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Re: Velobuild VB-R-218 Hellooo fellow triathletes!

I wouldn't have thought that my sketchy TT setup actually does draw attention, but this is a forum of people riding sketchy frames from (partly) unknown sources, so theres that.

Let me share my journey for you guys, I can also share the 3d print files as .stl or solidworks-file if anyone wants them. Short disclaimer regarding 3d printing: Please, for the love of god, only use 3d printed parts on bikes if you absolutely know what you are doing. 3d printed parts are not rigid enough  to be used in any tensile stress - especially because the layer lines can break apart easily. If you pay close attention to the 3d printed parts that I use, you'll see that all of them are used in compression only.

- After lots of resarch I did not find any dogma fitting aero connectors, so I purchased the giant propel aero connectors (GTIN: 4713250834511). Hoping they would somehow fit. They did not fit, and clamping them down like this would have definitely damaged the handlebars (see first picture).
- I have then 3d printed banana-shaped adapters from a soft-ish rubber material (TPU, for those who are familiar with 3d printing materials), to adapt the giant-shape to the handlebar of the VB218. This has worked out okay-ish (see 2nd + 3rd picture) but the armpads were too wide apart and too far forward.
- In the first ride on my hometrainer, I have noticed, that these rubber bananas create side-to side flexibility.
- I have then had a local shop cnc mill an aluminium plate (see 4th picture) to solve two things: a) side to side flexibility and b) give me more options of placement, especially fore/aft, and distance between the armpads. This has worked execptionally well, as it gives enough variability in position, but also is super stable without clamping down too hard on the handlebars.

What I also did to improve the TT fit on this bike:
- get an ISM PN1.0 saddle (move wayy forward)
- get a 0° setback seatpost

Still on my list to do:
- get a between the arms bottle
- print a rear box, similar to what the guys at 4-frames do. First protoype is done already (see 5th picture)
- ride more
- get a TT frame (project for next winter  ;) )

I've been contemplating getting these to try on 218 bars.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806076922208.html
Hi JonMS, these might actually fit - but I suppose you'll also need some kind of rubber adapters.


May 13, 2024, 02:29:23 PM
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Re: Spcycle R065 700C Full Carbon AERO Road Disc Brake Frameset Ordered a frameset with handlebar, size M in a darkblue metallic paint which I'm eagerly awaiting delivery on.

Will build it up with Elite Wheels Drive 50mm, Dura Ace 12sp and Favero Assiomas Duo. Fingers crossed it will come in around 7.6-7.8 kg with pedals, bottle cages and garmin mount.

Was contemplating going deeper on the wheels just for the aeeeeeeero look :) but settled on the 50mm as I have on most of my bikes. Live in a windy area with rolling terrain but no major climbs in terms of length.


May 18, 2024, 04:14:50 AM
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Re: Hygge Aero Carbon Frame It's been a while since I received the frame but was only able to build the bike 3 weeks ago since I was waiting for the Ultegra DI2 upgrade kit to become available as I did not want to buy a complete groupset and end up with a BB and crankset that I will not use (crank length 172.5- I use 170 and PF BB). Wheelset is Elitewheels 65mm.

The build was super easy as am experienced building and servicing bikes and every part fits easily and how it's supposed to be.

To address the main issues discussed in this forum, seat post slipping and headset play, I have to say that I did not experience any seatpost slipping, which is mainly due to upgraded seatpost clamp with horizontal striations that lock the grippy part of the seatpost very well, and the mandatory use of carbon paste. As for the headset play, I did some mods to the C-ring. These consist of applying aluminium tape on top of the C-ring to increase the thickness by 0.3 mm (the same can be done with microspacer but I did not have any, so tape it is) and also 3 layers on the inside where the C-ring interfaces the steerer tube. I think that the C-ring needs to be 8,2mm total thickness (stock is 7,9) to avoid headset cover rubbing on the frame. If I did not add the tape, it would have rubbed after torquing down the top cap to 2.5-3 Nm. Another thig is to use carbon assembly paste on stem/steerer interface. After the initial ride the play returned but I did not torque enough initially (only finger tight to take up the slack, which is not enough obviously). Another thing that I done is also applied thread locker to the nut part of the stem bolts since there was none there and the bolts were rattling themselves loose (torqued to 6Nm only to become finger tight) after only one ride. After the mods of the C ring and top cap tightening and thread locker to the stem nuts there is no more play after 500 km with deliberate riding over cracked roads.

