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Wheels, type of Toray used
I was wondering, some companies offer certain rims in different setup of Toray fibers, T700, T800 and T1100. How does these different type of Toray carbon material influence wheel- or bike-feel? Is there difference in stiffness? Does t1100 makes a bike less compliant? Is it "just" weight difference? March 30, 2025, 03:43:25 PM |
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Re: Can we migrate this forum to a modern forum? I'm tired of the broken pages.
Sitar_Ned is the forum's administrator. You can reach out to them via PM or email. Honestly, not much capacity at all. It's just me and I am in no way a web developer or webmaster. Just a simpleton Arkansas mountain biker that somehow figured out how to get this forum up 10 years ago. I know the broken pages are annoying... and I am sorry about that... I do try to fix them immediately when they pop up so please do let me know.. I really appreciate it. I do have plans to upgrade to the latest SMF version to fix little issues like that but I'm sorry to disappoint anyone but there are no plans to "modernize" the forum in any way. No desire to have some modern mobile-friendly, super slick, dark mode interface. Chinertown will remain old-school looking with zero ads and zero optimizations for Google search. My main goal going forward is to keep AI out of the forum as much as possible. That's just my jam but I do understand if it isn't for everyone. That said, I am certainly open and interested to hear everyone's input/advice/ideas and really appreciate it. June 06, 2025, 06:52:42 AM |
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Re: XM Carbon Speed - "Gran Tourismo" Frameset
I've finally managed to put in some decent mileage over the past few weeks, so I'm able to write a short review of the bike. This is the third bike I've built this year, so I'll mainly be comparing it with my other builds and focusing on geometry details. I had my eye on this frameset even before EuroBike, but initially crossed it off my list after running some calculations based on the geometry. However, after seeing it in person and with Peter offering me a generous discount, I couldn't resist and took the frame home. Fun fact: I even got caught in the act in this YouTube video (https://youtu.be/4aRrWVxKaZ8?t=268) by forum member zealot128 at the XMCS booth. Meeting everyone was a fun experience, and I definitely recommend visiting EuroBike. With every new bike, I try to learn a bit more about bike geometry in my quest for the perfect frame. This year, I've been mainly riding the Factor Ostro V2 in size 58, which has the same wheelbase length but a very different composition - making comparisons particularly interesting. The standout feature of the GT is its massive 422mm chainstay length. For context, the Ostro's chainstays are 14mm shorter. This gives the GT incredible stability when descending or riding over 60 km/h. On paper, you might expect this to compromise agility, but in reality, it's still very flickable and corners exceptionally well. I would even argue that it feels more playful than the Ostro. However, part of that might be due to running the GT slammed with a stack about 2cm lower than the Ostro. Climbing and going out of the saddle feel great as well. On some setups, I sometimes get out of sync when going out of the saddle, but that never happened with the GT. It feels intuitive and responds exactly as expected. As for stiffness and comfort, I honestly can't tell much difference compared to the Ostro. Nothing stands out in either direction. On the downside, the long chainstay doesn't really improve rear tire clearance, which is limited to around 35mm if you want 4mm of clearance on each side. The tire makes contact with the chainstay before the seatpost, so there's always going to be a noticeable gap. Another downside is the relatively short front end, causing toe overlap with 30C+ tires for me. It's not a huge issue, but it's something to keep in mind. The biggest personal issue for me is the slack seat tube angle (73°) combined with the setback seatpost. Even with the shortest saddle, I can't move my position as far forward as I'd like. This was initially why I crossed the bike off my list. I tried convincing myself it wouldn't be a big deal, but I remain very aware of it on every ride. This is the main reason I probably won't be happy riding this bike long-term and am already considering replacing it with the Intropy Speedster. So for anyone