Same issue here, the big bolt always gets loose over time, left crank arm then travels outwards.
Luckily i always recognized it in time before anything separated
Tried to fix it several times, checked torque, cleaned everything, used thread locker, without any success.

Thought this might happen to me since i use it out of spec, - on a gravel bike with GRX setup. In Order to get the front derallieur working, maintain a functional chainline and keep everything symmetrical, i used 2mm spacers on each side of the BB, resulting in 4mm less "clamping surface" for the left crank arm.

After reading several reports here, it seems thats not what causes the issues.

Hope i can find some time to dig a bit deeper into this issue soon an will report here in case of any interesting findings...

Just got a pair of Stone 110R2 chainrings delivered. These are the absolute-black style rings that are milled out on the outboard side. Really nice rings imo. They look shiny and tumbled to me. Favorite feature is that the female threads for the chainring bolts are integrated into the inner ring, not sure why (it’s not like there’s a clear advantage, maybe weight savings?) but it feels extra premium and lightweight.

Good to hear, also awaiting them in 46-32T configuration. Will combine them with a Magene P505 PES base crank to replace a 46-30T GRX600 set on my Gravelbike.
Its the closest match i could find (lowest number of teeth) matching with the regular 110BCD pattern and i am already curious how it will work out. Will also have to deal with some spacers in order to get it working with the front deralliuer and come as close as possible to the original q-factor of the GRX. Lets see

Hi there ,

finished my build already some time ago and now found the time to wrap it up in a Summary after approx. 4000k and 60000m of elevation gain on my vbr-168.
I have remained loyal to my old Stevens road bike for many years and now wanted to build a technically up-to-date and decent looking but reasonably priced bike which accompanies me (climber by heart, sprinter by Body Mass Index) on my tours through the austrian alps.
Ordering Process was quite smooth, the Chrisses have been patient with me when i changed the paint mockup several times. After painting, it took two more weeks until they had everything together since they have been short on accessory parts back then.

Shipping to Austria took 12 days, shipped with XDB-DPD since austrian custom regulations are a nightmare and need to be avoided at all cost.
Frame in size 58 came in at surprinsingly low 1054 grams (including screws, without seatpost clamp, hangers and through axles)
I ordered the Frameset with seperate bar and stem (with two different stems for bike fitting options).
Unfortunately they sent both stems in the same size. Since i didn`t like the bulky and heavy stem and spacers, i only built it far enough for a proper bike fit and then changed it to a fully integrated cockpit purchased on alibaba.
This saved more than 100grams and greatly improved the look in my opinion.
Paint of frame and fork was exactly like defined and quality satisfying for me.

Final Configuration:

• vbr-168 in size 58
• OEM Version of "The One Pro" Handlebar, directly from Manufacturer via Alibaba in 440/100 including their garmin mount
• VB Saddle
• VB bottle cages
• Shimano Ultegra Di2 8100 Groupset with 11-30 Cassette and 50-34 Q-rings (refitted from my old 11sp bike since back in spring no brand offered ovals for Shimano 12sp  )
• DT Swiss ARC1100 db50 Wheelset
• Tubolito tubes and Conti GP5000s 28mm TDF edition (quite heavy but other than that perfect for me)
• Supacaz handlebar tape
• Favero Assioma PM Pedals

--> weights in at 7.8Kg including everything mentioned above.

I never built a bike before but would describe myself as quite passable in terms of craftsmanship.
Since i already knew about the Headset issues from reading here, i paid some attention to it and found a way which worked for me (even with the old C-ring and VB parts)
Details to be seen here:
http://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,3147.msg45858.html#msg45858

Some weeks later, VB announced the new C-ring design which most likely will solve the main problem but i still find it to be poorly designed.
Furthermore, i´ve been affected by the issue that the saddle had been somehow twisted. Other members experienced this issue too and we found out its caused by too much play between seat post and seat tube and a clamping mechanism that forces the seat post to twist to one side, - more to be seen here:
http://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,3147.msg45220.html#msg45220

The only additional thing i would like to highlight is that prior to the assembly it is a good idea to check all the contact surfaces for Headset bearings and especially those for the alumnium inlets /wheel mounting parts at the fork and rear wheel area. Found some excessice resin or coat there which i had to grind down in order to maintain a smooth and even contact.

Conclusion: I´ve been prepared to deal with some minor issues but the one with the seatpost was a surprise. Finally all problems could be solved with reasonable effort (also thanks to the hints in this Thread!) so i am O.K with it. Generally i am satisfied with the project and would buy the frame again.  Meanwhile i purchased and built some more frames (one VBR177, two gf002) which i will post somewhen later in the respective threads.

