Chinertown
Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: hershfeld on June 30, 2025, 01:52:17 PM
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I didn’t plan to buy a bike at Eurobike. 8)
In fact, I was in Frankfurt for work and figured I’d swing by the show on Saturday. But as these stories tend to go—things escalated.
Wandering the halls, I came across the Carbonda booth (Carbonda Sports Equipment Co., Ltd.). Initially, I was drawn to their carbon road wheelset—the woven finish looked nice. While chatting with the team, they mentioned that everything at the booth was on sale. Apparently, they didn’t want to haul it back to China.
Their showpiece was a new AF 01 Gravel frame. But coming off a Cannondale CAAD12 (54) and more recently a Cube Cross Race C:62 (53), I was leaning toward something more race-oriented. The Cube has served me well but with limited tire clearance and a notably high bottom bracket, I was thinking about something with more clearance but still universal.
That’s when I noticed a Quick Pro GR:ONE frameset quietly sitting on a back shelf. I wasn’t too familiar with Carbonda at the time, but the Quick Pro branding rang a bell, and the frame’s finish caught my eye.
They also had a set of their Canwin GC50 carbon wheels on display (the GC60s had already been sold). The price of the wheelset? Surprisingly competitive. I took a walk and gave myself some time to think.
A few quick geometry checks later, it looked like the Medium GR:ONE would fit me almost perfectly.
So I went for it. I justified the leap by telling myself I’d be one of the first to ride and report on the GR:ONE—and honestly, the price was still very competitive compared to retail. One quick PayPal transfer later, the Carbonda team began wrapping up the frame and wheels.
Frame, handlebar, wheelset and they even threw in the mounted tires, which I only realized later were already set up tubeless, sealant and valves included.
It all came together so quickly that just two hours after vaguely entertaining the idea of “maybe a new gravel frame”, I was walking through the halls grinning, with a new Gravel frame somewhat wrapped in bubblerwap an a lot of tape.
Now comes the fun part: the build.
I’m planning to transfer the Ultegra / GRX Di2 mix from my Cube. The catch? The GR:ONE is 1x only, and I’ve always preferred a 2x setup.
The Shimano team at the booth strongly advised against retrofitting a front derailleur… which of course just made me want to try it even more. So we’ll see how that unfolds.
If anyone’s curious about the geometry, I’ve already uploaded the GR:ONE to GeometryGeeks and added a comparison to my other bikes for reference. Their website and overall presence is just not good enough for their premium prices, but maybe that's something they can improve upon.
https://geometrygeeks.bike/compare/quick-pro-gr-one-2025-m,cube-cross-race-c62-slx-2025-53-cm,cannondale-caad12-2017-54/ (https://geometrygeeks.bike/compare/quick-pro-gr-one-2025-m,cube-cross-race-c62-slx-2025-53-cm,cannondale-caad12-2017-54/)
At the moment, the frame and wheels are still sitting in my car—no tools, no scale, no real way to check weight or inspect build quality in detail. That’ll have to wait until the weekend. First impressions are solid, but I’m curious to see how the carbon finish, tolerances, and internal routing hold up under closer scrutiny.
As for the Cube: I’m planning to rebuild it for a friend. Ideally, I’d like to go with a more budget-friendly groupset, possibly something non-Shimano.
So if anyone has recommendations, be it Sensah, Wheeltop, L-Twoo or something less mainstream, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Feel free to drop me a message or comment.
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Looks like you made a great deal — the frame looks super nice! With all the buzz around this brand, if it lives up to its reputation, the quality should definitely be there. Looking forward to seeing the final build, weight, and an in-depth inspection of the frame!
The topic of alternative groupsets has been widely discussed on the forum. From what I’ve gathered, they all seem pretty solid, but there are a lot of L-TWOO users who appear satisfied with their purchase. Also, check out Aliexpress for Shimano parts — you can sometimes find full groupsets for not much more than L-TWOO or other alternatives, which makes the relatively small price difference hard to ignore. (check this thread for reference: https://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,6059.0.html)
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Is buying things at the show common?
