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Messages - lidation

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1
Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Gravel Frame Wishlist
« on: August 24, 2026, 12:45:46 PM »
Thanks, my Stigmata does have storage but it's not a make or break feature for me. The 306 is the 1st gen Ari Shafer essentially right?

Yes, the geometry is a direct clone to the first gen Ari Shafer.  But the FM306 was using T47 bottom bracket and used flipchip on the fork so you have two options of trail setup.

2
Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Gravel Frame Wishlist
« on: August 24, 2026, 12:24:30 PM »
Mondince FM306 is close to what you are looking for. 68.9-deg head angle, 50mm tire clearance, 27.2mm round seat post so you can put dropper posts on. 1100g frame weight.  the only downside is it doesn't have in-frame storage. But neither does Stagmata.

3
Wow Wow Wow! Mondince keeps releasing new frames!!!!!!! This FM376 has the 27.2mm rounded seat post, which the FM366 missed. Very tempting.....

4
I am just curious, why dropper post is not one of the top features of most gravel bikes?  Dropper post is a MUST on mountain bikes. And I find it very useful on gravel bikes. Most of the fire roads I ride have many long sections of 15 - 25% grades, many of which are rutted after the winter storms (we get rains only in winters here in California). Going down those steep rutted gravel roads without a dropper post is very sketchy.  But I find that most gravel bikes design choose to use D-shape seat post, eliminating the possibility of dropper posts.

5
This Mondince FM366 checked all the boxes for me, except for the seatpost. I need to put a dropper post.

6
Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Wheeltop EDS GeX
« on: June 25, 2026, 02:47:09 AM »
L-Twoo and Shimano are not truely wireless and you need to put the battery in the seat tube. Doesn't work if you want to put a dropper post. Also, the extra wiring is just messy.

7
Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Wheeltop EDS GeX
« on: June 24, 2026, 12:29:28 PM »
I have been using the Wheeltop GeX groupset for one year (~ 1800 miles) and I found it probably more reliable than the Shimano/SRAM combo.  The most important difference is that the Wheeltop does not have a crash protection mode. When the bike is dropped or derailleur is hit, wheeltop does not trigger any sort of protection mode.  If it damages the motor gears so be it. and even a partly damaged motor gears is better than a motor not working at all.   but Shimano/SRAM will trigger protection mode.  I ride with several groups almost every weekend and I am seeing peoples Shimano/SRAM getting into protection mode almost on a monthly basis. And most of the time, nobody knows how to recover it on the spot so it ends their rides.

8
I just think that the 105% rule is just marketing BS for average amateurs who don't race.  Look at our bodies, even the fittest person have a much larger cross-section than the wheel/tire. Plus, with any hills, the climb speed won't matter in terms of aerodynamics.  On the downhill, gravity is helping so aero is playing a secondary factor anyway.

9
I just compared the Crux 5 to my 2012 Specialized Crux, not much change in geometry, just a few mm longer reach and a few mm lower stack.  They put in the Tarmac aeroshapes but when you are on dirt trails, MOST people are not doing 30MPH so the aero doesn't really matter. The 55mm tire clearance is the single biggest change.  But actually I don't see why people would put 2.2" mountain bike tires on. When you need this wide tires, go ride a mountain bike already.

10
Component Deals & Selection / Re: ZTTO 12s Ultralight cassette
« on: June 02, 2026, 03:42:42 PM »
Hey everyone,

I'm looking at this ZTTO Cassette https://it.aliexpress.com/item/1005008761317651.html and was wondering if it's compatible with my setup.

I run a SRAM Rival eTap AXS 2x12.

Also, does anyone have real-world experience with these ZTTO ultralight cassettes regarding shifting quality and durability compared to the original SRAM ones?

I have two of these.  they are not compatible with AXS which uses Flattop chains. They are designed for "regular" chains like SRAM Eagle, KMC X12 etc.
It kinda works with flattop chains but it's loud.  I am using SRAM Eagle 12 speed chain on mine and it has been working fine for the last year. ~ 1000 miles first as a gravel bike on dirt and now serving as a road bike.

the shifting is fine but sometimes it will take a bit longer to shift. definitely not as smooth as the SRAM cassettes. but it works for me.
Still a bit noisy in 2 cogs (the 4th and 5th). It drove me a bit crazy for a while and I tried all sorts of things without success. Now I just try to avoid those two cogs as much as I could. lol.  In the other cogs it's pretty quiet. I think it's probably due to their manufacturing consistency.

11
29er / Re: Looking for a carbon 142x12 hardtail with >450 mm reach
« on: May 21, 2026, 12:01:29 AM »
Tideace FM-M009 could be another option. And BXT-MTB-015 comes with 12x142 rear spacing as well. AFAIK there are hardly any other non boost hardtail frames on the market anymore.

I had an almost identical frame like the FM-M009 but from SP-cycle 10 years ago. The frame served as its 3rd build: first as a hardtail, then as a rigid mountain bike, now as a dropbar gravel.  totaling about 2500 miles without any issues.   Only complaint is that the top top is too wide and my leg rub against it sometimes.

12
I two wheeltop 1x systems. One is their GeX to run on my road bike as a 1x setup.  used for 1800 miles.   the other is a OX 2.0 mountain rear derailleur, used for about 1000 miles.  Both worked perfectly without issues. I tried the race option but it drained the battery too fast without much gain. So I am using the regular setting.

What they impressed me the most are the cost and the battery life.  battery last a few hundred miles so I only charge them once every few months. Never got stranded. 

Another big selling point is that they can work with any cassettes 7 speeds to 14 speeds so it is a big plus for me cause I have many bike parts lying around. I just rigged up a "gravel bike" using an old mountain bike frame and 11 speed cassette to use with the OX 2.0. Neither Shimano nor SRAM could do this.

13
29er / Re: Looking for a carbon 142x12 hardtail with >450 mm reach
« on: May 18, 2026, 11:53:36 AM »
there are adapter kits that can fit 142x12 wheels to 148x12 frames

14
29er / Re: LCM 914 Hardtail Bikepacking Rig
« on: May 03, 2026, 11:50:03 PM »
My Spcycle M-05 29er hardtail has has a very similar history as your bike.  It has become my bikepacking workhorse over the past 2+ years.

Nice that's a Zniino H-bar?

15
I asked about the SPCycle G026 in this forum a couple of months ago. The feedback was that it was the same as Mondince F316 since it's an open mould.

I haven't bought yet, still looking.  but I owned two SP-cycle frames with several thousand miles on them. No issues so far other than all of their brake caliper screw mating surface get paint overspray. It's minor and you can just sand it down.

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