, but even with no experience, I managed to put it together without any major issues.
The only thing missing was a manufacturer manual with torque specs. I had to rely on my gut feeling or stick to Shimano’s recommended values.
I ran into two main issues during the build. First was securing the Di2 battery inside the seatpost. The manufacturer didn't include any adapter or mount, so I had to improvise. I wrapped the battery in expanding window foam tape—once inside the seatpost, it expanded and locked the battery tightly in place. The second issue was the seatpost slipping. After hitting a few bumps, it kept dropping under my weight, even though I used carbon paste and torqued it to 5 Nm. I managed to fix it by switching to a different carbon paste and tightening it to 5.5 Nm, and so far, it’s holding up.
My only real complaint is the quality of the bolts used for the handlebar-to-fork clamp. They are pretty soft, and the hex heads stripped almost immediately. Also, the paint on the integrated stem flaked off during installation right where the top cap sits against the compression plug.
For those curious about the weight, the final build comes in at 8.35 kg (size 56). That includes the Shimano groupset, Hunt 44 Aerodynamic wheels wrapped in 28mm tubeless Pirelli P Zero Race tires, a carbon saddle, bar tape, bottle cages, and Look X-Track Race MTB pedals.
I’ve only taken it out for two rides so far, but the first impression is great and I get a really good feeling from the bike. Once I put more miles on it, I'll share a long-term review.
What do you guys think of this brand and frame? Anyone here have any experience with Thrust?
