Chinertown
Other Resources => Component Deals & Selection => Topic started by: debaser on April 17, 2025, 03:34:48 PM
-
Hi guys!
Long time lurker, first time proper post here. I have had a habit of renovating, building and flipping bikes for years and i need help from you guys with a project i have started which i think a lot of you might have already considered: Let's build the most oil-slicked bike ever.
The rules are we want to fit as many components in oil slicked metal on a bike as possible. For the rubber parts and optional graphics, i am thinking of going for white parts as they stand out and complement the build. I want to go absolutely silly here and would love to make custom decals that just say "OVERCOMPENSATING" in big white letters on the downtube or something like that. Taking suggestions for graphics, by the way.
Please check out my build project spreadsheet here for an overview on gathered components and what i would like input on. Link here:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rijnv8PMk7xFtnipKxQlh5-QqzKrYwkKbFE4DLIcKU4/edit?usp=sharing (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rijnv8PMk7xFtnipKxQlh5-QqzKrYwkKbFE4DLIcKU4/edit?usp=sharing) - prices are listed in Norwegian kroner as that is where i am based.
Now, i bike everything but i envision this project as a gravel bike rather than an MTB, as it's a bit cheaper to build and that it simply would be seen more biking to work or as a "café racer" than thrashing around in the forest. I realise this might change as the MTB option is easier and more doable (at least a frame and even a 29" air fork in oil slick colors exist!), but right now i am dead set on the road bike thing.
There are otherwise a few criteria, and some restrict eachother due to component availability, as you can see in the spreadsheet. But here is what i've come to so far:
A 56 or 58 cm frame, road bike geometry
BSA threaded BB, 24mm Shimano is the intended use
Hydraulic disc brakes
So, this leaves us with a few crucial problems which i need help from the Chinertown community with:
There are no metal 700c oilslick road bike frames available, AFAIK.
Do you know of anyone that could do one? I know Golden Bicycles have a fixie V-brake frame and i have found one of those stupid "foldable" 20" wheel frame sets on AliEx with the right color but nothing proper. I would LOVE to hear from you if you know of something!!!
I am willing to go for a decent carbon frame with a glossy "chameleon" finish - but reluctantly
Simply because the shine on electroplated metal is something completely different to a cheap carbon frame with a paint job, you know? I am certain some frames do come close though, and am currently eyeing a cheap Ceccotti RF27 frame (in the glossy N19 color), which looks great except that a T47 BB doesn't exist in oil slick version (while a BSA standard Shimano BB does!). Link here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008095688004.html
The rims are a problem
I know Velocity do anodized individual colors for 700c rims (and could prolly do electroplating at a way too high price), but otherwise i have only found BMX 20" rims (i swear this bike wants to be a hipsterbike or an MTB so bad, why can't it be a road bike?) and need help with sourcing something to complement what would otherwise be oilslick hubs and spokes. My first idea would be to get white rims (and white tires haha!) and the second solution would simply be colourful sticker decals. If you have recommendations for either of these three solutions please let me know.
Have i missed something?
A big part of the fun has been scrolling around on Aliex, surprised by exactly how intricate these spare parts can get. Like, why would you even oilslick the bleed port screw on your brifter??? You're gonna spend exactly 25 seconds of your life admiring it. I have gone into this with the motto that if it can be oil slicked, it must be. This leaves us with a lot of moving parts though - like either getting the Shimano crank and making every single screw oilslicked but leaving it black as normal otherwise - OR getting the fully oilslicked Bucklos or whatever janky Ali brand crankset instead. Not everything is landed yet though, and if you come up with a component i might have missed, please suggest it here or in the document!
So, yeah. Thanks for reading. This thread would be to post any updates in the coming months on how the build takes shape, but for now it begins with that one very critical part: Does someone here know of where i could possibly be lucky enough to find a frame to start building on?
