Lightcarbon: LCR018-D (endurance all-road)

[flax]

Is 26mm iw safe with 32mm tires?

It does seem like a bit of an odd gap in the LC wheel lineup that their rims go from 23mm iw and then jump to 26mm.

Why should it be unsafe? You lose some minor, minor aero gains but that’s it. The bigger the the tire to rim ratio, the mushroomier it looks. Safety wise you could go much narrower.

[Jamula]

Why should it be unsafe? You lose some minor, minor aero gains but that’s it. The bigger the the tire to rim ratio, the mushroomier it looks. Safety wise you could go much narrower.

Yep I mean is 26mm too wide to run a 32mm tire. LC list 35mm as the minimum tire size on the 26mm iw rims.

[jksu]

beautiful bike/paint job!  mine is similar but with ferrari red and i asked for a fade to the glossy carbon. and solid build in terms of parts. great quality and value.

curious if you got the updated v3 door with the down position as closed?  would be disappointed even with that change that it’s still coming off.

and sorry to hear about the crack. assuming they take care of you, and LC does seem to be a legit company willing to stand behind their products, it will still test the patience to have to go through this warranty process with back and forth photos and questions, strip the parts you spent a lot of time meticulously installing, etc. plus another 2-3month wait for a replacement. but i guess it’s trade off we’re all making going with LC, instead of going down the street to a trek or specialized dealer. i’m sure you were excited to ride the bike this summer.

i’m trying to keep my own expectations a bit low and almost expect delays or to be disappointed…  keeping my current rim brake road bike tuned and good to ride in case this LC build has hiccups

Hi everyone,

I finally finished my very first bike build! Honestly, I was a bit nervous going into it, but everything actually went incredibly smoothly. I particularly want to shout out the Shimano manuals, they are incredibly detailed, easy to follow, and made the whole process a breeze for a first-timer.

In the end, the sizing feels absolutely spot on, and the overall ride quality is very good and comfortable. Plus, the custom paint job looks absolutely stunning out in the daylight!

For those interested, here is the full spec list of my build:

• Frame and Handlebar: Frame size 500 with glossy raw carbon + crystal purple paintjob and handlebar with 380 mm x 80 mm
• Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2
• Crankset: Magene PES 515 (165 mm) with Magene Chainrings (52-36T)
• Bottom Bracket: TOKEN Ninja BB47V24
• Wheelset: EliteWheels ENT 2.0 Disc (50 mm Front & Rear)
• Tires: Continental GP 5000 (32 mm Front & Rear)
• Tubes: RideNow TPU
• Brake Discs: IIIPro (160 mm Front / 140 mm Rear)
• Saddle: LightCarbon SD01
• Pedals: Shimano PD-ES600
• Bar Tape: SUPACAZ Starfade Purple (2.5 mm)

Regarding common build notes: I haven’t experienced any issues with a slipping seatpost. However, the latch on the down tube storage door did pop open once during my first ride. Luckily, I noticed it in time and managed to secure it before the door fell off completely.

Unfortunately, I also detected a major issue during that first outdoor test ride.

While taking some photos of the finished bike, I noticed a distinct mark/line on the right side of the top tube. I am completely baffled as to how this could have happened—I obviously haven't crashed (yet!) and the frame wasn't subjected to any impacts, drops as far as I know. I also obviously didn't clamp the top tube during the assembly.

The clear coat is split open and the line can be felt when running the finger over it.
When applying localized hand pressure, there is no excessive flexing (the tube still feels structurally firm).
But I also did the coin test and tapping along the tube sounds completely normal everywhere, except for that one specific grayish spot where the paint is gone. There, it emits a noticeably dull, muted thud.

I actually did another 2h test ride today after I have found the damage, and I didn't notice any issues, and the "crack" didn't seem to grow, but my confidence that the frame is safe is gone. This dead sound leads me to believe the carbon might actually be delaminated or cracked underneath, rather than it just being a cosmetic paint scratch.

I have already reached out to LightCarbon support to get their engineering team's assessment and discuss warranty/replacement options, but I would love to hear your thoughts. I think many of you know quite a bit more than me about carbon and could really help me determine the extent of that damage.

What do you guys think? Does this look like a structural failure to you?

Here is a Link to some high-res photos and a video of the area:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZQ9Cr1hYwupFzodC7mv3nkZ7shksKPVc?usp=drive_link

Thanks in advance for your input!

[flix]

doesn't look like just paint damage to me. beautiful paint though, how much did the paint job cost?

I paid 949 $ for the frame which includes the price for the paint job + the logo.

It certainly doesn't look good. It's hard to tell from your video whether the difference in tap sounds was due to changes in the material or to a different tapping action. What does it sound like on the bottom part of the tube where most of the crack seems to be located? You may ultimately need an ultra-sound or x-ray scan to be sure.

There is a certain spot where it sounds a bit dull.

Do you or maybe LC have footage from before transport? Maybe due to transport?

Unfortunately I didnt take any video after unpacking it, but I didn't notice anything during the assembly.
But the spot also easier to see in daylight, so could've missed it.
I also think that it was most likely due to transport, since this an unusual spot.

beautiful bike/paint job!  mine is similar but with ferrari red and i asked for a fade to the glossy carbon. and solid build in terms of parts. great quality and value.

curious if you got the updated v3 door with the down position as closed?  would be disappointed even with that change that it’s still coming off.

and sorry to hear about the crack. assuming they take care of you, and LC does seem to be a legit company willing to stand behind their products, it will still test the patience to have to go through this warranty process with back and forth photos and questions, strip the parts you spent a lot of time meticulously installing, etc. plus another 2-3month wait for a replacement. but i guess it’s trade off we’re all making going with LC, instead of going down the street to a trek or specialized dealer. i’m sure you were excited to ride the bike this summer.

i’m trying to keep my own expectations a bit low and almost expect delays or to be disappointed…  keeping my current rim brake road bike tuned and good to ride in case this LC build has hiccups

This is also the V2 (I think?) door, where the door is closed when the latch is in the up position.
I have not used any loctite or increased the torque of the screw thought, that might help.

