I don't know if I would say the Exceed has an exceptional track record for quality. IMO, its pretty average to below average if you are comparing them to the high end brands. A lot of people had seat post slipping issues, though I think Factors also suffered from that and being made in the same factory as the RDC and all...might as well.

One thing is true though. There are high quality Chinese products out there. If you have ever tried to have something made there you can see line by line how cost adds up. That then runs straight into a buzz saw of geopolitical biases that cut both ways. A lot of people associate China with cheap mass produced goods, but there are plenty of high quality goods made in China too.

On the other side, I had a chuckle when Chinacycling went to Sea Otter and produced a video featuring wheels made by Boyd with the comment "cool to see cutting edge carbon manufacturing like they do in Xiamen" on a rim made using RTM, a process that they bought from Munich Composites...it's not that new and is only used by a handful of manufacturers in North America and Europe because its cheaper to scale with labor than with those machine heavy processes. Never heard of a wheel company in China using it.

That thread over on WW is a mess. I think its an interesting idea. Definitely an endurance bike except for the "R" sizes which are more inline with current race bikes.

What it seems to show is that Seka has produced a competitive bike with the latest gen of bikes. Is it any more or less competitive than the similar weight Elilee Blize? Not really by what is shown. Does Seka make a better bike? Maybe? They made a lot of noise about the RDC line using the same factory as Factor, but that's pretty meaningless. The price point is fun but not that convincing. I would like to see these brands do more. Elilee could do bundles with their cranks and i would like to see these brands make their own super light stems in addition to their bar.

Its cool there are now Chinese brands looking to compete internationally with their products and mix it up with the top names.

I think it’s a trade off. Silicone greases, wont attack the resin binder in bike frames (other greases wont either unless your bike is REALLY old as resins have evolved) but it’s only really going to help with assembly. Maybe it will marginally reduce the chance of damaging the frame on installation. It shouldn’t do much to the retention of the BB either.

For a straight up pressfit, grease or no grease, I would see what the BB maker recommends. If there isn’t one you can go either way. If it’s an alloy sleeve in carbon, I am probably using anti seize if noting is recommended. If it’s plastic. Eh. In a metal frame with a metal BB, always using the right anti seize. If there are gaps Loctite 641 or equivalent. 638 or equivalent is the last resort.

For a thread together, I would always grease the side that isnt pressed in because of how much movement it’s doing inside the shell, unless its metal on metal. Anti seize on the threads. Same deal with Loctite here.

For T47 or BSA, i am always using anti seize.

So I will admit to not having done research on pricing and missed that these are quite a bit cheaper on Aliexpress right now than they are on the Wheelsfar sales channel.

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/3256805757378173.html

At $820 + $121 for the 50mm deep wheels + you can use coupons and get cashback. Its a really interesting wheel for like $850 all in. My experience has told me that usually wheels like these that don't go through aero optimization are usually slower / less stable than wheels that have but also the testing data out there shows that profile and tire match to rim matters less as wheels get deeper. But even if the 50mm is "only comparable" to a 40/45mm wheel they are lighter and a lot cheaper than anything from Reserve or Enve. I am thinking of rolling the dice too.

The Rd270 combo works out to be over 100g lighter.

Has anyone used this combo and compared it to a tried and trusted dt240+sapim combo? How does it perform in comparison?

I dont think anyone has enough mileage rd270 combo to really know regarding reliability. The magic of the dt240 hubs is that they just keep running. I think the rd270 based wheels are about $1000?

I personally think they are a great option for a light weight build and bragging rights, but the old dt240 or the current 350 would be what I would get and in that price range spend a little more get some rims with actual aero credentials to make up any potential performance gap based on weight.

All my wheels run either the older 240 or the newer versions of the 350 and if / when the bearings go they will all get the 240 bearings but its a theoretical conversation because despite clocking over 20,000 gravel miles and seeing a pressure washer a couple times a month, my most used set still doesn't need anything more a hub regrease every 6 months.

You can find experiences with the rd270 over on weightweenies here https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=132&t=156164&start=2490

Hey Everyone,

2. The headset bearing (upper or lower) doesn't sit inside the head tube cup snug enough (laterally, front to back). Velobuild, for example, provides 52mm diameter headset bearings. Other headsets sold online or for other bike brands may only be 51.8mm diameter. That 0.2mm is the difference between a snug fit or loose headset. If your bearings are loose this will always cause play. You can add a couple layers of tape inside the bearing cup to prevent the bearing from moving around. Or just buy a new 52mm headset.

Hey, so this is as far as I know incorrect. 51.8mm bearings are 52mm bearing according to reps from Cane Creek, Deda and FSA. There are 51mm bearings out there that are a different size and you do want to avoid those. In the IS installation found on these frames, the bearings are all designed to make contact on the chamfered outer surface and so should self center with preload via contact to that surface not the along the OD of the bearing. Adding tape or any soft material to the bearing seat is probably not a good idea.

I would make sure the bearing seats are clear of paint and any excess resin prior to installation.

The bearing height difference is a key call out, and I would measure the bike prior to check fit against the specs that Deda or FSA provide for their headsets prior to ordering a replacement if you are planning on doing so.

I personally would replace the headset bearings to reduce potential maintenance down the road and would go with one of those other systems since the design of the C Ring is really important to ensuring safety.

@PLA mentioned that these systems need need a lot of preload and you might pull out your expander. FSA and Deda both suggest ~5nm of preload which means you do need to install the expander really well and may want to use an alternate stem cap to get everything tight and avoid breaking the pretty streamlined one.

Microspacers and shims can work and you can also cut Delrin ones from DUB spindle kits. One thing to keep in mind is that I have heard it mentioned in passing that use of those metal shims is discouraged as they tend to cut into the steerer really fast if you end up with headset play.

Edit: I should mention that the metal shims issue was mentioned by two different carbon repair experts, one in australia and one in the US in two different conversations. I didnt ask more as I dont use metal shims as I 3d print my parts so its not an issue for me.

EXS makes a carbon fork that's meant to hide the cables on the old TCR. I'm wondering if anybody makes a similar fork with a 1 1/8" steerer tube.

https://www.pandapodium.cc/product/exs-fk-01-integrated-fork/

Email EXS. They have shown a fork that appears to be what you are looking for integrating cables on a Tarmac SL6. It was captured by one of the more technical members of the Escape Collective community.