I don´t ride any crits but occassionally gran fondos / marathons and hillclimbs. So I wasn`t looking for an ultimately stiff crit racer, but it should feel reasonably stiff and safe, -no matter whether i throw in my 80 kg for a >1500W Sprint or if a fast descent on a rough pass road is on the agenda.
So far the bike meets this requirement perfectly in my opinion, I can not report anything negative in this regard.

ride on,
Bernd

My problem is that with this setup, my handlebars always pull right, rather strongly, so I plan to redo my setup, to figure out what's causing the handlebars to pull right.

Any tips on how to achieve proper balance?

hi there,

faced the same issue with my ultegra di2 12s. First thought its due to a "wrong" routing of one of the two cables or a short rear brake hose which caused the handlebar to move to one side like there would be a spring inside

After Ensuring its was none of the above mentioned causes it turned out was just about the natural bends and tension in the brake hoses.

I fixed it with try and error in the following way:   grab one cable after another with with pliers and the special jaws to grip the cable firmly without damaging it. Twist the cable 1-2 times around its own axis and see if anything has changed for the better or worse.  If necessary, change the direction or continue with the second cable. It works best when the handlebar is dismounted and the cables are coming out from the Stem because you can then better grasp the cables, but has also worked with mounted handlebars.

please report about your experience after trial.
Good luck.

I am about to buy this frame but the spacers and c ring  problem with the headset people have like Zdrenka89 and berndson is a bummer.  Seems like a hit or miss with this frame.

I am wondering if the vbr 177 had less problem ??

hi there, - together with the 168 frame i bought a 177 for a friend which we've just built last week. Bearings, c-ring, headset, everything in that area is identical between both mentioned frames. Anyway, that really simple fix with the vice worked for me and workes for my friend, so don't see this as a blocker! Despite that the only further "fix" was a small 0.25mm shim between C-Clip and dust cap since without it the gap seemed a little too narrow for me so i just used it. You will get such a shim in almost every local bike shop which does repairs.

Altough i wrote about several "issues" with the frames, i would buy it again!  I wanted to point out some weaknesses and fixes to help others, not to complain.  For me its still a great deal, its just fact that most people will need to do some small adjustments and fixes in order to build a bike without any functional drawbacks which makes them happy. 

I received, mounted and already tested the OEM Version.
So far i am happy with it, -its a bit more flexy as a comprable Canyon Cockpit but so far it does not bother me. (84kg and already did some 1200W+ sprints at the last drive,  - so definitely not a ligthweight rider)

The inside looks the same for my part, - at the entrance of the Cabling (where the cabling enters the Bar, coming from the Spacers/Headset) i saw a big carbon or resin flake which almost closed half of the inside, but even though cable routing was no problem.

The Bar ends did look better than what you´ve showed in the last picture. Almost even. Would be interesting  to know if this is just an issue which occurs at the very end of the bars or if the whole part is that inconsistent.

The advantage with the separated version is, that you are way more flexible regarding the Stem length / bar width options.
It comes with split spacers which is quite nice and the internal routing was O.K for me (note: I run it with a DI2, so I only had to deal with the routing of two cables). I routed fully internal, so stem and bar.

One of the cons is, that the whole system including the spacers (aluminum) is quite heavy.
My separated Stem/Bar set in 100/420mm including the C-clip, cap and spacers weighted in at 570grams in total.

Riding feel is good, even with my 84 kilos and sprints well above 1200watts seated as well as out of the saddle felt good, there is flex in the bars but not too much.

Good tip on the Fire Spider equivalent!

At the currnet price the only comparable bar I have been able to find, pricewise, in Western brands would be Wiggle's house brand bars. At their full listed price The One bars are a different price proprosition though.

i just bought the "RTB07" from Tupai Dongguan Sports on Alibaba (not ali express). Buying process was probably the best experience on the chinese market ever! Outstanding even though i made it a bit trickier than usual After chatting a bit with the companys representative, he confirmed to me that his company is the OEM of the One Pro handlebar and and the RTB07 is the identical unbranded version. I fully trust him!  Price is barely 100USD and they shipped within one day. I will get mine next week and report as soon as i could test it.

https://m.alibaba.com/product/1600457733782/T1000-Carbon-Bike-Handlebar-Fully-Internal.html?__sceneInfo=%7B%22cacheTime%22%3A%221800000%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22appDetailShare%22%7D&from=Android