-
Starting from rotors
https://it.aliexpress.com/item/1005008078037138.html?src=google&pdp_npi=4%40dis!EUR!10.75!5.63!!!!!%40!12000043566644692!ppc!!!&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=742-864-1166&isdl=y&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&aff_platform=google&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&gclsrc=aw.ds&&albagn=888888&&ds_e_adid=&ds_e_matchtype=&ds_e_device=c&ds_e_network=x&ds_e_product_group_id=&ds_e_product_id=it1005008078037138&ds_e_product_merchant_id=718295931&ds_e_product_country=IT&ds_e_product_language=it&ds_e_product_channel=online&ds_e_product_store_id=&ds_url_v=2&albcp=22261776456&albag=&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAA99aYperZp0rr525_3ppmJFMVcEYD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqu_dgrPhjAMVbIVoCR0HVyIdEAQYAiABEgJ3w_D_BwE
-
Titanium oil slick cage screws:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806670442432.html (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806670442432.html)
Titanium oil slick stem screws:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806811944584.html (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806811944584.html)
-
Thanks for the input guys!
Those Risk screws pop up time and time again in my searches and i have in fact bought a few of them for other builds and restorations. The quality and the color on them really shines, so i am looking to put as much Risk on the bike as possible, haha.
As you can see from the spreadsheet, the brake calipers are likely going to be Shimano XT BR-8100 with risk screws all over, to at least get quality brakes (that are surely compatible with any brifters) instead of uber-cheap BR-MT200 copies in color like these: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008630234975.html
Talking rotors, i've seen a lot of the simplest constructions in oilslick variants (even Sram centerlines branded Sram, i don't think they come this way originally?), but for some extra bling i think i will opt for the Hope fakes with the two-part construction, in this link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005134531389.html
I know that if you f.ex. order drivetrain parts from Garbaruk and want them anodized, they'll recommend you to buy everything together so that they're anodized together and the color stays consistent. I am gleefully awaiting to see 15 different attempts at oil slicking mounted on one bike. The glorious stupidity of it, like.
-
Use a lot of parts coated with Teflon and silicone. Now, that would be the slickest bike...
-
I'm looking to land a frame with the easter sale so will likely be pulling the trigger before monday is over. It'll be as an experiment to begin with, in terms of shipping and mucking about with my first directly ordered chiner frame - so maybe this will be the first iteration of this build, while trying to source that holy grail metal frame which the world seems unable to provide for me right now.
It currently stands between these two frames.
The Ceccotti C25 "Gravel" variant, in their N19 chameleon glossy color.
(https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/S97e1d8bb715b454bae2b6392952b94a8t.jpg_960x960q75.jpg)
Or the aforementioned Ceccotti RF27, more "road"-y, only 28mm tire clearance with a proprietary seatpost. Same color i guess.
(https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/S09978cc1862e4c8eb381f3652f1cc8ddr.jpg_960x960q75.jpg)
I think i'll go for the first one, the C25, solely because of the possibility of installing a metal, or colored carbon seatpost and wider tires on lax geo. Would happily hear suggestions or experiences for or against, or even more so, suggestions for other frames that would do a better job.
-
So, things are now in motion. Ended up with the C25 from Ceccotti, so it's gonna be something of a Gravel bike i guess.
A white bike seat, oil slick rotors, some screws and a seat post are ordered as well. Gathering parts as cheap as possible with some carefully placed coin discounts.
Spreadsheet is updated. Still a whole bunch more stuff to gather as we go along, waiting for the frame to arrive.
-
They make Chameleon seats and bar tapes to keep the theme going.
Seat in chameleon or oil slick-ish; https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804242878596.html
Bar Tape; https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801330105186.html
There is a bar tape that has a reflective oil-slick appearance but is kind of grey in dull light as well; https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807797153359.html
-
Thanks! I have been looking at that Kocevlo seat which definetly looked interesting. Have a white seat on order which is slightly more comfortable looking, but i think i will opt for the Kocevlo as well.
As an aside, does anyone have that thing and can vouch for the color? It comes in green and blue and slightly more colourful (i guess most "true" oilslick color there is on a seat) variants, so i would be curious what these things look like in real life.
I am still not settled on bar tape. The type Crash217 links to here i've had before and while it does match on color, it is slippery and a little nasty to the touch. Would consider something like this from West Biking which looks lovely (in purple at least) and has a good, proper bar-tape kind of feel: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008045106679.html
-
Looking forward to seeing this build!
