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Messages - CJ

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FM316 in action this past Saturday


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Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: February 17, 2026, 10:28:54 PM »
Heads up, the FM326 was updated with a new fork w/ the same 420mm A-C and 50/55mm offset measurements

Updates:
  • Max 29*2.25mm/700*57mm tire
  • Flip-chip design
BTW finished 8th (80 starters) at a recent race on the FM316. Yes, it's still fast. I missed the early break.
https://www.bikesignup.com/Race/Results/Simple/178269#resultSetId-625976;perpage:100
(Note: one of the racers ahead of me cut the course by 5 miles by accident, technically DNF)








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Just got mine. Anyone feel like the BB is very flexy under power?

Hey Alex, is the flex visible just pressing on the BB while standing still?  If so, possible you can take video?

4
First real ride yesterday on a 3h winter ride

I found to be very fast and silent, like riding on a magic carpet. I was very happy :) However feeling is not reactive, and frame has lateral flex specially on the front end. But so far I did not notice this negatively when cornering, could be positive? (like motogp bikes)
So no good for sprints but very good for maintaining high speeds with low effort.
Big part of this I assume is because of the wheels, I have the new Schwalbe G one pros in 50mm mounted on 30mm inner width rims and 45mm profile

Definitively not 50mm clearance on the rear, and you can suffer with mud. The wheel will roll, but the mud will build on the chainstay and will come to the chainring and transmission.

Finally after washing the bike I found water on the storage box, I think I will make a drill and possibly removing one of the walls to make box bigger

Edit: I’m 183cm tall and seat height is 79cm, and frame size L with 80mm stem is perfect

Appreciate the feedback! Do you have a caliper to measure actual tire width?  Mine measure 50mm (47mm spec) and appear to have plenty of clearance. That said... I haven't run it in mud yet.

Not sure about your area but here gravel races *RARELY* come down to a sprint...and if they did, everyone's legs are blown and it's basically total power, fatigue resistance, and timing that determines outcome, not frame stiffness. A softer ride means less fatigue, which helps you stay fresh especially in the finale. I didn't realize how jarringly stiff my previous frame was until until I rode the FM316.

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Thinking about one of these. Do people have head on shots of the frame? How is this in terms of aero? I do like the geo

Sorry, no head-on shots at the moment but here's an anecdotal account re: it's aero qualities... taken with a pinch of salt for it's lack of scientific rigor.

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Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: December 10, 2025, 05:05:11 PM »
Are you still happy with your 316? I'm in dialog with Jack, but with I'm getting a bit second thoughts.

I'm totally in love with this frame
✅ Has the progressive geo I'm looking for
✅ Aesthetically pleasing (see Reddit comments)
✅ Rides like a compliant road bike
✅ Abundant tire clearance (although I'd like to test in peanut butter mud)
✅ Excellent fit and finish, especially the paint
✅ Distinctive look, I get compliments/questions from fellow riders
✅ Yes open mold...but they did it right, offer flip chip, and QC has been good IMO (yes things happen)
✅ No logos or branding (this *was* important to me at the time of purchase but now I trust this company enough to sport their logo)
✅ Cost-effective... I won't fret if something catastrophic happens, there's no need to spend thousands on a frame these days, IMO
✅ Mondince has been nothing short of superb in their communication/support

And moving over from non-UDH, it was a no brainer. I look forward to each ride and really looking forward to the 2026 racing season.  But everyone has their own "Why..."

My issue w/ the storage cover is a minor hiccup in comparison

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Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: December 10, 2025, 01:50:30 PM »
**WORD OF CAUTION RE: INTERNAL STORAGE COVER**

My internal storage cover (+cage and bottle) came off during a gravel race this past weekend.  The locking lever kept moving to the open position regardless of how tight I pressed it in the locked position.

Root cause (with input from Mondince):
Rattle-induced opening of the latch caused by the lever coming in contact w/ the bottom of the bottle cage:


Solution:
1) Move the cage up


2) Add an o-ring at external base of lever to add friction (it's a tad loose by default IMO)


3) Add threadlock to lever assembly bolt

Mondince said they shortened the length of the lever. Hope this helps someone!

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Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: December 06, 2025, 06:39:37 PM »
Mondince has a new fork coming out, available mid-January 2026
  • 420mm A-C
  • 50/55mm flip chip
  • Max 700*57mm/29*2.25'' tire



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Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: December 06, 2025, 12:58:02 PM »
I couldn't reach it with my fingers but improvised and created this tool. Some sandpaper glued to the tip of a thin screwdriver. This allowed me to get to the problematic spot and remove enough glue that the wedge now fits. Problem solved.

Love the ingenuity! Glad you're able to get past it and hopefully they'll flag for future QC protocol.

10
Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: December 06, 2025, 12:06:53 PM »
They said it's not a resin but a glue and asked me to try to remove it with a knife...

Or perhaps sand it down? Let us know how it goes

11
Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: November 30, 2025, 11:47:51 PM »

I suppose your friend is 195cm rather than 175. That's a nice looking bike and the first XL ive seen. I ordered XL myself from spcycle shop on ali, the price was too tempting. I'm going to swap out my current velobuild aero grav some time during the winter.

Sorry yes 195cm 🤦 …corrected

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Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: November 30, 2025, 02:04:27 PM »
Finally got back after a couple weeks in Tucson, AZ. Here's my friend's XL FM316.  He's 195cm/6'5" tall


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Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: November 14, 2025, 11:59:26 PM »
Great photos CJ!
Any further thoughts? Curious how you're finding that steep seat tube - I'm finding that quite an attractive proposition :-)

Not squirrely at all, granted sample size of one event with little technicality. I’m 50/50 on doing a race on 12/7 which would offer more technical sections but I think I have a good impression already.

14
Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: SPCycle G026 Gravel frameset
« on: November 14, 2025, 11:48:23 PM »
Same open mold as Mondince FM316/326 but lacks the flip chip in the fork

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Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Re: Mondince new 2026 Aero Gravel
« on: November 14, 2025, 09:35:31 AM »
Some pics of the FM316 in action this past Saturday






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