The supplied garmin mount acts as a leaf spring vibrating the hell out of everything attached to it. So far it has costed me a GPS unit (IGP sport, perfectly fine) which vibrated to disintegration, and yesterday my light had shorted out due to the vibrations. Use aluminium mount which may be sturdier than this thing.

The ride feel, as mentioned by other riders is subjective, but compared to my Cube Agree GTC Pro is waaaayyyy better and the bike is stiffer, a lot more responsive, rails corners, fits me a lot better and added 2-3 kmh to my average speeds instantly. Cruising at 45 km/h on the flats seems effortless or at least a lot easier to maintain. Thanks to @TidyDinosaur for advising me on sizing - this thing fits me like a glove (175.5cm 82 cm inseam and went with size S) with full stack of spacers to begin with but as I become more familiar with the bike I will remove 1cm of stack.

Total cost of this project 2500 eur. Can't beat that with what you get for this price compared to western brands.

P.S. for some reason I am unable to post with attached picture. I was only able to add this post as a quick reply. Any ideas of what might be the issue?

June 17, 2024, 03:52:06 AM
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Re: Ltwoo R9 Shifters I noticed the same problem with my shifter. It would not hold the most outward position and would just drop to the trim position. The problem in my case was caused by the high limit screw being a bit too tight. It would allow the shifter to "click" but it was in a kind of "in-between" position and would drop to trim. I loosened the screw 1/4 of a turn and now everything is fine now
June 18, 2024, 02:28:18 AM
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-218 Hey all! First post here.

I wanted to know if anyone who bought their 218 from VeloBuild had any issues with the integrated bars cracking? I bought my frame in October of 2023 and built it up over the winter/spring. I have < 500 miles on the bike and today on a casual 45 mile ride I noticed that the left side of the bar was wobbly. Upon getting home and taking the tape off it was indeed cracked and basically about to break off.

I intend to get a hold of Chris to start the warranty process but I'm a little irked that the frame had a severe crack like this with so little mileage. For reference I'm in Chicago so I ride flat everywhere.

Has anyone used any good alternatives to the integrated bars?

Thanks!
Dave


August 04, 2024, 07:03:35 PM
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Re: Spcycle R065 700C Full Carbon AERO Road Disc Brake Frameset I finally finished my built and I'm quite pleased.
Bought the frame via AliExpress, as a promotion made it a bit cheaper than buying on SP-Cycles website. Turned out to be 650 USD or 590 EUR including handlebar, chameleon paint job and shipping without additional fees. Shipping only took 15 days to Germany. I ordered too early and was on vacation, so that I asked SP Cycle to delay the shipping as long as possible.

Unfortunately, a couple of spacers and one screw to fix the derailleur hanger were missing. Those were send immediately, after a short notice via AliExpress messages. I also had a couple of questions about the built, which where always answered within one day. So I'd really recommend buying via AliExpress. Communication has been flawless

The paint job looks awesome and is close to perfect. I only had one imperfection near the seatpost, but you have to know where to look and use a magnifier to find it. The clear coating seems to be sufficient, too. The blue and purple chameleon paint seems to be forgiving some minor scratches as well, so absolutely recommend it. I was also thinking about getting a silver chameleon, like many of you got on your Velobuilds, which I was offered on demand. Additional cost and pictures of the blue and purple changed my mind, though.