I entertained the thought of doing this with a hardtail mountain bike, but I don't think I'd have the courage to ride it in public. ;D
Keep us updated please.
-
Thanks, i am glad a stupid project like this interests people!
A hardtail would actually be the optimum build format for this as there exist pretty nice metal oil slick parts for the frame (Tiris have a titanium one, in fact) and the fork (yes, with oilslick outer legs!). It seems manufacturers registered MTB riders as more keen on these parts too, so more detail is available.
Unfortunately the price of a hardtail build would be higher than a dropbar build (due to the two mentioned parts mostly!), but more importantly the sale price of such a build would be far too low as well.
Not even settled why i am building it at this point (except for the thrill of the parts hunt and the actual building), wish i had a shop window to hang this in, like. But i am telling myself i can sell it to someone who wants to hang it in theirs.
-
Some parts have to be settled before others. Rims before hubs, and crankset before BB.
So at least the crank is ordered too. It looks janky as hell and i have the impression cranksets are the main aliex thing people always complain about being unsafe or just crap. Soon i will be the owner of this thing: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005952208928.html
It's hard to find it to order without BB or extra inflationary stuff but it came in at a nice $33 delivered. Have also got the Risk spline-crank fastening bolts and oilslick chainring fixing bolts as this one seems to come with plain bolts from the pictures.
This allows us to get the BB, which, for T47, is not available in any special color other than red, from Kactus, here: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005003168499711.html
It looks kinda cheap. I have previously used ZTTO or Senicx BBs as the build quality just seems far better, but exploring is fun, no? Of course, the red BB is on its way.
While on the subject of cranks, the abundance of different pedal designs in oilslick color is staggering. Gonna have to let that decision go to a vote on here or something.
-
Well then! Frame is now listed as shipped and arriving in one month, fingers crossed. BB and crankset have also arrived, so a few more orders to go before we can think about completing the build.
-
So a note on the drop bars. While absolutely everything is available in oil slick color, road bike drop bars simply do not exist. Anywhere. Not ebay, not Taobao, not Ali or Temu.
I find this fact extremely odd. Like, why?
After looking around for a long time, i actually found someone that has these. Singapore-based Tsunami bikes, which does singlespeeds and the like (and whose other products are readily available on AliEx, though with no official store), happen to produce one. In their so-called "Weapon" line.
The graphics and cringe level on this stuff is quite high. Imprinted with the text "Like a bullet... All the way!!!", and with a price of $70 shipped, this is by far the most expensive oil slick component that is gonna be on this bike.
(https://tsunamibicycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/WEAPON-ELITE-Drop-bar-31.8mm-OilSlick-1.jpg)
As you can see, it's also gonna add to the "I'm too embarrassed to ride this"-factor, but that can only be considered a Good Thing.
It's a bit of a steep effort, i mean - not much of this bar is gonna be visible behind the bar tape. But we're doing this proper, so the order has been placed.
Meanwhile, the frame listed as "shipped" but isn't actually moving, and the tracking number doesn't seem to comply with anything. So not sure exactly what is going on, it doesn't seem to have been put into any sort of shipping system yet.
As an additional note, Surprised Store (which ended up having the best price by some $40 odd margin), contacted me to pay $40 extra for DPD shipping, correcting themselves and noting nevermind, DPD ain't available for my non-EU country anyway. Ceccotti's official store was a bit miffed that i didn't order directly from them, which i definetly will next time. But surely there's gonna be a bit of a nail-biting game waiting for that frame to come home.
-
This is sooooo stupid. I love it! :D
I know there used to be a brand making transparent/clear handle bar tape. Not sure if they are still around. Might be a consideration to up the "cringe"-factor even more ;D
-
This is sooooo stupid. I love it! :D
I know there used to be a brand making transparent/clear handle bar tape. Not sure if they are still around. Might be a consideration to up the "cringe"-factor even more ;D
Yikes. Do it! lol
-
This is sooooo stupid. I love it! :D
I know there used to be a brand making transparent/clear handle bar tape. Not sure if they are still around. Might be a consideration to up the "cringe"-factor even more ;D
I have to admit i love this idea.
