Chinertown
Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: VeloBuild.Bikes on February 17, 2025, 03:17:49 PM
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We're working on a new gravel frame that will be race oriented, but we also want it to be practical and meet the needs of those riding in flannel shirts or pro-mutting to work.
Give us your thoughts on what features you would like to see incorporated and if the stars line up maybe we can make it happen! Thank you in advance for all your feedback.
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Nice!
1. T47 or BSA bottom bracket
2. Clearance for 50-53c tires
3. Traditional round seatpost. Option for 0 and 20mm setback
4. UDH
5. Option to route hydraulic cables externally. Through the side of the fork and an entry point though the downtube.
6. Mounts for fenders
7. FSA headset standard
8. Two independent bolts saddle clamp design
9. Bottom bracket height between that of a traditional gravel frame and CX frame.
10. Included hardware to run cables through the headset top cap port, similar to FSA No.69 system.
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We're working on a new gravel frame that will be race oriented, but we also want it to be practical and meet the needs of those riding in flannel shirts or pro-mutting to work.
Give us your thoughts on what features you would like to see incorporated and if the stars line up maybe we can make it happen! Thank you in advance for all your feedback.
Wow! Great news!
You should do a refresh on the road models too. Particularly the endurance one.
As regards your question, and adding on top of what pat said
- optional version with full integrated cabling
- wider range of handlebar width/stem length
- storage inbuilt
- shorter frame reach (nowadays they have huge reach).
- drop chainstais
- T47-68 Bottom bracket
- no copycat. Simple can be beautiful too
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10. Included hardware to run cables through the headset top cap port, similar to FSA No.69 system.
This so much!!! I hate the way it's handled on the VB268 frame. Having the ability to route it through the top cap port gives so much more flexibility when it comes to different handlebars.
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3. Traditional round seatpost. Option for 0 and 20mm setback
I think for a gravel race frame a D shaped seatpost is better. Better aero, and can still be very compliant (Giant D-shape seatpost on the Revolt is a great example, it's as compliant as the Canyon VCLS seatpost imo).
Internal storage would be amazing too!
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Thank you all for the initial comments!
If we were playing build-A-frame bingo with what we already have in mind, Patrick might be winning ;D
Keep'em coming!
Nice!
1. T47 or BSA bottom bracket
2. Clearance for 50-53c tires
3. Traditional round seatpost. Option for 0 and 20mm setback
4. UDH
5. Option to route hydraulic cables externally. Through the side of the fork and an entry point though the downtube.
6. Mounts for fenders
7. FSA headset standard
8. Two independent bolts saddle clamp design
9. Bottom bracket height between that of a traditional gravel frame and CX frame.
10. Included hardware to run cables through the headset top cap port, similar to FSA No.69 system.
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I like most the suggestions, but I have a few of my own. :)
- T47 external BB (not the internal cup version) I've had issues with water seizing bearing with internal T47
- 180/160 disc mount front fork (no need for 140mm on gravel)
- UDH
- Option for cable routing through headset cover cap (with rubber gasket not just open hole)
- Internal cabling is fine
- No preference for round or aero seat post
- Fairly lightweight / doesn't need to be overbuilt for gravel racing
- Perhaps geometry between the GF-003 and CX-002
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- internal storage for tools. doesnt need to be wide (as long can fit electric pump at max) but preferably long.
- boss mount holes on underside of downtube (ala orbea)
/maybe im thinking 'unbound' long distance kinda race
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- internal storage for tools. doesnt need to be wide (as long can fit electric pump at max) but preferably long.
- boss mount holes on underside of downtube (ala orbea)
/maybe im thinking 'unbound' long distance kinda race
exactly what I'm looking for in my next gravel frame...together with what was written by @patliean1
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This would be for all your frames (especially the road ones):
- Stem should range from 70mm to 150mm
- Handlebar width from 340mm until 420mm on the top
- The top cap of the stem should be round so that we could play with the amount of spacer/stack easily (by adding round spacer available everywhere)
- Routing cable through headset so that we can swap stem/handlebar easily.
