I've just started diving into the world of Chinese products. I've been away from triathlon for 6 years and I'm thinking of getting back into the sport and figure an update to my 2012 rim brake Fuji D6 might help!
Which frame do you suggest and why?
I've been looking at the Velobuild VB-TT-023 and the Winow TT119. Just an hour ago I found the new Winow TT129 and I really like the look of that, especially with the stem. The stem on the VB23 and TT119 are just ugly. I read on the TT129 thread that people think the geometry is more like a road bike but it has the same reach as my Fuji and 20mm more stack, but I've got 45mm of spacers under my stem so the TT129 wouldn't be far off (although the seat tube angle is 73.5 vs 76). The VB23 would be slightly longer and lower and the TT119 would be nearly identical. I don't love the 28c clearance on the TT129 though.
I really like the look of the Winow HB052/ARB02 cockpit and obviously that would come stock on those bikes vs having to swap out on the VB, leading to the Winows being quite a bit more affordable.
Hello,
I have the VB and I’ve also built two more for friends, and so far we haven’t had any issues. It’s basically a clone of the Trek, so in terms of aerodynamics I think you could consider Trek’s results as a reference.
Positive points that led me to this choice: when I picked this model, it was (in my view) the one that came the most complete for long-distance triathlon use. The front end (aerobars) is above average compared to other models that only come with a simple tube. That said, it’s not as nice-looking as this new Winnow model (which didn’t exist back then). It also comes with a bottle cage mount on the seatpost.
Negative points: it doesn’t have and doesn’t come with a toptube box for gels, and the stem feels a bit weak—although in my case I’ve had no problems with it.
The Winnow 117 does come with the gel box, and at the time it only had a very basic front end (just tubes), but now it comes with a better-finished version. As for the frame design, I personally didn’t like it much, but that’s more of an aesthetic matter. In other threads, I’ve seen some people reporting issues with this brand regarding support, warranty, etc. Velobuild, on the other hand, always replied and helped whenever I contacted them, so on that front I can’t say anything bad.
At the end of the day, I think that since the TT bike market is much smaller than road bikes, we still don’t have that one product you can say: “This is THE bike!!”—good quality, low weight, and with all the components and accessories that tick every box we want in a TT bike. For now, you just have to choose the one that best fits you.