Nothing shows up on AliEx of the sort, but this shows up on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/197201475613
Unfortunately, this listing will not ship to Norway. If someone is willing to buy it and ship it to me (i will of course cover all cost and pay you a service charge) please PM me or something.
Obviously, if someone knows a place that sells/ships it, let me know too.
I am thinking that all the overlapping oil slicks might give a little bit of a nauseating feel, so a transparent bar tape solution lets both the expensive handlebars shine and eases the eyes of the rider at least a little. Or not? I'll give it a coin flip chance that it will look really weird and/or bad, or absolutely stunning.
-
I think it was Deda who used to make a transparent version. Seems like they discontinued it. Probably too low demand. If you do not wrap it super nicely, it will look like shit ;D
Did not find much online either. Only this seller in Taiwan but the min. order size is 500 :-X
http://www.counion.com.tw/Clear-Handlebar-Tape-CB-0108PUH-pd6827384.html
-
I think it was Deda who used to make a transparent version. Seems like they discontinued it. Probably too low demand. If you do not wrap it super nicely, it will look like shit ;D
Did not find much online either. Only this seller in Taiwan but the min. order size is 500 :-X
http://www.counion.com.tw/Clear-Handlebar-Tape-CB-0108PUH-pd6827384.html
I wrap new bartape like twice a month on average and would hope i have the technique down well enough to not make it look entirely crap... But every tape is different and things always turn out a little wonky, don't they? And looking at that stuff, it's kinda hard to tell if it will look good or just make the nice metal handlebar look dull and...cobwebby?
I'll keep a look out for that Amadeus stuff, maybe i can find a compatible/shippable listing somewhere. I see that that ebay listing at least has been offered by several different accounts, so it might not be that much of a holy grail and at $8 it's not expensive at all.
Quite giddy about this now, i must admit haha!
-
Holy crap turns out it was only my default browser setting messing with my shipping options... The seller of the Amadeus tape is located in Italy, and will in fact ship it my way, haha!
Two pairs of transparent tape are now ordered. And yeah, the shipping was still more expensive than two packs, but whatever. If you're not interested in spending money on stupid stuff then you should not be interested in building bikes :D
-
So another big order went in at the tail end of the last mini-sale here, for all the tiny bits & bobs that are available in oilslick color. Lots of Risk stuff, lots of titanium, lots of useless little pieces i had from before.
This should at least also help stock up my big box of spare parts with some pristine screws and other junk. Which i likely won't ever use, like when is the last time you stripped a brifter fixing screw?
Also, as some other build projects have come around i ended up with a GRX 1x11 gruppo to spare, so that's what is going to go on this bike. I have milled back and forth for a long time about some details here. Lot of considerations to write out here, but the short part of it is i will lose out on the opportunity to get 3-4 additional screws or small parts oil slicked by making this choice (as opposed to jerry rigging a 1x12 Deore shifter and XT 8k MTB calipers), but all in all it saves me some trouble and a bit of money for very small gains. The overall impression will still be banging, and every part of the groupset will have oil slick parts on it.
There's a lot of green in the Spreadsheet now: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rijnv8PMk7xFtnipKxQlh5-QqzKrYwkKbFE4DLIcKU4/edit?usp=sharing
Just a few small pieces to go apart from the last hurdle: The wheels. Upcoming sale is gonna help settle that part of the bike, finally.
-
Just a few small pieces to go apart from the last hurdle: The wheels. Upcoming sale is gonna help settle that part of the bike, finally.
You could order the wheelset custom painted from one of the popular suppliers here. Maybe use same or different chameleon paint to contrast them from the frame? Anything can be done. Just depends on how many krone you want to spend!
-
Mate, hate to break it to you, but I think "Dragon Bikes" beat you to it ...
They don't have the transparent bar tape though! 8)
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvUlH2JOUm8&t=1048s
-
You could order the wheelset custom painted from one of the popular suppliers here. Maybe use same or different chameleon paint to contrast them from the frame? Anything can be done. Just depends on how many krone you want to spend!