- Round seatpost for endurance models
- for d-shape seatpost offer 0 and 20mm offset
- Make them look aero even with an endurance geometry, there is no reason why we can’t have a nice looking bike with an endurance geometry (look at the Pinarello X1)
- offer smaller size frame for 145 up to 170cm (many women), and increase BB drop for smaller size so that short people can reach the ground with their feet when they sit on the saddle.
- standard thru axles (no mavic thingy like on the 268)
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For me the production would be important!
- EPS molded would be an important point
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T47 85,5 or BB86. No BSA or T47 68 as the narrowing of the frame around the BB-area wouldn't be a good match with the wish for wide tyres.
And please a two bolt saddle clamp and traditional thru axles (no SpeedRelease)
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low stack bottle cage mount (so you can mount framebag)
bikepacking compatible (fixing bolt)
flat top tube (to better hold top tube bag)
threaded bolt top tube
2 bottle cage
large headset (Basso's style)
round seatpost (better choice if you need to change offset)
no specific hardware (standard seatpost collar)
better to have threaded BB
no 140 rotor required
50mm minimum tyre clearance
UDH
tool bag pouch
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+1 for UDH and a round seatpost with a regular seat clamp collar, please.
ALSO
- hub dynamo cable routing in the right fork leg, please!! + cable and brake line port on the down tube (with an optional cover if you want to go full internal routing)
- fork crown mount for front rack and/or dynamo light
- low seat stays, use the additional space on the back of the seattube for another bottle cage mount. This can be used for a bottle cage. Or you could mount a dynamo tail light there.
- rack mounts on the rear. Sure, there's Tailfin and Ortlieb quick rack and all these other options out there. But a good custom rack or even just a Tubus Fly Evo steel rack are basically just as light, much cheaper and much more flexible to use.
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For race oriented frames, I really like the features of the recent Cannondale SuperX tick a lot of boxes of what a modern gravelracer should be like. Not saying it should have the same look.
Slighlty modifiying Pat's list:
1. T47 or BSA bottom bracket
2. Clearance for 50c tires
3. D-shaped seatpost for more compliance
4. UDH
5. Sufficient chainring clearance. (46t single, 50t double)
5. Aero looking, it needs to look fast
6. Miminal mounts, or at least the option to have to have a fork without bolts
7. FSA headset standard
8. Lightweight (doesn't need to be sub 900, but rather close to 1000g than 1200gr for the small frames.
9. Frame/Bottom bracket stiffness and compliance: accelerating should feel like a road bike, but still should have compliance i.e. trhough features like thin seat stays, D-shaped seatpost.
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Thank you all for the feedback so far. There is definitely a trend with a few of the wish list items - we'll do our best to deliver on these ;)
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- UDH
- aero design
- 50 mm tyre width
- no internal storage
- ok internal cable routing but with easy way to fit inside handlebar
- mechanical/electronical gear compatibility
- quite comfortable riding position
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Maybe someone can move this to the Gravel-forum?
What I like:
Not too heavy (doesn't nee ligthweight, but doesn't need to be overbuild)
Internal cables all the way - yes, can be a pita, but look so much better, ans easier for those with multiple framebags
Racy geometry - also on gravel aero is everything
Tire clearance - normal, doesn't need the widest MTB tires on the market. People who want this could use an overbuild bike any way (see above on weight). Better to go custom steel :)
Internal storage - the best development at this moment I think.
Flat top tube + 2 botle bosses / riv nuts
Fork with mounting options (maybe optional: choice between racefork/backpack fork)
Cheap and good paintjobs! Make some designs that look good and let people have their own 'brandname/logo' added
Discounts if people buy 2 frames, free shipping for second frame + 20% discount would be nice.
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The spirit of gravel is alive at Velobuild haha.
Any word on updates for road frames?
