My thoughts: if I had to build again today, I’d go with SRAM, since you only need to run the hydraulic hoses. The Shimano system is a nightmare, with lots of wires and 11V-to-12V converters.

Looking Good! Do you know the weight of it?

Hex ! Nice build. Where did you get your spacers ? It seems you did not use the ones provided by VB. Thanks

A second question: do you know if they can apply a brand’s graphics on the rims? I saw the stickers with their own brand, but would it be possible to customize them?

I work at a bicycle factory here in Italy, and after buying and testing for myself, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to see if there would be interest here in purchasing their wheels on a slightly larger scale.

Hello,

I have the VB and I’ve also built two more for friends, and so far we haven’t had any issues. It’s basically a clone of the Trek, so in terms of aerodynamics I think you could consider Trek’s results as a reference.

Positive points that led me to this choice: when I picked this model, it was (in my view) the one that came the most complete for long-distance triathlon use. The front end (aerobars) is above average compared to other models that only come with a simple tube. That said, it’s not as nice-looking as this new Winnow model (which didn’t exist back then). It also comes with a bottle cage mount on the seatpost.

Negative points: it doesn’t have and doesn’t come with a toptube box for gels, and the stem feels a bit weak—although in my case I’ve had no problems with it.

The Winnow 117 does come with the gel box, and at the time it only had a very basic front end (just tubes), but now it comes with a better-finished version. As for the frame design, I personally didn’t like it much, but that’s more of an aesthetic matter. In other threads, I’ve seen some people reporting issues with this brand regarding support, warranty, etc. Velobuild, on the other hand, always replied and helped whenever I contacted them, so on that front I can’t say anything bad.

At the end of the day, I think that since the TT bike market is much smaller than road bikes, we still don’t have that one product you can say: “This is THE bike!!”—good quality, low weight, and with all the components and accessories that tick every box we want in a TT bike. For now, you just have to choose the one that best fits you.

Hi Maliba,

I just read your post about the chaos to route cable inside the frame. I'm actually thinking and listing all the parts to build this frame beginning of next year. I was thinking to build it with a shimano 105, because i want a double front rotor (can be discussed by everybody, but i prefer to climb on an easy way with a 34 or 36 rotor, instead of a solo 48 or 50)

And why a mecanical rather than electronic, 1st -> budget, 2nd -> i like "old schools" things

Do you think it's possible to route it ?

Thank you

Do you have an idea of the total time (on average) it takes for the frame to arrive in Europe after the order is placed and confirmed? I’m planning to build a bike like this to ride the Strade Bianche Granfondo next year on March 8th. I’m currently deciding between size 50 or 52.