in Germany interested, this one may be up for sale at a heavily discounted price once I move the parts to the new build - so HMU. My build includes a mix of high-end and premium Chinese components: - SRAM E1 Red/Force XPLR 1x13 - XMCS 40/50 Wheelset with 30C GP5K STR (32C in future) - Black Inc Aero 120/380 Cockpit (custom 3D-printed bearing cover) - Leese 165mm crank with ArcRayo PM and 52T PassQuest chainring - Kinan Kore Ti Pedals - Arundle Mandible bottle cages (clones) - SLT-style headset bearings from kugellager-shop - Custom Garmin Varia 3D-printed frame mount - Rainbow Ti-bolts throughout As mentioned in previous posts, I found some "Gran Tourismo" stickers on AliExpress and also added a random Black Inc decal on the headtube that I had lying around from a wheelset to make the bike look less empty. Bonus Fact: the exact same build of the Ostro would have been 93g lighter on the GT. September 23, 2025, 05:04:05 AM |
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Re: Lightcarbon: LCR018-D (endurance all-road)
As this thread gets longer and longer there are many questions that come over and over again. I made a AI-summary based on the full content. Hope that is helpful. If you consider it spammy, than I will also delete it, but it's hard to navigate 34 pages already, and also hard to link back to the answers  Pros
Cons
Key Specs
FAQs Q: What is the delivery time for the LCR018-D? A: 52 cm available from August 2025, 54/56 cm from September, 58 cm from October–December 2025. Custom paint adds 2–4 weeks. Shipping to Europe/US takes 2–3 weeks. References: #80770, #82579, #84147, #89735, #94428 Q: What is the maximum tire clearance? A: Officially 38C, but some users report fitting 40 mm tires (e.g., Wolfpack Gravel Superspeed) with tight clearance. Actual fit depends on rim width and tire brand. References: #86577, #88166, #90644, #93865, #93972 Q: Is the frame UDH compatible? A: Yes, it uses a "mini UDH" hanger that is lighter but functionally identical to standard UDH. Standard UDH hangers can also be installed. References: #86137, #89638, #93324, #94270 Q: What is the maximum chainring size for 1x setups? A: SRAM up to 54T (45 mm chainline). Shimano up to 42T. Larger chainrings require chainline adjustments. References: #87210, #88339, #88440, #89637 Q: Does the frame have internal storage? A: Yes, an optional downtube storage compartment is available, free for early orders (includes storage bag). References: #80788, #84475, #84625, #84664 Q: What bottom bracket standard does it use? A: T47 (85.5 mm shell width), compatible with Shimano 24 mm, SRAM DUB, and other cranksets with adapters. References: #90220, #93826, #93845, #93934 Q: What handlebar options are available? A: Integrated HBR17 handlebar with stem lengths from 80–130 mm and widths from 360–420 mm. Rise is 8 mm, reach is short for a modern fit. References: #84621, #86835, #91712, #93808 Q: Is custom paint available? A: Yes, custom paint jobs start around $120 for simple designs and go up to $200+ for complex schemes (e.g., Eurobike demo). Decals cost extra. References: #82643, #90228, #91263, #94467 Q: What is the frame weight? A: Approximately 1000 g for size 52 (without storage door), fork ~430 g, handlebar ~300 g (380×80 mm). Total frameset around 2.1 kg. References: #92694, #93422, #93480, #94746 Q: How does the geometry compare to other bikes? A: Similar to Enve Fray, Cervelo Caledonia, Canyon Endurace, and BMC Roadmachine — endurance-focused with higher stack and moderate reach. References: #80878, #84320, #86818, #89513 October 21, 2025, 04:23:15 AM |
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Re: LTK266-D-SL, race frame, 680g, <800g w/paint & metal parts (M), fits 35mm+ tires
First-time poster. This is my second bike from Long Teng, the first being the LTK 268 (Thank you @Serge_K for the recommendation). The LTK 266 handles noticeably differently from the 268. The bike went together fairly easily, I only had to drill the hole for the front derailleur cable, as it was too small.Yeah! Congrats on the awesome build, man! Could you take a photo of the drive side, using your phone's 2x...5x lens, landscape orientation, from waist level not head height, just a basic bikeporn-photo-rules. It'll be great for the first post gallery if @Sakizashi doesn't mind adding! ——— I also found a few builds photos while researching the Chinese internet:      
November 03, 2025, 03:27:56 AM |
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Re: Aero clip‑on extensions on integrated bars – options?