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- NO mounting options on the fork (ugly and noone uses it)
- Aero design
- Zero Setback Aero seatpost or normal round seatpost
- Large BB Drop 70-75 to accomodate for shorter crank trend
- Steep steering angle to keep it agile
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Probably not your target market since I already have the bike I want--but building a gravel race frame is tricky because there are so many different kinds of gravel race courses. I think the ideal bike for the old SBT GRVL Black course would have been something like a Specialized Crux, but for a not-muddy Unbound 200 it would be something like the BMC Kaius. From experience in those events, the challenge is focusing the design on the use case that matters. IMO, there are fewer bikes made for the 200+ mile type race event, though that is starting to change. On the other side, it's harder to sell a bike designed for a use case built around an event; only a fraction of people will try and attempt, and only half will finish.
If it were me, I would still pattern the bike after the BMC Kaius in terms of non-custom geometries. To me, a gravel bike focused on racers means:
1. Long reach--about 10mm-20mm longer than bikes like the Specialized Crux. This is needed for FC length as well as toe clearance, but the measure of a good gravel race bike is how well it can take going 40mph on a descent and needing to change lines mid-corner on a loose surface.
2. Tire clearance for 700c x 55mm (29x2.1" MTB) and if possible 650b x 60mm+ (27.5x2.4"). I expect 700c x 50mm to be a widespread size i see at events going forward, so a little wider for those that want it
3. Low BB: Given the wide tire preference, I would consider an 85mm or even 90mm BB drop to really design the bike's handling around a 700c x 50mm tire. This is a big change from many current designs that are designed around a 700c x 35mm or 40mm tire size.
4. UDH
5. I don't think 2x should be an important part of the design. I am currently a 2x rider, but designing for 2x would likely conflict with the tire clearance, which will likely be a more significant consideration and differentiator going forward. I would think of 2x as an option at most, but I would design the bike with the intent of 1x. I would also consider shipping the frame with a chain catcher for 1x rather than a cover if you are making a frame with bosses for an FD mount.
5. Aero frame shapes don't seem to matter as much as aero position on the bike, so I would focus on stem compatibility and consider the integrated bars to be similar dimensions to what BMC offers for the Kaius. Also, people are going to be riding these with pumps, bags, and tools strapped to the bike, as well as a number plate likely in front, so even optimizing for bottles is unlikely to matter when you load it up for racing. Mud clearance is also important, so aero features that require the frame to hug the wheel will probably not work well. Don't be 3T.
6. Avoid the deep aero fork. I really like the feel of the Enve and Open gravel forks, and I would be hesitant to build too stiff a front end on a gravel bike.
7. Mounts: 2 bottles in the frame, one under the DT. Top tube bag bolts. No more. No dynamo wiring. No internal storage. You cant use that in a race and it just adds complexity, weight, and something else that will rattle. Just stick to the essentials.
8. FSA or Deda headsets. I would also use genuine ones or source high-quality stainless bearings because this is a problem area for gravel bikes.
9. Round 27.2mm seat post. Just don't bother with D-shaped. If you race it on gravel, you will break stuff, including saddles and seat post-mounting hardware, so avoiding proprietary parts is essential.
10. Don't bother with comfort gimmicks. If you ride for 12-15 hours at a time, you will probably find that very little of that stuff works.
11. BB should be t47 68mm for ease of access, compatibility, and reliability.
12. Care should be taken to think about how the bike can be assembled/disassembled for travel and cleaning, as a gravel bike that sees even five tough events a year is going to need a lot of cleaning and will probably rack up 10K+km/year in training.
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7. Mounts: 2 bottles in the frame, one under the DT. Top tube bag bolts. No more. No dynamo wiring. No internal storage. You cant use that in a race and it just adds complexity, weight, and something else that will rattle. Just stick to the essentials.
Goes to show how many different use cases there are in gravel "racing". I strongly disagree on dynamo wiring. Takes a hole in the downtube and a channel in the fork leg. That's it. The rest can be routed alongside the brake lines. A mount for a taillight is optional - nice to have though. In ultra racing hub dynamos are actually very popular. SON dynamos has just introduced a new lightweight hub dynamo that has been used in the Atlas mountain race. I say there's no harm in adding the feature, certainly no massive weight gain and it would set it apart from a lot of other options out there.
