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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
so i received my frame today okay here's my review so far : The color is bad ( its not even resembling even an inch from what i request ) i request laser blue metallic and come blue pastel  i'm disappointed , and going to paint it later after a few rides except from the paint the frame is good I have XS size Frame with hanger come in 1101 gram (quite heavy paint around 100gr) Here is my frame and will build it with other handlebar , i do find the bar is flexy and i don't like it Should i sell it or keep it ? My Build may weight around 7,4 - 7,7 Kg August 16, 2021, 09:35:40 AM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Juin Tech F1's arrived build list : 54 VBR-168 Frame with Painted Dark Metallic Blue 50mm VeloBuild Wheels 25 Conti GP5000 with Transparent sidewalls Full 105 Groupo with Juin Tech F1 Calipers Some random saddle I had sitting in a draw Previous bike was a Triban RC500. Riding this 168 is so damn quick March 11, 2022, 12:27:42 AM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Hi all, Had my first ride on my VB-R-168 today and absolutely LOVE it. The build went together really well, with the only issue being that I needed to file around 2mm of material off the inside of the front derailleur stop so the cable and ferrule could sit in correctly when routing under the bottom bracket. I did experience difficulty in routing the cables through the bars but it's my first time building a bike so it was to be expected. In general I would say the overall quality of the bike is great, especially when considering how much the frame is! For context, I'm coming off a Triban RC520, a full aluminium, relaxed geo, 9kg beginners road bike, and up until today was the only road bike I had ridden. Compared to the RC520, the 168 is much stiffer, accelerates faster, transfers power better and holds speed very well once you get going, however it also seems very comfortable and compliant with no issues on the cobbles I rode today. My 35km ride today was a local loop I know very well and I managed to get a number of Strava PR's (smashing some of my previous times). I haven't ridden/trained for the last 6 weeks so fitness wasn't great and there were some hellish headwinds, which shows just how fast the bike is. Without a power meter I can only go off avg. speed, and based on todays ride I think I've gained between 4 to 5km/h with the 168 which is more than I expected if I'm honest - I was averaging 32km/h on my ride and it felt pretty straightforward to maintain 37km/h, when pushing I was hitting between 44 to 52km/h which I could get nowhere near on my RC520 - all of this was on flat roads so no benefit from going downhill  it's a VERY fast bike.I got the frame with the HB011 bar, when static and you test the bar for flex there is a small amount which I was a bit disappointed with, however when you're actually on the bike and sprinting in the drops I couldn't feel any flex at all, which was a very pleasant surprise. Aside from the frame, the other Chiner components I have are the Juin Tech GT's which are great, much better than my previous TRP HY/RDs, and the SROAD SLR2 cassette which shifts very well and is super light! Overall, super happy and would highly recommend the frame! A full parts list and weight per part for my build is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JRhus6SxSn-_OqfEiuNH-_bxQrsS67ouus0gICANTKk/edit#gid=704196738 I'll put some better pictures of the bike up when I have time. If you have any questions on the build, fire away! Olie March 14, 2022, 03:15:39 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Hello and good morning! Also new to the forum, there is some great info around this thread, i haven't been able to collect and read every page yet, but you stumble upon some good stuff. I think once i got confirmation, i'll compile it down to a google sheet for everyone to consume. In order to prepare the build i collected the torque specs for all the bolts from Chris:
I would also like to get the specs from the axle, but he only mentioned that they will be on the axle itself. has anyone found a link for this on the Robert Through Axle project or elsewhere? I will probably buy another one. He also said that the SL7 headset compression ring + Di2 seatpost battery holder should work. For the Bearings i got these specs so far, will post an update once i got it all confirmed:
August 04, 2022, 02:44:55 AM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Also as promised, i collected all the specs and products from reading every page that i thought matter to collect here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NpMFVEhRhZikKWWa3ZGyseyyIX_4spwQJXQ4DVVXCTA/edit#gid=0 It includes torque specs, bearing specs, alternative headsets + stems, SL7 parts, bolt specs, geometry table and links for the loctite that i used August 10, 2022, 03:44:59 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Just received a size 52 frame in matte black with the separate bar and stem. https://imgur.com/a/F90D6Bd Shipped 8 days after the order was placed and shipping took 7 days to Pennsylvania. Overall, I'm impressed for the price. Frame with derailleur hanger is 1020 grams - about 100g more than what I would expect a genuine Tarmac frame and 200g more than the S-Works. Not bad. The rest of the components come in at very respectable weights. The bar and stem are quite a bit lighter than the Tarmac system and I could save 100g with a lightweight seatpost from Aliexpress. The frame and fork are clean from what I can see other than some imperfections in the paint work that I wouldn't expect to get through QC for a name brand frame. BB looks good and it remains to be seen whether the brake mounts will need faced. I plan to build up with Ultegra hydro mechanical disc and HED 60/90 wheels from another bike. I was planning on using an FSA ACR headset and stem, but the ACR headset leaves a noticeable gap with the top of the headtube and adds more stack than I would like, so I may modify the included headset cap to fit flush with the ACR stem, which should accommodate full internal routing and look clean. The included stem is actually a bit lighter, but I prefer the look of the FSA. TBD. Instead of the included 40cm bars, which look OK but are too wide for my fit, I will be using "The One" handlebar in 36cm. Its pretty shamelessly "inspired" by the Enve SES handlebars, which I have on hand for another planned build. Without having ridden either one yet, the build quality and finish looks comparable to the Enve and is a bit lighter. Neither feel like they will noticeably flex under load. October 26, 2022, 06:00:30 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Finished build (parts bin / new