That's the thing! The hubs and spokes and nipples come in really cheap, it's only the rims that are causing me a headache. I'll be building them myself and am generally doing this build for "cheap", but i have lurked around and seen these suppliers have a good rep on here, so will surely consider that on the next iteration of this build or whenever the need for a new, proper wheelset arrives. In the meantime, there are just a few too many wheelsets lying around in the workshop that need to get put on bikes and sold :)
-
Mate, hate to break it to you, but I think "Dragon Bikes" beat you to it ...
They don't have the transparent bar tape though! 8)
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvUlH2JOUm8&t=1048s
Well well well! Someone out there is reading this thread, haha!
Not miffed about this at all of course, i'm not expecting this build to be a first-ever invention for sure. That thing looks brilliant though.
For a while i considered a bespoke seatpost/frame set but i tend to dislike non-standard parts like that and opted for the standard seatpost solution, mainly because aluminium oil slicked parts have to look better than the painted carbon counterparts.
For this build, we will be looking at a bit of a different (and certainly way jankier) feel, and, dare i say it - MORE slick parts than pictured! Chain, cassette, spacers and screws, details on the gruppo, hubs and spokes!
That Dragon bike has one thing which i really would want though. Them rims!
-
Yeah, I agree. Thought you might like it and could use it as inspiration - or, even better, would kindle some rivalry and drive you to even crazier efforts :P
-
Time to pull the trigger on the wheels, very soon - as soon as we can land the rims.
So once more, we have seen how the chiner industry seems to think mountainbikers prefer silly colors and all that. Oil slick hubs are only available with 15x100 in the front, so we have to run an adapter. Searching for road bike rims (700c, 28 inch) yields no useful results, but hey! 29 inch rims and 650B wheels are in fact out there!
Just look at this! Listing here: https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005008427929719.html
(https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/S784ca634cd6c458ea6fc4824cd3c5e7eG.jpg_960x960q75.jpg)
Now i'm gonna avoid 650B wheels if i can, this is QR trash and as you can see the rims are non-oilslicked so the search continues. Is it possible to find this rim alone? I will try to send a message to the seller but as we all know that surely won't help. Maybe ask Meroca directly? Any tips you guys?
The closest possible result i have found so far would be this, listing here: https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005006853466738.html
(https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/Sbef7283d69c54ee4a1c8bb369ec89faf6.jpg_960x960q75.jpg_.avif)
It's even given as a road bike rim! Problem is it seems to be listed with 24 holes, which the existing offering of hubs doesn't comply with. So it seems we are locked into this MTB problem. The frontrunner then ends up being these, listing here: https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005008571530066.html
(https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/Sb96f72761c8746238907b684e34fdb09V.jpg_960x960q75.jpg_.avif)
The problem is they're just not it, are they? They're also heavy and simply built (joined, not double walled it seems) and really, a pink or purple rim would kinda mess with the rest of the colour setup.
Still no luck finding a proper white rim. I still think that's where we have to end up going. Sigh...
-
Wheels are easy. Any supplier such as TanTan or Lightcarbon will paint your rims any color you want.
White wheels from LC:
https://www.lightcarbon.com/lightcarbon-non-paint-road-disc-wheels-super-light-full-carbon-spoke-wheels-anti-scratch_p249.html
-
Wheels are easy. Any supplier such as TanTan or Lightcarbon will paint your rims any color you want.
White wheels from LC:
https://www.lightcarbon.com/lightcarbon-non-paint-road-disc-wheels-super-light-full-carbon-spoke-wheels-anti-scratch_p249.html
Cheers, thank you!
I have been in touch with several manufacturers and different sellers on AliEx these last days, and it seems my biggest problem simply is these stupid MTB-specific hubs. There is little will to cooperate between decent-looking carbon rims and MTB standards, and anything close to what i would want (even white or something like the picture below) with 28 or 32 holes would force me to put in an order for at least a 1000....!