Now I’m really pissed my work trip to Frankfurt is NEXT week instead of the original plan of being there last weeek/weekend.
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Wow you scored! Not many of us get to inspect our frames or wheels in-person, so it's awesome you got to buy equipment on the spot! I would have checked out some other booths and see what vendors are willing to sell! ;D
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Is buying things at the show common?
Depends on the show and what parts they are showing. But yes "trade fair deals" are quite common, especially if things are in production already or "production-ready" showpieces.
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Wonderful paintjob!
The 18K wave is real or is painted?
How much did you cost the frameset?
There is no price on website...
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Hey everyone,
Thanks for the interest and messages!
Yes, the 18K weave is real. I’ll get a few more detailed shots uploaded by tomorrow at the latest.
Admittedly, I’m feeling a bit guilty about storing the frame in my car in some random Frankfurt parking lot.
As for the paint job: contrary to what the Quick website says (they call it “iced/frosted”), the finish looks more like the dark color was applied via ceran wrap technique over the lighter base.
Price on the website is retail price ¥ 13600 ≈ $1900 US
https://www.quick-bikes.com.cn/product/32.html (https://www.quick-bikes.com.cn/product/32.html)
I also picked up their integrated handlebar. They had both the gravel and road versions on display—mine is likely the Quick Zephyr SL, not the SSL.
https://www.pandapodium.cc/product/quick-zephyrssl-integrated-handlebar/ (https://www.pandapodium.cc/product/quick-zephyrssl-integrated-handlebar/)
(https://www.pandapodium.cc/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1-1.png)
Now the big question:
What’s your take on fitting a round aftermarket front derailleur clamp, like this one:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61uz+4x1w4L._AC_SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)
My idea: mount it with some sort of 3D-printed insert to fill the missing portion of the clamp interface, plus add frame protection under it to preserve the finish. The frame has plenty of tyre clearance, at least on the website.
Would love to hear if anyone has done something similar—or reasons why it might be a bad idea.
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Maybe chainring clearance could be an issue….depends on what cranks/rings you are planning to install.
e.g. I am on a Dura Ace 9200 crank with 48/33 rings on my new Yoeleo Altera…needed some tiny spacers to clear the chainstay…but still was able to engage the safety pin on non drive side…
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Trying to use a front derailleur clamp on a carbon frame is a sure way to destroy it. In contrast to aluminium frames, carbon frames are only strong in the direction in which the fibers are laid out. The force that you exert when clamping a derailleur clamp is directly opposite of where that tube has strength.
It's the same reason why you should always clamp your bike on the seat tube when putting it on a bike stand, and never on the frame itself.
You would need to bond the (carbon) derailleur clamp to the raw carbon of your seat tube instead of clamping it on if you want any chance of succeeding/having a safe setup. I even think that you would need to reinforce the whole are with some extra carbon to account for the extra forces that the front derailleur would exert on the seat tube during shifting.
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I would also go with Serge's suggestion and use epoxy. Before applying anything, test the fit: mount your front derailleur (FD) to the hanger and check if it can be positioned correctly on the frame.
If the position is fine, mark the spot on the frame. Then lightly sand the area until you reach bare carbon. Test-fit again to confirm, and reapply your markings—measure twice, act once. Once you're confident everything aligns, apply the epoxy.
Also, make sure to sand the hanger where it will be bonded so you're working with bare metal rather than any paint or coating. A properly prepped surface on both parts is key to a strong bond.
On a side note: does this mean this frame does also doesn't have space to mount a chain guide?
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Buying a new Quick Pro from Carbonda ...
Are Quick Pro part of FBA?
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FBA = Flybike Asia.
I thought I'd read elsewhere that QuickPro were the new house brand (together with a couple of other minor stakeholders) for another unrelated OEM / ODM. But maybe it was unfounded speculation.
Usually Carbonda / FBA don't show their kit on other brands' frames at shows.