My build features a SRAM Force D2 groupset, which I bought incrementally via eBay, on sale and of private offers. That way, I ended up with 2600 EUR for the complete bike (excluding Favero Assioma). It's 8,0 kg overall including pedals, bottle cages and wahoo mount as well. Pretty satisfied with the weight at size L of the frame. In terms of the mount for Wahoo or Garmin, there only seems to be one option for the handlebar. I tried something else but failed. If anyone is interested, SP Cycle will point out the right part as well.

My fork weighs 430g, handlebar 410g. Unfortunately, I didn't weigh the frame itself, since I was a bit impatient. It's 1685g including seatpost & thru axles.

The inside of the frame didn't look bad at all and I didn't have any sharp edges near the bottom bracket, seatpost hole or headtube. T47 thread.was perfect for me as a novice to building a bike. Used a Ztto bottom bracket as there isn't much of a choice with DUBs 29mm at 86mm.

There are holes for Di2 cables at front and read derailleur, which are useless for me. Whole frame looks well planned. Of course I bought the frame, because it looks a lot like Canyon Aeroad, which I really like. I have no idea, what the two hole near the bottom bracket are used for, though.

No problems with the seatpost. No slipping, no sounds of the frame. Only problem I experienced on the built was the use of a Deda headset expander. I couldn't fit the Deda into the forks tube since it's just one milimeter too narrow, so that I had to stick with the expander, which was delivered with the frame. Used the ahead cap of the Deda at least.

As far as I can tell it's only thumbs up from my perspective. Have to add that it's my first carbon frame, so I am not rating stiffness, since I don't have much of a comparison. Really like the feel overall, though.

August 31, 2024, 05:44:29 PM
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Re: Lightcarbon: New LCR017-D (or Yishun R1058-D) Hey all!

Thanks to the tips of the internet's favorite 5 year-old, mr Hambini and this thread i've pulled the trigger this summer on the LCR017 (super light frame option) in size M with 400/90 handlebar option. I've been searching for a 2nd bike to complement my Cervelo S5 and replace the alloy BMC Teammachine i have built up, this came up as a very cost effective and what i believe to be a super high quality option.
I've opted for pearl white colour (as i'm quite sick of everything being black and matte) despite its weight penalty, and had to test my low creative abilities to come up with a logo and the name. Then it got to me - one of the most favorite things is to try and beat PB on a local hill here in Leuven, Belgium - called Chartreuzenberg, so the font and logo of the strong French spirit was chosen.

I've only managed to have a super quick look and i really liked what i saw! The whole thing was 895$ shipped and with all import duties.
The communication with Cassie of ProX was super smooth, quick and professional! I believe it would top any of the known brands' customer service easily. The bike arrived roughly 40 days after payment and i got a couple of shots as it was being produced. Customer experience 10/10
With the package came an awesome bike computer mount with a gopro/light attachment below saving the need to spend another 50 euros on it.
Bottom bracket T47/DUB looks to be very good - came at a cost of 10$ - so, no brainer until i get a Hambini one. 2 derailleur hangers, headset, spacers, all is in. Splendid!
Paint and finish is really very good. It does have one small blemish on one of the letters, probably happened during packing (it was well mummified in foam and put in a very sturdy box), and the overall finish around the masked areas is not jawdropping amazing, but i've seen so much shit from brand-names that i can just be super happy with the comparatively super-cheap frameset (Reminder that even a Winspace SLC3.0 now costs over 2000$ without handlebars or seatpost..., and i truly doubt it's more than twice the bike).
Carbon layup looks to be very good, on the headset there is a bit of an uneven finish, but that's below the bearing cone area, so i don't expect any issues at all.