(https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/Sfcc0c062de9a49d697973c447ce69379D.jpg_960x960q75.jpg_.avif)
So, we have to find a way to make this work. Luckily, i found someone who did more or less that, with some Bitex hubs. Appearantly a dude in the US has these ordered in bulk and in funny colors, so when i found this here listing (https://www.bikehubstore.com/product-p/bx106fr-os.htm) and found out i could get the set of them home here for around $300 i figured, you know, whatever. It costs like 5-6 times as much as the stupid Tanke/Koozer MTB hubs but at least i'll get to build some proper road wheels, and finally maybe persuade someone over there to sell me some of those rims like that Dragon Bike thing earlier in this thread had.
-
OK, ok! The frame has arrived!
Picked it up this morning and only had two hours to spare, but that was at least enough to put it together and check the quality, no weird layup, no crooked BB threads, and so on. So i went and slapped together a few of the parts i have so far (by the way, the Hong Kong Weapon handlebars and transparent tape are here too!) just to try the fit.
And, well...
(https://i.imgur.com/yDAwOfk.jpeg)
Please don't laugh
But seriously...Bwahahahaha! ;D
The frame is excellent, on first sight. Not the lightest in the world, but seems solid and straight, everything that should be straight is straight. The hellscape that is modern internal cable routing is easy to combine with the components of choice. I am still waiting on white shift and hydraulic lines before i start to mess about with mounting the rest, but... well. Is this even the right color?
Sure it's "chameleony" and in the light it reflects some sparkles and all, but otherwise, looking at it in the shop it's just like in this picture - a mottled, dark almost military green sort of colour. This at least gives me a clearer understanding of what the difference is between the carbon and aluminium. And what metal really does for the color. Like look at those components pop!
Big question now though. Do we build it up like this and go with it, or do we try with a different frame, or another custom paint?
Would love to hear opinions on that!
This frame is by no means a wash, i can build it up and sell it at a profit but damn i just wish i could find an aluminium frame in oil slick...
-
;D ;D ;D
SCNR! Damn, that chameleon paint really fades against the seatpost and handlebars :D
I think this could still work but would go into a different vibe. Not the full bling-bling version as those Dragon Bikes. Then again, you wanted to build the slickest bike on the planet, soooooo :P
Honestly, not sure what to think about it atm. Guess I'll have to sleep on it and take another look tomorrow.
-
Cheers for the input! And appreciate that this dumbass project gets to impose on your sleep, haha.
I guess it should be noted that the wheels, when done right, would do a lot for the overall look. I was sort of expecting something like what Trek has done with their Icon series sort of paints, but i guess a case is being made for them being just as underwhelming IRL and that all the promo pictures just make them look way too good.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D9dc21RVAAEh4yE.jpg)
Either way. Not disappointed really, but torn between just completing this, ironing out the kinks in this build (can't wait to figure out the chainline on the 5mm too wide crankset) and calling it the first iteration - or just perfecting this on the first go with a different frame.
-
In my opinion you should repaint it or change frame, I have it in the same color and most of the time it looks just british green or sometimes a nice dark blue. Only under direct sunlight it will sometime sparkle, but then not enough to match the other parts.
IMHO the frame for your build must either be much more flashy, or more muted so to let the slicky parts shine (I'm thinking a matte anthracite/black).
-
How about oil slick titanium? ;D
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808102380457.html (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808102380457.html)
-
All right, so i had to think about it and finally decided that the Ceccotti will get to live its life as a chunky, regular old carbon gravel bike, not as the slickest bike ever. We need a replacement, and i have to say thanks to all who have contributed with input so far, it did help with the decision.
How about oil slick titanium? ;D
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808102380457.html (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808102380457.html)
How in all hells did you find this? None of my searches have showed these frames. Image searching with this shows up a few alternatives, and likewise, another alternative i have seriously been considering did also show up to have a little store on AliEx, namely XACD.
https://www.ti-bikes.com/titanium-bike-frame/titanium-road-bike-frame/titanium-road-bike-frame-flat-mount.html
Milling about and checking their references for a bit, it seems like this frame would be a legit solution for this build. And it looks bonkers!