Top tube bolts on the other hand: I added them to my custom steel frame and kind of found that they're useless. There's very few good top tube bags with a bolt on feature. Most of them too flabby in shape and annoying because the knees hit them when out of the saddle. Once they get longer you need additional straps anyway. Once you have a fully laden bike for longer distances, I find I prefer to have stuff in my frame bag and access through a zipper on the side or have it in a compartment on my handlebar bag. I say top tube mounts are the least useful of them all.
I do actually use the mounts on my fork legs. But I agree that for a race bike, you could omit those. If you load your bike aero optimised, you're gonna want to bring all bags in line with the frame and not mount anything to the side of the forks.
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Take a very close look at the Ridley Astr RS.
That’s the best looking modern gravel bike, and has some good specs:
- 53mm clearance
- 890g frame weight
- modern geometry (more reach = 407 for size M, less stack = 571 for size M)
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Goes to show how many different use cases there are in gravel "racing". I strongly disagree on dynamo wiring. Takes a hole in the downtube and a channel in the fork leg. That's it. The rest can be routed alongside the brake lines. A mount for a taillight is optional - nice to have though. In ultra racing hub dynamos are actually very popular. SON dynamos has just introduced a new lightweight hub dynamo that has been used in the Atlas mountain race. I say there's no harm in adding the feature, certainly no massive weight gain and it would set it apart from a lot of other options out there.
Top tube bolts on the other hand: I added them to my custom steel frame and kind of found that they're useless. There's very few good top tube bags with a bolt on feature. Most of them too flabby in shape and annoying because the knees hit them when out of the saddle. Once they get longer you need additional straps anyway. Once you have a fully laden bike for longer distances, I find I prefer to have stuff in my frame bag and access through a zipper on the side or have it in a compartment on my handlebar bag. I say top tube mounts are the least useful of them all.
I do actually use the mounts on my fork legs. But I agree that for a race bike, you could omit those. If you load your bike aero optimised, you're gonna want to bring all bags in line with the frame and not mount anything to the side of the forks.
I strongly disagree with this—mostly because I think the bike designed for a multi day bikepacking event like Atlas Mtn race is not the same bike that would be used at the pointy end of a race like Unbound or one of the more terrain challenging UCI gravel qualifiers. Afterall the photos from those multiday bikepackings events also show a large percentage of riders on flatbar bikes with aerobars instead of drop bars.
Dynamo routing does add quite a bit of weight to the fork (100-200g in most cases)—at least from what I have seen. I have literally never seen someone racing with a dynamo setup even at the XL distances of these major events. Building a frameset specifically for this is like building for a 1% use case that most riders dont aspire to as a goal. Its just way too niche.
On the other side most of the elite field (I would guess more than 3/4) in gravel races is running a small top tube bag for fueling in addition to a hydration pack and bottles…So while the bigger ones might not work well, its still a feature a modern gravel race bike needs IMO.
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Gravel and gravel racing is just way too diverse to even define what a gravel race bike is supposed to be capable of. Sure there’s unbound. The UCI WC is a very different kind of racing, much less demanding surfaces which is why lots of guys rode road bikes with big tire clearance there. There’s the ultra scene which again is a different kind of thing with different demands. And so on. Since VB asked for suggestions for a race bike that can also appeal to commuters and your typical trendy gravelista, I think it could be a practical feature.
But whatever. Different people like different things.
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The ask was for a race-oriented frame first--the inclusion of other use cases was second. IDK, I just think that bikepacking races are an extreme edge case.
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The ask was for a race-oriented frame first--the inclusion of other use cases was second. IDK, I just think that bikepacking races are an extreme edge case.
Matter of perspective. In my „gravel bubble“ overnighters, bikepacking and ultra racing is what most people use their rigs for.
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The demand for what you are asking for is really niche. Big brands do market research to target their offerings, and very few of those big brands offer bike-packing rigs. The big component brands like SRAM and Shimano also don't offer much integration or even proper gearing for loaded setups. Sure, you can argue that it creates room for a niche product to step into, but it's not reflective of the market for gravel bikes unless everyone's research is missing something big.
Dynamos are rare on race bikes. Where is the native dynamo-compatible charging for Di2 or Etap? Sram and Shimano have products to take power from ebike batteries, but not for dynamos. Why? Because so few people own race bikes with dynamos.