Yeah a bit of bummer with the bike, but I can still use my old bike until this is resolved.

[Konajra]

I received the new v3 door for my frame. It is shipped with the part for on the frame. It comes with 2 black pop rivets to munt it in the frame. should work way better. There is also a little metal pin lock the lever in the closed position.

[kbernstein]

I paid 949 $ for the frame which includes the price for the paint job + the logo.

does the 949 include the handlebars and shipping? i got a much higher quote for a relatively similar paint

[flix]

does the 949 include the handlebars and shipping? i got a much higher quote for a relatively similar paint

This was the price for the frame + handlebar + fork + painting but without shipping cost and bank fees.

[MarioCanario]

Yep I mean is 26mm too wide to run a 32mm tire. LC list 35mm as the minimum tire size on the 26mm iw rims.

Will you be running tubeless, TPU, or butyl tubes? It also depends on which tire you're using and how snugly it fits the rim.

Dunno the LC rims, but I've tried this tubeless with Easedon gravel rims and a 32-622 Conti GP5000 S TR, and for me a 26 mm internal rim width was too wide.

The reason is that it's difficult to seat the tire onto the outer edges of the rim. Even if you manage to get it seated using an Airshot or such, the tire tends to drop back into the center channel as soon as you release pressure. Harder to get milk in and a mess if you loose pressure for some reason. Plus in my opinion too mushroomy doesnt look very good 

But would be interesting to hear what your experience is. please report

[Jamula]

Will you be running tubeless, TPU, or butyl tubes? It also depends on which tire you're using and how snugly it fits the rim.

Plan is TPU and conti GP 5000s.

Thanks for detailing your experience with those tires and 26mm rims - might give that a miss! Leaning towards the  C53DB or C52DB with the 23mm iw rims as that seems to be more appropriate for my plan of 32mm tires with maybe a 35mm experiment down the line.

[POTOOOOOOOO]

Will you be running tubeless, TPU, or butyl tubes? It also depends on which tire you're using and how snugly it fits the rim.

Dunno the LC rims, but I've tried this tubeless with Easedon gravel rims and a 32c Conti GP5000 S TR, and for me a 26 mm internal rim width was too wide.

The reason is that it's difficult to seat the tire onto the outer edges of the rim. Even if you manage to get it seated using an Airshot or such, the tire tends to drop back into the center channel as soon as you release pressure. Harder to get milk in and a mess if you loose pressure for some reason. Plus in my opinion too mushroomy doesnt look very good 

But would be interesting to hear what your experience is. please report

A great example of why ETRTO is effectively bullshit. A 32mm GP5K should easily work with a 26mm internal - I’ve used them on much wider rims with no problems at all.

That Easedon rim design is the issue in this instance.

[JensenMacD]

Is 26mm iw safe with 32mm tires?

It does seem like a bit of an odd gap in the LC wheel lineup that their rims go from 23mm iw and then jump to 26mm.

I have XMCS 26 internal/33 external wheels. I have used GP5000 in 28,30 and 32 with no issues. They do measure 3mm wider than labeled on my wheels. I had no issues, although it hasn't been a ton of km. Many people with the same wheels run 28mm tire with no issue. Assuming the wheels are hooked, I would have no concern personally.

[2wheeledbarbie]

Is 26mm iw safe with 32mm tires?

It does seem like a bit of an odd gap in the LC wheel lineup that their rims go from 23mm iw and then jump to 26mm.

perfectly fine

[Sakizashi]

Friendly reminder that the ETRTO specs are not safety guidelines but design references. What that means is that a 25mm IW is the widest that member organizations agree that a 32mm marked (32-622) tire is designed for. They do validate safety to that width, so any brand tire and any wheel from a member company should work within those references. They may go beyond it per the manufacturers.

This is similar to tire clearance specs. A wider tire will fit and roll, but it's not validated to work within the manufacturer's intent and may rub through your paint and into the frame.

Your tires won't suddenly explode off the rim because of a 1mm difference in IW. It is an unvalidated combination in terms of manufacturer testing, with unknown amounts of additional risk. I think it's dumb to take this risk when there are validated options, but if you're open to it and want to do it, no one is going to stop you.

[chaseme]

Finished my build last week and had a ride, WOW. I'm so in love with this build already. I'm coming from a 2015 endurance Pinarello and this feels SO much better. I received the frame early May, so I was hoping the new seat post grip and wedge would solve any slipping issues. It did not...took about 10k but slipped down. Other issue was the saddle rail bolts, max torque for the carbon rails was not nearly enough and it was tilting easily. Road side fix and I was able to do another 85k without issue tho. Some notes from my build in case others review this thread and take the advice posted along the way.

1. Park Tool BB 69.4 does NOT fit the CEMA ceramic BB LightCarbon offers. Standard Hollowtech II tool does however.
2. A titanium bolt was mentioned a few pages back for the seat post wedge. The bolt specified was too narrow for the wedge that came with my frame. Not sure if LC change the wedge or not...
3. This is me being a n00b, but the crown race is integrated into the fork. I was all worried it was missing from my kit.

The rest seemed all good for me. Brake mounts were clean and calipers went on straight and easy. BB shell was flawless and BB went in super easy. All in all just a fantastic frame.

[Kbfore]

The rest seemed all good for me. Brake mounts were clean and calipers went on straight and easy. BB shell was flawless and BB went in super easy. All in all just a fantastic frame.
[/quote]

What is the paint job called on the site?