(https://www.ti-bikes.com/Content/uploads/202060583/20201106135958eac73ade9a344d50925715bfe0ebf801.jpg)
Also, my build just became three times more expensive. But we've gone too far now to not do it, haha.
Currently in contact with XACD to figure out details on the frame and order. Let's see how this goes.
In the meantime, i'm still recieving random oil slick parts from previous orders, so it's all just trickling along. Pics of stuff (and i guess of the eventually finished Ceccotti) are coming along in here while we wait for the titanium frame to get sorted out.
-
Regarding hubs: I came across Cantu Wheels in a recent GCN Tech show video. They were featuring oil slick hubs for road/gravel use. Might wanna give it a look?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxYHJIw2kJg&t=29s
-
How in all hells did you find this? None of my searches have showed these frames. Image searching with this shows up a few alternatives, and likewise, another alternative i have seriously been considering did also show up to have a little store on AliEx, namely XACD.
https://www.ti-bikes.com/titanium-bike-frame/titanium-road-bike-frame/titanium-road-bike-frame-flat-mount.html
Milling about and checking their references for a bit, it seems like this frame would be a legit solution for this build. And it looks bonkers!
(https://www.ti-bikes.com/Content/uploads/202060583/20201106135958eac73ade9a344d50925715bfe0ebf801.jpg)
Also, my build just became three times more expensive. But we've gone too far now to not do it, haha.
Currently in contact with XACD to figure out details on the frame and order. Let's see how this goes.
If you're going to go oil slick, might as well go with the full titanium treatment! If I had the funds, this is straight up baller status right here at least when it comes to bike parts! ;)
-
It seems we are looking at a price after shipping at around 2000 dollars. Thats steep even for my generous budget, so i will be shopping around for a bit and see how we can end up.
Been going down the route of trying to find an OEM distributor and even considering buying in bulk, like 5 frames, but still nobody seems to be able to make an aluminium frame in oil slick. Pains me to no end, at this point.
Of course the price would be the main reason, but secondarily the difference in sheen between the materials worries me a little bit. It's supposed to be part of the appeal but i hope it won't stand out too hard.
The difference was abundantly clear while finishing up this budget restoration of a 13 year old On One frame last week, basically the same product as any old chiner titanium build. Built for a friend that wanted silver metal components and wanted to save a few hundred dollars on the stem and seatpost, but the color is noticably different.
(https://i.imgur.com/zyzR4xu.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/HJeBQCS.jpeg)
-
Beenb quiet for a while, which is simply down to the final weeks before vacation being very busy, and mainly because i've been milling about trying to figure out what to do with the big frame problem.
It seems finally an order with XACD will be the solution. I could probably solve this much cheaper, but that'll be for the next iteration.
Meanwhile, the C25 frame build got finished, in a bit of a monstercross setup with 27,5" wheels and Maxxis Ikon tires.
(https://i.imgur.com/5WhhfuA.jpeg)
It doesn't look too bad with a bit of a roadbike setup either!
(https://i.imgur.com/qeJWDEu.jpeg)
-
All right you guys.
Been a nice long summer vacation but i have not forgotten about this project. Quite the contrary - it is rolling along nicely, with some modifications along the way.
After deliberating with myself for a long while i finally gathered my financial and mental strength to order a custom-geo titanium frame from XACD in Taiwan. It was a lot of fun to fiddle around with. Their service was excellent and i even got a little custom badge on it for fun. It's prettty much the same frame as pictured earlier in the thread, but a slightly different fork (not pictured).
(https://i.imgur.com/R7KpEdJ.png)
They finished building it this week and just shipped it so not long left to wait now. In the meantime, virtually all parts are in place. Some slight changes to accomodate the frame have been made. I think i will also go for a GRX 1x12 setup instead of the 1x11, for sake of "up-speccing" the bike a little bit. That'll prompt a new chain and cassette, but i'll just throw the 11spd stuff on another build.
I expect i will still need to fiddle with things like seat tube clamps, headsets and such so it might take a month for extra parts to come along once it is recieved, but for what it's worth almost every part has been sourced.