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Well it's a tough cookie you've decided on with this 2x stuff. I really wouldn't reccomend epoxying a hanger. There's a reason even non removable front hangers have always been riveted on carbon frames. Whatever you do, you need to reinforce the tube where you plan to mount the hanger. Strip the paint on that section and reinforce it with a couple layers of carbon weave. A semi decent carbon repair service could do it for you pretty easily
If you were brave, you could then rivet on the hanger or some threaded inserts, but going back to your original idea of a modified clamp and giving yourself playroom for locating the hanger is better.
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Hey, here are my first impressions of the frame, along with photos:
https://imgur.com/a/0Xo5rf6 (https://imgur.com/a/0Xo5rf6)
I really like the paint and overall finish. On closer inspection, there are some minor imperfections in the clear coat—not a big issue, but worth mentioning. The black metallic/silver areas have a glossy clear coat, while the carbon weave sections feature a matte or satin-matte finish, creating a nice visual contrast. The decals are also well done: white with a holographic effect when hit by light.
On the fork, the brake mounting points are embedded aluminum inserts, unlike the frame, which uses carbon mounts. Not sure why they didn’t opt for a full-carbon solution here
The frame comes with a UDH mount.
One detail that stood out is the different thread pitch used for the front and rear thru-axles:
Front wheel: Ø12 × 121L × M12 (P1.5) × 17L
Rear wheel: Ø12 × 172L × M12 (P1.0) × 16.5L
Handlebar is the SSL version, 400mm x 100mm.
Since the frame was a showpiece, a few parts are currently missing:
Spacers for the handlebar
Handlebar bolts and insert to fix the bar to the fork
Top cap and steerer tube plug
One thing I’ve been asking myself: should you order an extra set of thru-axles while you’re already having something shipped?
Any other additional parts, that I might be missing?
Regarding the front derailleur:
Thanks for all the input and warnings. I’ve ordered a cheap carbon clamp-on mount and will test whether I can shim the seat tube—measuring approximately 29.6 mm at the front derailleur position—to fit a 31.8 mm mount using an aluminum sleeve.
Epoxying something directly onto a frame of this quality just doesn’t feel right. But this workaround, while not ideal either, has the advantage of being reversible—at least in theory.
PS: Is there a way to embed an Imgur gallery directly in the post for easier viewing?
Let me know if you’re interested in any additional photos or specific details—happy to share.
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Put on a new Rival XPLR 13s...
Don't mess with front derailleur clamp and setup..
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I strongly urge you to not do this without reinforcing the tube.
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We know that flybike own carbonda. i suspect flybike own quick pro, as opposed to carbonda owning quick pro.
Wouldn't make a difference, ultimately, though.
Flybike OEM for at least Ridley and de Rosa, apparently, they're a very large animal.
Yes, QuickPro is owned by Carbonda. I received quote for the AR and ER from them.
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Or you could just go 1-by ???
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Hey everyone,
While I’m still waiting for the handlebar parts like spacers, bolts, and so on, I decided to use the weekend to figure out how to shim the frame for a front derailleur.
At first I tried measuring everything and building it in CAD, but the shapes are way too complex for that.
Then I remembered photogrammetry, the method of turning photos into 3D models. I looked into it, tested a few tools, and after a few hours I actually managed to get a pretty decent 3D scan of the bottom bracket and seat tube area.
Because of the reflective carbon surface, I lightly dusted the frame with flour to improve the scan quality. That worked surprisingly well. see below.
The tricky part was scaling the mesh correctly, but I got it accurate to about 0.1 mm across the bottom bracket area. That should be more than enough. Worst case, the 3D print will have some play or I’ll just sand it slightly to get a perfect fit.
Used software was, Photocatch, Meshlab, Freecad, and recorded the video for the scan on my phone, was way easier and quicker than using pictures. :)
Let me know what you think.
I’m also thinking about getting the Wheeltop GEX groupset as a second setup. I would move the Ultegra / GRX Di2 from my Cube Cross Race and pass that frame on to someone in the family.