Assembly should start sometime next week, and really can't wait to give it a go!
It will be put together from the parts i have collected over a period of time:
- SRAM Red chainset and rotors
- Rival shifters, derailleurs and brake calipers
- Fizik Antares R1 carbon saddle
- Hunt 50 Aero wheels (currently with Cinturato Velo 28mm bulletproof tyres as winter weather commuter)
Hope it will fit around 7kg mark and prove to be a bargain of the century :D
















Will keep you posted
Cheers
Luka

September 12, 2024, 05:37:40 AM
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Re: Replica Factor Ostro VAM Fwiw, i had a really, really bad experience with First-Class Carbon Fiber Store, the store that made that pretty white factor.
Over the years, i've dealt with a lot of chinese sellers. This one is sketchy AF.
I was considering buying an unbranded frame (to then add my Tractor logo on top myself with vinyl) because I was curious to get a product with such a high finish, and to compare it to my LT268 that costs a fraction of the price, so i started asking questions.
I asked a lot of questions to which i already knew the answer to, and nothing made sense. The guy spent a lot of time shitting on the whole industry, with only him being reputable and knowing what he's doing. He pushed back on every technical question i asked with something along the lines of "trust me bro".
Basically all his answers were red flags.

My 5 cents: stay the F away. I wish i could block sellers / shops on AliX in order to never see their products again in my feed & search results. Would be a great feature to have.

September 13, 2024, 03:24:15 AM
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-218 Situation improved by shortening the rear brake cable guide.
Here is my built
Frame: Velobuild 218 XXL rim brake ,120/42 handlebar
Brakes Shimano Ultegra r8000
Shifters ,front & rear derailleur Shimano 105 r7000 11 speed
Crank set Shimano 105 r7200
Chain kmc
Cassette zitto Ultralight 11-34
Dtswiss 460 rim with Shimano 105 hub
The majority of components were recycled ,the scope of the build was keep the price lowest as possible
Final weight 8.6 kg for less than 1000€ (also considering the price of the stuff take from old projects)
If the bike ride as it looks I will change the wheels whit a carbon pair,maybe elite edge or boty or scribe (looking for inner rim wider then 20mm)

P.s. the handlebar tape will be changed with a black one


September 27, 2024, 07:48:08 AM
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Re: TanTan TT-X38 Build Here's my final review of this frameset after about one year of using it. I spread my riding across four different bikes, so I've done only somewhere north of 5.000 km on it. Still, that's plenty of riding to give a qualified verdict:

The geometry & fit:

It took me a long time to get comfortable on this bike and start to love it. Probably the longest ever. Part of that is down to the geo, I believe. In my particular case the seat tube angle and saddle position (plus finding a saddle I'm comfy with for this bike. The seat tube is steep - i mean really steep. That in combination with the chunky seatpost makes for a harsh ride - with 30mm tires, however, it's actually not that bad. But I need setback because I'm a big dude at 190cm with long limbs. Particularly my legs are long. And if you need setback, be aware that you'll quickly run out of room on this bike. I got my saddle all the way back and the clamp is also all the way back. And the saddle is still further forward than I got it on my VB-R218/Chinarello.

The geometry is not actually as aggressive as the looks might suggest - I found the bars to be too high for my liking even with a slammed cockpit. I needed to use the biggest frame size to get the desired reach and also, because I like the look of a slammed stem more than a tower of spacers. I do also think it makes for a stiffer interface all around to have the stem sitting more or less on top of the upper bearing and the expander reaching into the head tube. BUT the -10 stem wasn't low enough. So I ended up getting the Tan Tan bars and now I'm finally at the point where the fit is where I want it to be.

Long term durability

This bike has given me ZERO issues. I had a few hickups during the build which are more or less expected on super budget frames like this, but surprisingly little happened since then - no creaks, seatpost never slipped, BB is fine. The Thru Axles started creaking after hours of riding in heavy rain, but that's normal. I cleaned and greased them and all good.

The disc brakes were hard to get rub free initially but it worked. The front disc squeals no matter which pads I use - it might be the rotor or I might yet have to get it faced by a professional bike shop. But it's not super bad. Only real issue: The headset bearings are junk and you should probably not even bother using them. Because of the opening on the upper headset bearing's top cap, water gets in there when you wash the bike. The lower headset bearing had rust on it. It's still smooth but I reckon it's only a matter of time. And in fact on my Velobuild frame the lower headset bearing needed to be replaced in less than 6 months after riding in the rain. I think most of the headset bearings supplied with these budget frames are junk and at least the lower ones which are sujected to a lot more dirt, grime and water, should probably be best avoided.