mix): https://imgur.com/a/DBR12Pr Size 52 frame matte black Stock 120mm stem Stock headset cover The One handlebar 36cm Ultegra 8020 shifters Jagwire cables and housing 105 hydraulic calipers Dura ace crankset Ultegra left side crank pm Look carbon pedals Token threaded BB Rotor 53/39 chainrings with Rotor bolt covers Dura ace fd Ultegra rd Pro Stealth saddle DT Swiss Arc 1100 62mm wheels GP5000 S TR tires 25mm MT800 / Ultegra rotors 160/140 Zipp CX bar tape Generic stem bolt Garmin mount from Amazon First impressions after 3 rides (155 miles) It is strange to review a frame like this. Its a you-get-what-you-get direct-from-an-unknown-manufacturer frameset that costs so little relative to even entry level name brand frames that intuition dictates it should be, in the best case scenario, "acceptable", more likely some degree of "sketchy, problematic and/or vaguely frightening to ride"; unlikely that it would be "good". On the other hand, this is an SL7 in its tube shapes and geometry - the benchmark for a great all-round race bike - with a better bottom bracket (imo), more flexible headset out of the box, and 100-200 grams of extra weight (vs. standard and S-Works, respectively). How should we assess the things we generally assume occur with name brand frames (like QC and strict conformance to the claimed carbon fiber layup) that might (?) be commercially infeasible at this price point? I have ridden thousands of miles on a Tarmac SL6 sport frame (which was cannibalized for this build) and a Canyon Aeroad CFR. Building up and riding this frame leads me to consider what the frame itself really contributes to the entire bicycle. Geometry and the resulting fit is the most important contribution. Second is aerodynamics of the frame and tube shapes. Third is frame material / layup (i.e., desired level of stiffness or compliance in the right areas for the intended uses of the bicycle). Last is weight. Ride feel, feedback, and comfort are dictated mostly by the contact points, with only a marginal contribution from the frame. Tire width, pressure, and casing suppleness alone dwarf any differences in "compliance" between any reasonably stiff frames. In the most important characteristics - geometry and aerodynamics - this bike effectively is an SL7. All the superlatives about handling and speed apply. If you are looking for an all-around race bike, this will fill that need. The weight difference is quantifiable - materially heavier, though within the margin of difference made by a lighter seatpost, saddle and other finishing kit. Frame layup and construction is harder to assess without cutting open the frame. From a visual inspection, it looks clean. From my initial ride impressions, the bottom bracket is stiffer than my SL6 - power transfer feels immediate, comparable to the Aeroad. The fork does not flex when climbing or sprinting. The stock stem combined with The One handlebar feels extremely stiff, but still has the vibration damping I would expect from a carbon bar and stem. Against my expectations, the bike feels exceptionally good. Whether that means that my specific frame has a good layup, or the carbon layup for this copy is comparable to the SL7, or it means that the layup, so long as its solidly made and not defective, doesn't have much noticeable impact, I don't know. Maybe there is some hidden defect that will emerge in the form of a crack or failure after a few thousand miles, but I'm not sure what that would be. And I'm skeptical there is necessarily a higher chance of happening with this frame versus a name brand. My Aeroad spent three months at a Canyon service center to fix two separate design flaws, one of which (the seatpost) wasn't really corrected. I love this bike. This experience leaves me conflicted. Does this mean that an S-Works Tarmac frame would be that much better? What this does leave me wanting is a Velobuild Premier version of this frame: pay double for an 800g version of the frame with an extra QC cert for peace of mind. I would feel better throwing DA di2 on that and doing a sub 7kg build. The benefits of the S-Works without the dentist meme branding or the anxiety of laying down a $5.5k frame in an office park crit. Maybe I'm just describing winspace, yoeleo, et al. I will reiterate - maybe I got lucky, and the median frame is missing parts, has holes drilled off center and is full of voids in the carbon. Maybe carbon frame manufacturing has so matured that the default level of quality is high enough that the differences between frames are almost entirely geometry and branding, with the result that the carbon frame is the new carbon wheel. YMMV. Build experience Internal routing: more work with mechanical shifting but doable without any special tools. Just takes time and patience. Routing through The One handlebar was painless, I highly recommend it from that standpoint. I was concerned with the cable angles through the stem, but the shifting is smooth. The clean look is satisfying and worth the extra effort. It seems popular around here to do mechanical disc brakes, but I wouldn't put brake cables through this stem. Headset: it works. I read some reviews on this forum that suggested problems with headset play, but I have none at all. Maybe this has since been fixed. I purchased an FSA ACR headset assuming I would use that instead, but it left a large gap with the top of the headtube, and I ended up liking the look of the stock stem and the lower stack of the stock headset cover more anyway. Bottom bracket shell: nicely finished, no problems fitting the thread together bb. Stiff and smooth spinning, but will need a few thousand miles to assess for creaking, etc. Disc brake mounts: did not appear to need facing, no more annoying to align rotors than any other frame (i.e., very annoying but works with some fiddling). November 06, 2022, 08:50:16 PM |
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Re: Speeder SC-R52D
7,15kg nice! I tried to measure with cheap luggage analog scale, but was between 7.5kg /7.9kg... so not that accurate scale  Will try to borrow a good digital scale soon. But probably closer to 7.9 I guess.. (incl cages and pedals ofcourse  I took some quick pictures in the sun! Tried to get the effect of the carbon... The carbon + sun really nice effect!  February 08, 2023, 06:37:54 AM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Here’s mine. Was able to put 100k on it before the weather got cold again. (this was seconds before I noticed my saddle slipped backwards lol). Brakes took a shake down ride to bed in and then re-adjust to stop rubbing but the facing seems fine. 55mm elite wheels ent sram force + rival crank pirrelli pzero race 26mm tubeless velobuild integrated bar/stem February 18, 2023, 07:51:50 AM |
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