The GR:ONE will stay as the 2x experiment and the Cube could run 1x, which should be totally fine for most rides.
The Wheeltop set is already in my AliExpress cart. I’m waiting for some new coupon codes, but at the moment it would cost around 430 euros. I already have enough cranks at home, so I would probably get a XD or XDS freehub with a 10–46T cassette in the back and maybe reuse the Ultegra crank with a 46T chainring, or even go up to 50T.
I’ll share more once the parts arrive.
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Since you have some time before all the parts arrive, would you mind pulling the tires (and tubes?) off that canwin gravel wheelset and posting the wheelset: weight, rim depth, inner rim width, hooked or not, and outer rim width (pretty pretty please). I believe I heard the inner rim width is 28mm, so I'm guessing the outer rim width is 34mm or so.
Quickpro china site may sell complete bikes (looks like they are really good deals), but their road bike wheels are advertised as 28.5mm wide, which is too narrow. I want to ask if quick pro could lace up there carbon spoke and road hub to that gravel rim so I can run 32s, or just use the gravel wheelset as-is for road.
***Also you 3d scan computer skills are impressive!**
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running 1x is simply the whole thing, I love frames without the front derailleur mount.
Both gravel and road bikes... On all my bikes I have had a custom carbon workshop remove the mounts and cover it up like it never existed.
I emailed Quick pro but never received any replies... Current pain offers looks like shit IMO, am I investing in a custom frame I want custom 1 of 1 paint job...
So I would like to buy it RAW for lighter weight, but they never replied. Looks impossible to buy this frame.
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eucalyptus,
(sorry I'm new here and don't know how to reply to a specific message). You should be able to order from panda podium (https://www.pandapodium.cc/). I also went to the chinese quick bikes website (https://en.quick-bikes.com.cn/) and tried emailing them a few times with no luck, but they have a whatsapp number that they actually respond to however, they are a bit slow on their whatsapp responses. The chinese quick bikes website has more color options then panda podium, so if you want a raw frame I'd use the whatsapp number on the chinese quick bikes website and see what they can do for you.
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eucalyptus,
(sorry I'm new here and don't know how to reply to a specific message). You should be able to order from panda podium (https://www.pandapodium.cc/). I also went to the chinese quick bikes website (https://en.quick-bikes.com.cn/) and tried emailing them a few times with no luck, but they have a whatsapp number that they actually respond to however, they are a bit slow on their whatsapp responses. The chinese quick bikes website has more color options then panda podium, so if you want a raw frame I'd use the whatsapp number on the chinese quick bikes website and see what they can do for you.
Alright I will try whatsapp :)
Pandapodi do not have the quick pro gravel on their website... They are extremely slow with publishing products. I know the owner says they want to test the stuff before selling which I fully endorse. But then they should hire more people :)
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Communication with Quick Pro has been a bit hit or miss so far.
I’m currently in touch with them via WhatsApp. The missing components haven’t been shipped yet, and apparently there’s no zero-offset seat post available for the GR:ONE frame.
I also asked about an XD or XDR freehub for the GC50 or GC60 wheels, but they currently ship them with shimano hubs. My contact is checking whether he can provide me with the name of the freehub manufacturer, so I can try to source a compatible one elsewhere.
If anyone can point me in the right direction regarding the hub manufacturer or has tips on where to source a compatible freehub, I’d really appreciate it.
Since you have some time before all the parts arrive, would you mind pulling the tires (and tubes?) off that canwin gravel wheelset and posting the wheelset: weight, rim depth, inner rim width, hooked or not, and outer rim width
So I would like to buy it RAW for lighter weight, but they never replied. Looks impossible to buy this frame.
> To be honest, I don’t think Quick Pro / Carbonda are the right choice if you’re looking for modified products or special requests. They seem to be more focused on the Chinese market, so if you’re seriously interested in one of their frames, the best way is probably to go through Panda Podium to have a proper point of contact.
Internal rim @hooks is 26.2mm outer rim 32.8mm.