The riding experience


So first of all, tire clearance is more than enough. My tires measure 31mm (Vittoria Corsa 28c on 25mm internal rims). Everything up to (actual measured) 34mm should be fine. The drive side chainstay will be the limiting factor.

I'm lacking comparison with other disc road bikes since this is the first disc bike I built (other than my gravel rig), but I'd say this probably rides as expected for a pure aero bike. It's devastatingly fast in a straight line - in fact the fastest bike I own. I score lots of PBs on descents which I put down to the aero attributes but also down to the brakes. I do brake harder and later with this bike, because I have the confidence to do so.
Steering is neutral, which is good for high speeds in a straight line while being tucked. Weight distribution is more front biased, which when climbing out of the saddle leads to the rear wheel skipping quicker than I'm used to. The BB is VERY stiff, which is good.

What struck me most is that because of the neutral handling, the bike doesn't actually feel as fast as it is. If you'd ask me to estimate my speed on this bike compared to my VB-R218, I'd reckon the 218 to be quicker. And yet it isn't - even if it's pretty close. The wheelbase is longer, fork trail slightly bigger and so it feels more muted. Therefore, it actually feels less exciting to ride at times. But once you appreciate the speed and the (for me) very comfy position, it's very enjoyable.

Conclusion


Looks are obviously a personal thing but I really like the color and the horizontal top tube combined with a -17 stem. It kind of looks classic, while the frame attributes are decidedly modern and aero.

IMO, this is not an allround bike. I have done very long rides on this bike (+220km / +130miles) and it's alright. I use it for everything, including gran fondos but I also race on it so I want to feel at home on it even on very long rides. But I'd argue that if you ride purely for enjoyment and if your main focus are epic and long days out with your mates and if you like comfort across all kinds of roads, there's probably more versatile options out there.

The one area where it definitely feels less inspiring is on very steep climbs. It's just not as nimble when dancing on the pedals. It's somewhere between my 218, which for some reason just really shines in those situations and my gravel bike, which feels a lot more sluggish, probably also because of the squishy big tires giving way when standing.

But it absolutely shines on descents. I mean it picks up speed super quick and it rails around bends, it behaves super predictive and I kind of feel I'd need a bigger gear than 52/11. I just spin out way quicker than I used to.

Buy this if you want to go fast and hard, if you race and if you enjoy a pretty uncompromising bike.

The biggest CON about this frameset might be the weight (if you care about that sort of thing). The frame is somewhere between 1100-1200g. The bike as pictured is just a touch below 8kg, including bottle cages, Garmin and front light mount and pedals. I think, that's already as light as it gets. I'm running a fairly light carbon crank, a monobloc steel cassette, a Super Record Hollow Pin chain, pretty light Xpedo pedals (I think around 270g) and 36g Ridenow TPU tubes. You could probably run an even lighter saddle, lighter tires and rotors. The wheels weigh 1450g so there's lighter options there as well. But this is never going to be a weight weenie bike. So while this is a great descender, it'd probably not be my first choice if I was living in the mountains. For the mostly flat terrain that I (have to) ride most of the time, it's perfect however.

Value for money


My main objective with this was to build the most price conscious equivalent of a modern aero bike that I could get. That included used parts bought on the German equivalent of Craigslist, for example the cranks and chainrings, the saddle, the brake calipers (which I used mainly cuz I don't like the look of the LTWOOs) and even the tires. It's a 580 USD frameset (incl shipping), sub 500 wheels, sub 500 mini-groupset, 250 for the powermeter + cranks, cassette, chain, rotors and finishing kit. Well, and I invested in another handlebar. The bike cost me somewhere between 2.000 and 2.500, which I think is remarkable value for money. The resale value is zero, that's just the way it is with direct 2 consumer china parts.

But I'm not afraid to race this bike and I thoroughly enjoy it.

October 03, 2024, 01:58:54 PM
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