Even a bike like the Rodeo Labs Flaanimal, which is very well-featured for multi-day bike packing and racing, is rarely seen with a dynamo hub despite coming with a compatible fork and including routing for a rear light.
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The demand for what you are asking for is really niche.
I take your point. All good. It’s probably why me and most of my friends got custom frames for gravel. I’m really curious what VB come up with in the end.
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If I was designing a frame, the last thing I'd do is ask a bunch of random internet strangers what features/geometry it should have.
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If I was designing a frame, the last thing I'd do is ask a bunch of random internet strangers what features/geometry it should have.
raisinberry777 wins, we'll go with this ;D
In all seriousness, thank you to everyone for taking the time to share your feedback and comments. We think you'll be happy with the end result! We'll be sure share updates here as soon as we can.
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Hey Velobuild, my birthday is coming up!!!
Here's my wishlist :P
Need to haves
- T47 internal/ BSA - Because I'm more of a "shower with the bike type" as opposed to "hammer my bike type"
- 50-53mm clearance - Hello Thunder burts!!!
- Top tube mounts - Ride time= snack time
- Frame bag mounts, 2-3 on top tube, 1 on downtube for stabilization - Aero bikepacking?!
- Chainstays 420-425mm - Sporty rear
- Trail around 63-68mm - Sporty front
Nice to haves
- 27.2mm seatpost - Elite One for the win!
- Fender mounts - For when the world collapses and I go AWOL
- Aero tubes - For looks
- Sub 1000g - Because 3 (digits) is a magic number?
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A lot of these suggestions I can get behind, but the tire widths suggested call for chainstays longer than 420mm.
To me 420mm is really the max for a race oriented or " fast and nimble" gravel bike. I do think there is a noticeable difference between the old 3T Exploro and the Open U.P. for example. But if+ 50mm tires are possible with short chainstays, go for it.
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have an option for front suspension fork! 30-40mm ok.
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Can I test a prototype frameset? I can ride it hard in several km/mi of California desert dirt! ;D
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Since I have had a Giant Revolt and tried to convert that into my 2 in 1 gravel and road bike but suffice to say that I determined the biggest factor for that Racier feel is the drom roll;
CHAINSTAY LENGTH! it should be 420 or even lesser and should be made stiffer. I don't know if max clearance should only be up to 47mm tires but this is very important.
Thanks for coming to my ted talk
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raisinberry777 wins, we'll go with this ;D
In all seriousness, thank you to everyone for taking the time to share your feedback and comments. We think you'll be happy with the end result! We'll be sure share updates here as soon as we can.
It would be great if you could give us insight on how you design new frames, the challenges, the manufacturing process, the test/QC. Bonus point if you collaborate with Patrick to make this a cool video content :-)
That would be such a good ads and data for those who still doubt about the quality of your brand :-)
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If I was designing a frame, the last thing I'd do is ask a bunch of random internet strangers what features/geometry it should have.
So whats a better place to find out what direct from China bike buyers want?
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Can I test a prototype frameset? I can ride it hard in several km/mi of California desert dirt! ;D
I'm in for beta tester also!! Costa Blanca is also a nice playground for Gravel (full of rocks and rough, besides being a worldwide cycling destination) 8)
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The cat is out of the bag and we're taking pre-orders of our new AERO GRAV frameset! The first 300 orders will get $50 off (USD
$479 to $429)
Highlights:
- Aero frame and seatpost made from T800 carbon (~1050g for size M with a clear coat)
- Threaded T47 BB
- EPS + latex moulting technology
- Integrated cabling
- Clearance for up to 700C x 50C
- UDH rear derailleur hanger
- Choice of integrated bars or separate bar/stem
- Option of 0mm or 20mm offset seatpost
- Fork and frame fender mounts
Thank you to everyone that shared feedback on what you would like to see included in this frame. We did our best to incorporate all the features we could to deliver a fast and practical gravel race frame that works with a set of chunky tires or some skinnys as well.