Weight front 659.1g
Back 760.5g incl Hg freehub (76.9gby itself)
Total 1419.7g
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My guess is your hubs are these. (https://www.ferei.com/ferei-nh24-road-bike-hubs.html)
I was doing more searching for Canwin wheels and I found a Panda Podium instragram post from around 11 Mar 2025 where it said ""Frames by QUICK PRO, Wheels & Cockpit by CANWIN, Hubs by FEREI." This was for a Canwin wheel with carbon spokes. But a quick look at the Ferei hub website, and I believe the below is the match to what you posted, but look around on the Ferei website for yourself.
Specification
Products name Ferei NH24 Road bike hubs
model NH24
Brake Type disc
axle type M12x142MM M12x100MM OR：M10*135MM M9*100MM
Cassette body (Shimano) SS 11s
Spoke 24Holes , Straight pull , 1:1 building
Bearing Steel bearing(#6902X6pcs) / Seramic bearing(#6902X6pcs)
Disc (center lock)
Material Aluminium alloy
Pawls 4 Pawls
weight 363g±5g（set）
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Hey everyone,
There’s been an interesting update on the Quick Pro website regarding the GR:ONE.
The product photos now show a front derailleur mount:
https://www.quick-bikes.com.cn/product/32.html (https://www.quick-bikes.com.cn/product/32.html)
They’ve also added a few new color options.
I checked the geometry against my notes — it looks unchanged.
In my opinion, adding the front derailleur mount is a smart move. It still appeals to the 1x / SRAM crowd but also opens up the frame for use as a wide-tire allroad bike with a 2x setup.
Also, my missing parts have finally arrived, so I hope I’ll be able to start the build soon, however will need to live with somewhat of a compromise.
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I know official tire clearance is 45 but do you think you can fit 50s in that frame ?
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update: Quick Bikes provides a crash discount replacement/repair.
A buddy of my has the Quick Pro AR ONE, he got it Jan 2025, we built it up and he has ridden it up until a few weeks go when he crashed... not the bikes fault. In the crash the top tube got cracked. He contacted Quick Bikes and they offered to fix it for free (If my buddy paid shipping to and fro), or offered him a voucher to buy a new frame for $1000 USD. FYI, my buddy also contacted Panda Podium and they wanted pictures and offered him a new frame for $1200 USD. My buddy originally bought the frame from Panda Podium. I think it is pretty cool of Quick Bikes to offer this sort of customer support for crash discount replacement/repair. No where on line have I seen any comment towards Quick Bikes crash replacement discount, so I wanted to share this with everyone.
Also my buddy absolutely loves his Quick Pro AR One.
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On the fork, the brake mounting points are embedded aluminum inserts, unlike the frame, which uses carbon mounts. Not sure why they didn’t opt for a full-carbon solution here
The primary reason is that you can't really (there is some exceptions) directly thread carbon and the brake mounting bolts need to thread into something. You avoid this on the rear of the bike by passing the bolts through the opposite side of the frame member and threading into the brake caliper directly. It is possible to do this on the front and supposedly does save some mass but isn't common, I assume due to aesthetic appearance. You see this on the latest Scott Addict which uses an aethetic cover and also on the Open UPPER and 3T Exploro.
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Sorry for the long wait — my T47 bottom bracket finally arrived.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to reuse my 105 / Ultegra cranks (165 mm / 170 mm) from the Cross Race in a 2x setup, even after all the 3D prep work. Looking back, it makes sense. I just hadn’t fully considered that the frame, being designed for wider gravel tires, isn’t compatible with a standard external T47 bottom bracket and road cranks.
I’ve been thinking about trying a T47 internal BB on the left side with spacers to make it work.
But while typing just realized that I would have a wrong / 3mm offset of the crankset, which is not an option.
Is there a specific standard I could look for, for third party cranks to have a wider chain line?
