Quote from: Tobi on October 06, 2026, 06:25:06 AM
Hi everyone,

Thanks for the feedback. I have the aluminum stem. I took it for its first ride yesterday, and it's really good. I also already own the Velobuild Aerotrace 368 and am very happy with the bikes. The extensions are a bit wide; I'd probably swap them for narrower ones. But for the price, it's all solid and straightforward. I'm from Germany, and the frame cost me around 1,000 euros.

I am 194 cm tall and have an inseam of 93 cm. It fits very well

Yooooo.  Fellow raw carbon, 1by 82mm elite wheels.  Brothers from another mother 🙂

Here's my build of the gravel frame. Took longer and cost more to build due to the headset play - fix below! - and a good few mistakes I made along the way. My first build so lots of learning on the job

I transferd the groupset from a Boardman road bike and got the kids/wife to doodle on it with some acrylic paint markers so looks a little different...

Headset play was a right pain in the hole - I'd thought it was fixed but it loosened on first ride so all taken apart again. Then new brake lines needed as I'd no slack in the cables left.  I ditched the expansion plug that came supplied - If your going to build this frame I would suggest spending some extra money on a better compression ring and expansion plug. Supplied parts just didn't workout for me. 

Build:
Rival D1 AXS with single side power meter
Force E1 10-36 cassette
Ultrabite 45mm rear & 50mm front
Wheels - Alexrim aluminium (19mm internal. Tires as measuring 43mm and 48mm)
Hope headset bearings (supplied probably fine but I couldn't take any more hassle so just replaced everything headset related)
Ali express for Saddle/BB/discs/bar tape/TPU tubes/computer mount)

Heat set play fix:
FSA Compressor headset for 1-1/8" carbon fork steerer
&
Deda Elementi Alanera RS Spare Part, Headset Compression Ring, Black, 45°x45° (For DCR Headset)
I used the supplied header spacers and headset cover

The deda headset compressing ring will need sanded down by around 4mm off the top. **important** - you want around 1-1.5mm gap from the headset cover to the frame when checking fit before installing the compression plug. 
Once you tighten everything up this gap will close up for a perfect fit.  It's tight as a duck arse now and no play.  It was a 10 minute install with the higher quality parts.

I did email Chris about headset play and got a reply about adding a shim.  I knew what I was getting into from reading reviews on the frame and others so hey ho.  It is what it is.

Overall the paint quality on my frame was brilliant.  I couldn't find a single flaw.  The bolt holes/bottom bracket/headset all needed a light sanding to get smooth.  There was a little overspray in the groove for the headset bearing so check for that.

For anyone interested in the doodleing. Light sanding to give it a key and the clear coat used was Spray Max 2k - this stuff is amazing if your ever looking lacquer. 

Tyre clearance is fine - the rear (measuring 43mm) is pretty close to the AXS battery so I'm not sure a 50mm would fit.  Expect you could move the front derailleur out a few mm by not sure. 

Bike rides well, taken it down some small drops and rough rocky paths. It's sturdy and responsive.  Ultrabite tyres give decent grip too

Thank you to everyone who posted thier builds. Really helped me a lot.