Check it out! https://www.velobuild.com/products/2025-velobuild-carbon-fiber-racing-gravel-bike-frame
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Looking good but judging by the pictures it's a one screw saddle clamp design like on the VB-R-268, correct? I think a two screw design is way better especially on rough terrain. On the 268 a lot of people have issues with tilting seats.
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Very nice!
I'm curious, would you be able to make a pie chart with who is buying gravel frames from you, vs who is buying road frames?
I feel that in continental Europe, gravel is not too popular, and i suspect it's very popular in the US.
So, pie chart 1 could be gravel frame sales per shipping destination: US X%, Germany Y%...
and pie chart 2 could be road frame sales per shipping destination.
I'm in Europe, and nobody around me has even said the word gravel in months. I have 2 gravel bikes in a friend's attic i havent touched in 1y. And the other gravel frames i built for friends are being used with road tyres only...
That'd be very cool to see.
Gravel has become popular in France since ~ 2-3 years.
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Gravel is the only increasing product segment in Germany...e bikes not counted in..
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frame looks really nice and it also comes in a size for big boys which is rare for chinese frames but that seat clamp desing... does 20mm offset seatpost come with the same type of clamp?
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Very nice!
I'm curious, would you be able to make a pie chart with who is buying gravel frames from you, vs who is buying road frames?
I feel that in continental Europe, gravel is not too popular, and i suspect it's very popular in the US.
So, pie chart 1 could be gravel frame sales per shipping destination: US X%, Germany Y%...
and pie chart 2 could be road frame sales per shipping destination.
I'm in Europe, and nobody around me has even said the word gravel in months. I have 2 gravel bikes in a friend's attic i havent touched in 1y. And the other gravel frames i built for friends are being used with road tyres only...
That'd be very cool to see.
In germany gravel has gotten really popular around the year 2020 i would say and while the hype isn't at it's peak anymore you still see a lot of gravel bikes out there. People treat it more as a lifestyle and bikepacking bike i'd say. I don't see gravel racing being popular in germany. We don't have those beautiful long gravel roads like a lot of parts of the US have so the riding is probably quite different. I think a lot of people had the same experience as me and started out with a gravel bike which led them into road bike territory.
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Very nice!
I'm curious, would you be able to make a pie chart with who is buying gravel frames from you, vs who is buying road frames?
I feel that in continental Europe, gravel is not too popular, and i suspect it's very popular in the US.
So, pie chart 1 could be gravel frame sales per shipping destination: US X%, Germany Y%...
and pie chart 2 could be road frame sales per shipping destination.
I'm in Europe, and nobody around me has even said the word gravel in months. I have 2 gravel bikes in a friend's attic i havent touched in 1y. And the other gravel frames i built for friends are being used with road tyres only...
That'd be very cool to see.
Gravel is quite common in Belgium. Last year I built 4. Especially for commuters and weekend riders.
In Portugal not that much. It has been increasing slowly. There (e)MTB and Road are still kings with a high increase on eMTB. Last year I've actually investigated the ROI on eMTB custom builds, but ended up quitting it.
Chris, nice price on this one! As it's made mostly for racers doesn't fit my clients. Looking forward for a new Road and Gravel Endurance frames
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Gravel is quite common in Belgium. Last year I built 4. Especially for commuters and weekend riders.
In Portugal not that much. It has been increasing slowly. There (e)MTB and Road are still kings with a high increase on eMTB. Last year I've actually investigated the ROI on eMTB custom builds, but ended up quitting it.
Chris, nice price on this one! As it's made mostly for racers doesn't fit my clients. Looking forward for a new Road and Gravel Endurance frames
+1 for road frame.
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According to the description on the website both seatpost variations come with this design.
I just got info from Chris (or whoever answers in whatsapp) that 20mm offset seatpost is the same as on CX-002 frame https://www.velobuild.com/products/velobuild-2023-new-cx-002-carbon-fiber-cyclocross-frame-full-inner-routing (https://www.velobuild.com/products/velobuild-2023-new-cx-002-carbon-fiber-cyclocross-frame-full-inner-routing)
which is a two-bolt clamp
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Very nice!