Also had some issues with the first wheelset. It seems the tubeless setup at the exhibition, likely done just for show, wasn’t done properly. The rim tape and valve weren’t seated correctly, which caused sealant to get into the rim and seal not the tire but the inside of the rim at the tube stem and caused a blowout when I first tried mounting the tires.
Unfortunately, the replacement back wheel, I did recieve a couple of weeks ago, also has a defect and doesn’t seal properly, but I of course only noticed when trying to setup the new wheelset.
So the whole process has been more work than expected and definitely not as straightforward as I had hoped.
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GRX Cranks have a slightly wider chainline, as do a number of SRAM cranks which normally specify "Wide" somewhere in the naming scheme. Otherwise a number of direct mount 1x cranks can be fitted with chainrings of various offset if the crank arms themselves have adequate frame clearance.
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Have you tried to install some bottom bracket washers? On Aliexpress you have them in all dimensions. 1mm might even be enough.
If you would have the chance to measure:
- Would you think 50mm tires would fit? what is the space between the chainstays?
- Seatpost: What is the length and minimum insertion length?
Thanks and good luck!
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Hmm…can’t imagine a GRX crank would fit either by the looks of it…which should.
And from what I read, the Quick GR is designed to fit max 700x45c tires.
As said on page nr.1 I am running a dura ace 48/33 on the Yoeleo which fits up to 53mm tires, t47 86,5mm BB(probably not with a FD) and I only needed just a tiny spacer to fit it….still the safety pin on NDS could engage.
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Since I didn’t have a 50 mm tire on hand, I taped a 50 mm PVC pipe to the rim for clearance testing. The pipe has an outer diameter of 50.8 mm, and the maximum height, measured from the rim to the topmost point of the pipe where it was taped, was 47.5 mm.
I tried checking clearance with hex keys. A 4 mm hex key wouldn’t fit at either the chainstay or seatstay. A 3 mm hex key fit without rubbing, so real tire clearance would be quite tight at full volume.
As for the seatpost:
The minimum insert is marked at 10 cm, measured on the rear side of the post.
With the seatpost inserted to that point, the maximum saddle height (from the top of the top tube to the saddle rails) is about 23 cm.
Without cutting the seatpost, the minimum saddle height is around 15.5 cm (rails to top tube).
If you cut the seatpost, you could reduce the minimum height further to about 13 cm from the top tube to the saddle rails.
Hoep that helps.
Regarding the cranks:
I tested the FC-R8100 with a 46/36T chainring setup. There was less than 1 mm of clearance between the 36T ring and the chainstay, and while I could fits in a 4 mm hex key, between bb and crank.
There's definitely no way to fit the road cranks safely with a T47 external bottom bracket.
Also ordered a Shimano FC-RX610 2x12 crankset in 165 mm length and a GRX FD-RX825 front derailleur today. Hoping this setup will work with the wider chainline and save me from any more experiments.
I had already been looking at some alternative Ali cranksets, but with the RX610 at €105 and the front derailleur at €100, I’d rather keep things moving and avoid waiting around for other parts.
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Just an FYI. There is an error in the geometry chart on PandaPodium and QuickPro website for this bike. I did some sketching in SolidWorks and the seat tube angle for size XL is NOT 73.8° BUT 72.8°.
I got excited when I saw a steeper seat tube angle in my size because I always have to slam my saddle all the way forward. Sadly STA is very slack in larger sizes plus no option for 0mm offset seatpost.
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Hi, is it possible to put a 700x50 tire in the front or will it be too tight for mud clearance?
What is the maximum chainring for a 1x?
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Wanted to ask about 1x on this frame and using for racing. So I have always used a chain guard (or the FD on 2x does the same thing) to stop chain drop on the front when on rough fast descents.
How can this work in this scenario? The frame doesn’t have any options to mount anything over the front chain ring - makes this ‘race frame’ not a great pick. Any other ideas or better options of frames out there for racing on?
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A narrow wide chain ring works to pretty much stop chain drop on a mountain bike, even more so when combined with a clutch rear mech.
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Hi, will this frame take a single 46T chain ring?
Thanks