As for wheels, i ended up getting the slightly janky Meroca wheels pictured earlier, which in fact had some beautiful aluminium 27'5" rims. Gonna have to re-spoke them for oilslick spokes somewhere down the line. I put an order in for some janky carbon rims in supposed oilslick that never arrived, so there's still a big gaping hole in the 28" wheel department. Guess i will keep looking.
-
I'm a little late to the party but titanium is relatively easy to get the oil slick look with. There are two ways to anodize titanium. First is heat. A small torch, like what a plumber would use, will do the trick. Second, is with 9v batteries, distilled water, and baking soda. Just source any parts you want in titanium and go full DIY mode. Do a youtube search for "anodizing titanium" and grab some popcorn. There's no shortage of clips to watch.
-
I was thinking about this project just yesterday, as I was installing these bar-ends on my bike :D
They look neat
https://it.aliexpress.com/item/1005004765500419.html
(https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/Sbd2a7a9a28494362a7e2be8c672228732.png)
-
I'm a little late to the party but titanium is relatively easy to get the oil slick look with. There are two ways to anodize titanium. First is heat. A small torch, like what a plumber would use, will do the trick. Second, is with 9v batteries, distilled water, and baking soda. Just source any parts you want in titanium and go full DIY mode. Do a youtube search for "anodizing titanium" and grab some popcorn. There's no shortage of clips to watch.
Cheers! Contacting Velocity for a custom anodized 700c aluminium rim, i was actually told to do the same. They were not able to make rims like that themselves, but recommended me to get some raw aluminium rims and anodizing them myself. That kinda stuff would definetly be new territory for me, but might just be the only sensible way to get proper 28" rims.
For now, i have got the cheesy 650B Meroca wheels which should be quite satisfying once i get them re-spoked with oilslick spokes and nipples. That'll be coming along once i get around to ordering the right spokes!
-
Oh, and a fun bit of news. The frame has arrived!!
Took just a week to get here from Hong Kong and i must say it definetly does the job.
(https://i.imgur.com/wOiz1fr.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/kmvSpt5.jpeg)
Everything is wrong in the pic of course, i just threw stuff together to have a look at the fit. Still lacking a few little pieces, which became apparent once i had it in my hands. Gonna have to wait for the headset and BB still.
So there's an order in for some bits and bobs, and since i have upgraded the groupset to 1x12 i will need to get a new cassette. Now, i cannot really decide if i should go for the cheap sunshine thing at $40: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005838729902.html or go for the much more expensive but arguably nicer looking ZTTO variant: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005966996143.html
Also opting against the white seat for now, and wondering if i should be getting for this ugly-ass thing: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004428481317.html
or this nicer, but possibly underwhelming one; https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009215872010.html
Thoughts?
And yeah, i'm gonna go full dinner plate-sized cassette, i would not be surprised if the weight tips over 11kg or so. The fork alone is like 1,1 kg :'( Weight ain't the point of this build though, that should be obvious. The whole point is absolute stupidity.
-
This is coming out as awful as I'd hoped. Great job!
-
Got the BB delivered today, and while i am definetly sure i am going to be worrying about chainline soon, it all installed smoothly. Already got the shifters fastened with the oilslicked Risk screws (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008070271473.html). I guess i can do the white hoses in the frame next. For brake adapaters there are some stupidly expensive ones here. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009329523585.html - not getting those yet i think.
(https://i.imgur.com/2RwmV3o.jpeg)
Still not gonna be putting this thing between my legs till i get a headset and still haven't sorted out a 12spd cassette.
Just threw on a few more parts and had a look. Apologies for shitty pics! Everything is wrong on the bike, not just those weird 650B wheels which i have to run with a 15->12mm adapter.
(https://i.imgur.com/xMoQCCQ.jpeg)
I should offer an in-depth look at all the little pieces of prime-time-classic chinerbike bits-and-bobs the crankset is made out of! We've got Risk, Riderace, Tanke, IXF, VXM and Hassns all in one. I am going to look into anodizing a set of raw 700c aluminium rims somehow. A few big chunks are in place already and we'll soon be operational, but perfecting this build will take quite some time.
We are obviously far from done 8)