I'm curious, would you be able to make a pie chart with who is buying gravel frames from you, vs who is buying road frames?
I feel that in continental Europe, gravel is not too popular, and i suspect it's very popular in the US.
So, pie chart 1 could be gravel frame sales per shipping destination: US X%, Germany Y%...
and pie chart 2 could be road frame sales per shipping destination.
I'm in Europe, and nobody around me has even said the word gravel in months. I have 2 gravel bikes in a friend's attic i havent touched in 1y. And the other gravel frames i built for friends are being used with road tyres only...
That'd be very cool to see.
In Poland gravel racing are the most popular bike race right now. It's hundreds of them around country.
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75mm BB drop is cool to see. That's a good way to compensate for the additional height of 50mm tires.
Also, the chain stays are very short at just 425mm considering that the frame clears 50s.
Reach is long, despite the head angle not being super duper slack at least on the bigger sizes. That could make for twitchy steering if you run a short stem.
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Frames are starting to come off the production line! Check out some photos here: https://www.velobuild.com/products/2025-velobuild-carbon-fiber-racing-gravel-bike-frame
Medium size frames will be available to ship at the end of May and other sizes in June.
We also offer a flared version of the handlebar (both integrated and separate bar/stem) if you are interested in this. We're working on making this option available on the website. For the time being you can just let us know you want this after placing an order online
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Hi Chris, you also planning on doing a race / road frame for 2025?
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This isn't Chris - but we'll say hi! Wait, we're all Chris, nvmd ;D
And yes new aero road frame may be in the works...
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This isn't Chris - but we'll say hi! Wait, we're all Chris, nvmd ;D
And yes new aero road frame may be in the works...
Any specs or 3d rendering so far?
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Looking good but judging by the pictures it's a one screw saddle clamp design like on the VB-R-268, correct? I think a two screw design is way better especially on rough terrain. On the 268 a lot of people have issues with tilting seats.
+1 for that. One bolt seat clamps is the worst thing on earth and just does not work for gravel. Few bumps here and there and the saddle tilts. Been in this situation on various saddles too many times.
That's the one thing holding me back from trying this frame.
Are there any plans to develop a two bolt saddle clamps @velobuild?
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+1 for that. One bolt seat clamps is the worst thing on earth and just does not work for gravel. Few bumps here and there and the saddle tilts. Been in this situation on various saddles too many times.
That's the one thing holding me back from trying this frame.
Are there any plans to develop a two bolt saddle clamps @velobuild?
Somebody asked Velobuild regarding this, and got a response that the -20mm setback seatpost is actually a two bolt saddle clamp. Look up on the thread and you'll find it.
Anyway, would be nice to have confirmation. From what I learned, Velobuild has an online shop, but you can have lots of customization just asking them after ordering.
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+1!
We want something aero, with a higher stack (like the Pinarello X).
Or like the new factor monza :) UDH, high stack, 34c tires
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This isn't Chris - but we'll say hi! Wait, we're all Chris, nvmd ;D
And yes new aero road frame may be in the works...
In-frame storage part of those plans?
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Very nice!
I'm curious, would you be able to make a pie chart with who is buying gravel frames from you, vs who is buying road frames?
I feel that in continental Europe, gravel is not too popular, and i suspect it's very popular in the US.
So, pie chart 1 could be gravel frame sales per shipping destination: US X%, Germany Y%...
and pie chart 2 could be road frame sales per shipping destination.
I'm in Europe, and nobody around me has even said the word gravel in months. I have 2 gravel bikes in a friend's attic i havent touched in 1y. And the other gravel frames i built for friends are being used with road tyres only...
That'd be very cool to see.
Good question.
In Italy the gravel mania have just dropped the top and the gravel market is in a downward spiral.
Every weekend in my area (larger Venice area) you can find a gravel event (race or ride) with high fees, aero carbon wheelset, overpriced craft beer, mustaches + lumberjack shirt.
I own a road bike I use only for training and a gravel bike I use for commuting and "adventure", not speed...just fun and explore. In fact I never use my trail cannondale Habit...
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In-frame storage part of those plans?
