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Re: VeloBuild VB-R-168 Sizing
Can't do much about telling which size will fit you, it's hard enough to fit myself and I'm still under the impression that I've never bought a bike that actually fits me properly  Good news is the geometry is the same as an SL7. Is there a Specialized dealer nearby? Maybe you can go and ask to try one for size then order the equivalent 168? Safe to say you'll be needing a 54 or 56 considering the bikes your have rented and your current one being too big. I think using Geometry Geeks and Bike Insights would be a good start, you can compare the geometry of the 54cm rentals to the 168 and find the closest match. There's a shop near me that does "bike finder fits" for $49...I definitely need to take advantage of this next time I'm purchasing a frame October 26, 2022, 12:59:58 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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Black Friday
Hey, I am about to build a China road bike for me and two gravel bikes, for my wife and my father. Probably I buy all frames from Velobuild (VBR168 and GF002). For the road bike I will buy a Shimano Ultegra Di2 complete group and for the gravel bikes it probably comes down to Sensah. The wheels should come from Elitewheels. Have there been good Black Friday deals from these manufacturers in the last years? What do you expect this year? If you think there will be good deals, I would hold off on ordering. A friend also said that there will be more discounts again on brand-bikes from the beginning of next year. What do you think? October 28, 2022, 05:47:03 AM |
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Re: VeloBuild VB-R-168 Sizing
My 5 cents. I'm 184 with long legs. My wingspan is 184. I would buy a 54. I've geeked out heavily on that (I dont have a specialized dealer near me). I have a supersix evo hi mod in 56: it's too big. I have a giant propel L: it's too big. I have a Cube peloton race 58: it's too big. Apparently, I never learnt. On all, I run short stems (80 or so, and would happily run even shorter). The 168 in 56 would be pretty much the same size as the supersix and the giant: too big. I do plan to run a c.100mm stem. Bear in mind the one piece cockpit VB sells flares forward, somehow, so i'd say it's even more advisable to buy smaller than bigger. Because i dont know how i'll fit exactly, i plan to buy the bar and stem combo, not the fully integrated thing. It's heavier, but gives me more options to dial in my fit. That's a huge thing I feel people forget with those fully integrated cockpits. Unless you know yourself really well, i don't think it's easy at all to size the frame & cockpit correctly. November 01, 2022, 04:35:34 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
any picture of that taping? You can see it here https://youtu.be/kV2tiHzWe6A?t=177 November 02, 2022, 04:23:05 AM |
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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: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
I’ve got about 250 miles on my vb-r 168 after some initial problems ( some my own) I’m pretty impressed compared to my tried and true pinarello f10 November 14, 2022, 03:07:30 AM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Hey Berzerko! Nice build Berzerko! My two cents on buliding up the 168 with Di2 (mix of old and new gen stuff, all 11sp). Everything went smooth for me except for the wire to the FD. The metal grommet that I got with the frame was too narrow for the head of the wire to come through, so I just drilled it out a bit and all was ok after. Note that if you take it out to drill, which you probably should, it can sometimes be tricky to mount it back to the frame with the screw it comes with. Was fine for me. Also, possible you get a different type of grommet that makes things easier. November 15, 2022, 10:29:13 AM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Hey Berzerko! Hey Berzerko! Thanks for the compliments This build was an experiment to see if I could build up a super bike on a budget factoring the frame as the wild card ( I’ve spent more on less) I received the frame about 2 weeks after ordering, metro N.Y.C and immediately sanded it down to raw carbon, mic’ed all the openings and inspected the interior. Primed and did the base coat/ clear coat and all the layout I sourced the group set on eBay, an almost new ultegra DI2 11 speed disc Ican aero 35 wheel set with dt 240 hubs, 3rd set of wheels from them 30 mm Vitoria tires Thread together bottom bracket Nex-gen battery holder for seat tube Super caz bar tape Complete build $2950 Bike went together relatively well, internal routing and disc brakes are a pain in the ass though! For comparison I’ve got almost 13k miles on my dogma f10, I set this bike up a little more aggressively than the f10 with a inch more drop in the bars, otherwise the geometry of the 2 are very similar with the VB having a bit more reach. So it’s difficult to compare comfort although it’s not uncomfortable just completing a 63 mile ride A nice surprise was the velobuild saddle I got compared to the ISM saddles I have on all my other bikes My initial impression Similar compliance, not harsh or jarring Not as stiff, up out of the saddle the f10 reacts and feels snappier November 16, 2022, 07:54:34 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 Which seatpost did you order? I can only find SL7 fitting ones, which does not the 168. Thanks December 01, 2022, 04:27:19 AM |
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