Cant really answer question 1 and 2. But I have found 2 more alternatives: - Canyon GEAR GROOVE Aero Extension for the integrated Cockpit that comes with the Canyon Aeroad - SPCycle HB-068 Aero Cockpit: https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005008918843226.html - BALUGOE Handlebar: https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005009153890903.html I have also thought about using such a handlebar on my next bike, since I plan on participating more triathlons. But have no decision yet November 06, 2025, 01:24:29 AM |
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Re: Aero clip‑on extensions on integrated bars – options?
I would be careful with "universal" solutions. Would they fit your bars and if so, are your bars designed to take that kind of stress? I have an old set of Syntace clip ons that are designed for round bars, and even with Al handlebars I found a set with specific language that the manufacturer allowed for clip-on aero bars to be installed. Could I have gotten away with any old handlebars? Maybe, maybe not. I'm looking to build a bike for light touring and I consider aero bars a must. I'm a bit of a weight weenie, but the extra weight is 100% worth it. I've also been debating if I should just go for round handlebars so I can use my old Syntace clip ons or if I should get something like the SP-Cycle cockpit. Right now I'm leaning towards round bars since the bike I'm using would be set up with aero bars 90% of the time. If I only had one bike and wanted to switch back and forth, I would probably lean more towards the SP-Cycle solution. I will definitely be following this thread, though. I'm interested to see if there's something out there that I've been missing. November 06, 2025, 09:34:00 AM |
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Re: Lightcarbon: LCR018-D (endurance all-road)
Finished the build tonight at long last. What a beautiful bike - the raw carbon gloss finish really is amazing and I’m so glad I went for it. Bike was so easy to build. A quick 5 minute test confirmed the bike is solid as a rock and as comfortable as you would ever hope for - the geometry is superb. To be able to climb straight onto a bike and feel instantly comfortable and at home says it all. Ultegra 8170 is absolutely ridiculous. Silent to the point where I wasn’t even sure I changed gear and so fast across the range. Weighed in around 7.35kg with pedals which is right on target. Hope to get an hour out on it tomorrow so hopefully will be able to report back after that, but initial impressions are really, really positive.   
November 11, 2025, 05:50:15 PM |
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Re: Lightcarbon: LCR018-D (endurance all-road)
Finally it's here, Banana for scale: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nT3KeXnNwRXrJr938 Just few first impressions:
Overall I'm surprised by the quality of the frame, the paint job was a bit difficult due to the two/three layers of paint for the crystal blue effect and the edge to the white parts. By sides the few edges mentioned above the paint job looks great, no "bad" edges from blue to white on the whole frame/fork. Will take few pictures from the inside with my 3€-HD-endoscopy-cam the next days. And i have to figure out how to remove the red color on my tires... November 12, 2025, 04:59:36 AM |
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Re: XM Carbon Speed - "Gran Tourismo" Frameset
Would be really good to have more concrete/quantitative information on this. On the xmcs homepage they state which carbon fibres they use: t800 for GT, t700 for the others (except for the gravel, don't find it instantly)... The other thing is (pure speculation on my part here!!): open mold vs designing your own thing... Is bet that the gravel comes from an open mold, while the GT is completely individually designed... If you share your mold with nanny others you can produce higher numbers and therefore cost per piece for design etc should go down... Probably there is also other economy of scales factors involved... If I think about when I've heard about the race frame for the first time and how long it's been I bet this is an individual design... I know that the GT was an individual design and that there have been some tweaks to it since my very first GT (the Seatpost topic!) I'm afraid that's the way many high quality brands are going... If you've got people there who are passionate about what they are doing and want to offer high quality, the continuous increase in quality will affect prices... Hambini called xmcs "the next winspace" and many around here already said they were scared that this would mean an increase in prices... As for the GT I can say: if the price/quality ratio stays the same I'm happy (since all of the prototype problems were sorted out and I should have a new Seatpost by tomorrow)... But I guess there's just different demands and offerings... November 13, 2025, 02:37:51 PM |
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