LCR018-D vs Gran Tourismo - Aero Endurance

[bsharp77]

Hi all,

I was just about to put my order in for an LCR018-D from LightCarbon, when I read about the new Gran Tourismo frameset from XMCarbon Speed.
I'm not an expert at reading through geometries, but both frames look very close to each other.
I basically want something aero but comfortable - think an Aeroad with a higher front end!

From what I've been reading on the specs and comments, the LCR018-D looks very good and I do like the integrated storage it offers - however it does seem to be slightly more of a "gravel crossover" bike, offering bigger tyre clearance whereas the Gran Tourismo feels more like a dedicated road bike with slighter lower tyre clearance. The max tyre size I would be using is 30c as im never going off-road at all - 30 should give plenty of comfort.

Its looking like the LCR018-D is quite a bit cheaper than the Gran Tourismo which may also play a factor - I guess this has to be weighed up against any advantages the GT may bring (if at all).

Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts / opinions on the two bikes that I maybe hadn't considered - I would love your input.

[radrick_91]

I’m in a similar situation, looking for an all-rounder/endurance bike for commuting and winter. I saw both the LightCarbon and Peter’s Gran Turismo at Eurobike – both are impressive. To make things harder, I’ll also mention the Longteng D301, which is quite popular here.
Tip: use your current bike as a benchmark and overlay the geometries on bike-stats.de – that helped me narrow things down. I wouldn’t limit myself to 30 mm tires; planning for up to 35 mm makes sense and all these frames can handle it.
For me, Longteng and LightCarbon lean more toward all-road (but no fender mounts), while Peter’s GT feels more like an endurance road bike (no storage, higher price). I’m leaning toward Peter mainly because of my good past experience and the fact I’ll be ordering wheels for that potential build from him too – combined shipping might save some cost.

Not sure if this helps you decide - sorry 

[bsharp77]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I’ve been going round in circles for days, but keep coming back to the Lightcarbon.
Great looking frame, good geo,really nice looking bar/stem, internal storage, big future tyre capacity, good saddle clamp design, light enough to build into a competitive overall weight.

To go with all that, it’s the peice that puts it head and shoulders above everything else.
I’m just waiting on my order confirmation after deciding on paint choices.

[JonnyFlyburg]

I am undecided between the two frames right now.

The pros & cons in my opinion:

LCR018-D
+ cheaper
+ internal storage
+ more clearance
- bit heavier (how much exactly? I guess between 100 and 200g. Anyone has better numbers?
- wider seat tube might be worse for bikepacking

XMCS Gran Turismo
+ One piece mold and latex molding -> this is supposedly higher quality (more durable) similar information on the LightCarbon not available.
+ weight
- price, roughly 700 to 800USD more

Do you have points I missed? Or How did you make your decision?
In terms of geometry, I think both will be fine for me.

Cheers!

[Rebel_Yell]

Have you looked at the XMCS R01?  I am in process of build up of it! Depending on what size you are looking at, it might work for you. Here is my frame in size large.