Quote from: Motty89 on October 27, 2026, 08:25:53 AMFrame arrived this morning after being sent on 18th. Love the paint job, looks even better in the flesh. Very impressed with quality of frame with headset bearings fitting well  no paint overspray that I can see and the inside of the frame/baes/swatpost that i can see looks very smooth.

Thank you for your kind words about Light Cycling. I'd still like to apologize for the rather long delivery time. The previous paint process did have some durability issues in use. We have since upgraded our paint workshop and introduced many new finishes and creative designs, so you're fortunate. The finish looks this good because the new paintwork is done in the same workshop used by top-tier brands.
I look forward to seeing photos of your complete bike and hearing about your riding experience.

Program announcement for this thread — and an invitation.

I'm opening a Founding Rider Program on three of our gravel frames. The idea: get them into the hands of people who will actually write about them. Since this community is basically the home of honest Chinese-carbon build threads, you guys get the first call.

How it works (no marketing speak, this is the actual mechanism):

1. You order the frame at the standard price on the site. Payment locks your slot.
2. Within 90 days of delivery you post a build thread here on Chinertown — unboxing, at least a couple of build updates, and a first-ride report, with 10+ real photos. Plus one post on any social channel you use (400+ words or a 1-min video, that's the bar).
3. Once I've checked the content, you send me a PayPal payment request and I refund the difference within 7 days. Your effective price ends up at $549.

Why the refund model instead of a straight discount? Simple: the budget goes to riders who actually deliver content. Nobody owes anybody anything.

The frames in this round:

• GF06 Pace — standard race gravel. 980g frame (XS), 700×47C, magnetic downtube storage, T47 + UDH, 27.2 post. The unusual bit: it clears a 52/36T road crankset, verified on an actual frame — most gravel frames stop at GRX rings. Standard $649 → effective $549. 10 slots.
  https://light-cycling.com/shop/gravel-bike-frame/lightcycling-pace-gf06/

• GF08 Quest — long-distance adventure gravel, compact and quick-handling. 1025g (Light, M raw), 700×57C / 29×2.25, two builds (with or without storage). Standard $608 → effective $549. 5 slots.
  https://light-cycling.com/shop/gravel-bike-frame/lightcycling-quest-gf08/

• GF09 Quest — aero-tube endurance gravel. 1050g (M raw), integrated storage box, 700×57C. Standard $659 → effective $549. 5 slots.
  https://light-cycling.com/shop/gravel-bike-frame/lightcycling-quest-gf09/

The fine print, all of it, no surprises:
- 20 slots total, one frame per person, slots lock on payment order only
- Content stays up 12 months; you own it, I just get repost rights with credit
- Criticism is genuinely welcome — fit/finish issues, geometry quirks, whatever you find. That's the point of doing this here and not on Instagram. Vague rants with nothing useful in them don't count as content though
- New Chinertown accounts are fine — just post properly
- Frames are made to order, so sizing gets sorted with me before you pay
- Shipping is included; EU/DPD includes duty. UPS-only regions add $50, remote areas another $50

Full terms: https://light-cycling.com/founding-rider-program/

Apply via WhatsApp (+86 180 2696 3351) or [email protected] with your height/inseam, the frame+size you want, your Chinertown handle, and your social links.

Happy to answer questions here — about the frames or the program. And if you spot something in the geometry charts that looks off, say it. That's happened before and it made the product pages better.

— Daniel