Sounds like a danger for rattle noise!!
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Hey folks,
I want to pull the trigger on the velobuild aero grav frame, but I'm not sure about the size. I've got a Scott rc foil (2024) in size 54 with a 100mm stem and no spacers. It fits very good. I'm 1,79m with 87cm inseam.
The aero grav in S/52 has a similar stack and reach. In size M/54 stack (+23mm) and reach (+17mm) are longer/higher. So I would run the size M with a 80 or 70mm stem and would have a higher stack - therefore more control? What are your thoughts?
Thanks for your input
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Hey folks,
I want to pull the trigger on the velobuild aero grav frame, but I'm not sure about the size. I've got a Scott rc foil (2024) in size 54 with a 100mm stem and no spacers. It fits very good. I'm 1,79m with 87cm inseam.
The aero grav in S/52 has a similar stack and reach. In size M/54 stack (+23mm) and reach (+17mm) are longer/higher. So I would run the size M with a 80 or 70mm stem and would have a higher stack - therefore more control? What are your thoughts?
Thanks for your input
I would look up the geometry for both frames and put it into bikegeocalc.com. Make a model of each bike and you can see which components you need to get the geometry to match. The website is extremely basic but very helpful for checking how new frames will fit against your old frame.
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From mapping up the small and the medium on BikeGeoCalc I did notice the frame's stand-over is quite high, for the small it was around 775mm and the medium was 795. Those heights were assuming we're maxing out the tire clearance but definitely something to look out for when deciding on size! My inseam is 800mm and I was considering the small and medium. Noticing the stand-over made me realize I should go for the small.
Update from looking at it more closely: It looks like their XS size is more in line with ~52cm gravel frames from other brands. Extra height from bigger tires might not have been considered when they came up with the geo. Shorter seattube/more sloped toptube would be ideal. Seattube length on the size S is the same as the 56cm MOG or 54cm Breed; it's similar to a size S Grizl but Canyon also offers 3 sizes smaller than their S.
Anyone with an inseam of less than 76cm/30" is going to struggle with fitting on even the XS frame and possibly have a lot of toe overlap with the front tire too. VB might wanted to consider making some smaller sizes and a second fork that has a bit more rake
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Hi everybody, I just built a gravel bike for a friend using the Velobuild new gravel aero frame. I can't tell you how the bike behave, since it is my friend first gravel bike and now I'm sick and I can't ride it.
The frame quality is very good, the paint job is ok.
My friend is 173 cm and on a M size frame we had to cut the seatpost and use a 80mm stem over all the spacers. I would say that the frame sizes are on the "big" side but the handlebar is low. We choosed the seatpost with 20mm offset.
We installed the Velobuild gravel carbon wheels and Ali-x-press components, except for Cinturato M 40mm tyres.
There is plenty of room to install tyres up to 50mm wide.
The assembly went smooth, but, as for all Velobuild headset, I changed the conical "C" compression ring with another having a tighter inner diamerer.
My friend is very happy with the bike.
I just ordered a second aero gravel frame for my daughters, since the frame looks beautiful.
I asked Chris to have a sloped handlebar instead of the standard one.
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Here is a picture of the bike during assembly, with a beautiful and temporary green saddle...
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The assembly went smooth, but, as for all Velobuild headset, I changed the conical "C" compression ring with another having a tighter inner diamerer.
I'm not entirely satisfied with the headset either. Could you tell me which alternative C-ring you used? Thank you!
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I want to build a new commuter bike and this frame is actually quite nice.
One of the requirements would be the ability to install fender and a rack. From the pictures that I see, the rack should be possible.
Ideally I want to install normal fender (for example https://www.sks-germany.com/Produkte/Schutzbleche/BLUEMELS-STYLE-27-5-29-SET.htm?a=article&ProdNr=111&p=1003 (https://www.sks-germany.com/Produkte/Schutzbleche/BLUEMELS-STYLE-27-5-29-SET.htm?a=article&ProdNr=111&p=1003)). So a screw at the bottom bracket and one at the seat stays is required.
The pictures I could find, are not 100% clear. So can someone verify if this would be possible?