Quote from: planet_sammy on July 03, 2025, 07:48:17 AM
Quick question so I don't have to leaf through all 95 pages... are the chameleon colors sealed with 2k clearcoat or just 1k?

all colors are coated with 2K clear coat or glossy or matt, they are transparent paints that resist UV. colored paints including chameleon are not resistant to anything and must be protected. even the very cheap Chinese paints are. it is similar to the process of cars if not the same

I'm asking because I want a durable, high-quality finish, and from what I've read, 2K clear coat seems to be the better option.
It offers much better protection, shine, and longevity compared to 1K.
I also understand that a clear coat is always needed over any base color – whether it's solid, metallic, or pearl – to seal and protect the paint.

Quote from: planet_sammy on July 03, 2025, 08:58:33 AM
I'm asking because I want a durable, high-quality finish, and from what I've read, 2K clear coat seems to be the better option.
It offers much better protection, shine, and longevity compared to 1K.
I also understand that a clear coat is always needed over any base color – whether it's solid, metallic, or pearl – to seal and protect the paint.

At the end of the day, it's going to get scratched—unless you're planning to apply PPF (paint protection film). No offence, but it's a budget frame, not a museum piece 😄

If you're really particular about the finish, you can always order the frame in bare carbon and do the paint and clear coat yourself. But honestly—how shiny do you want the bike to be?

My gloss UD frame is already shiny enough for me!

Also, just to add: for a $600 USD frame, it's very unlikely the manufacturer is using a proper 2K automotive-grade clear coat. Even big brands like Specialized don't always use 2K unless it's on a high-end custom or pro-level finish. Most production frames use UV-cured or 1K-style finishes—they're quicker and cheaper to apply at scale.

Quote from: Sander2177 on July 03, 2025, 09:07:02 AM
At the end of the day, it's going to get scratched—unless you're planning to apply PPF (paint protection film). No offence, but it's a budget frame, not a museum piece 😄

If you're really particular about the finish, you can always order the frame in bare carbon and do the paint and clear coat yourself. But honestly—how shiny do you want the bike to be?

My gloss UD frame is already shiny enough for me!

Also, just to add: for a $600 USD frame, it's very unlikely the manufacturer is using a proper 2K automotive-grade clear coat. Even big brands like Specialized don't always use 2K unless it's on a high-end custom or pro-level finish. Most production frames use UV-cured or 1K-style finishes—they're quicker and cheaper to apply at scale.

Especially when it comes to decals, a 2K clear coat is the better choice. If you're not careful when peeling them off, the entire layer of paint can come off with the decals. Plus, the colors come through better, and the ,,wet-effect" becomes more pronounced. After all, why shouldn't a $600 frame also look high-quality?

Quote from: planet_sammy on July 03, 2025, 12:35:10 PM
Especially when it comes to decals, a 2K clear coat is the better choice. If you're not careful when peeling them off, the entire layer of paint can come off with the decals. Plus, the colors come through better, and the ,,wet-effect" becomes more pronounced. After all, why shouldn't a $600 frame also look high-quality?

I don't disagree but this is Tan Tan 😂
Will see when I peel my decals off!
Will use heat though

Me again, here I share you some impressions from my finished bike...

Very happy with the result despite the fact that I'm not quite happy about the finish of the paint job (insufficient clear coat on some spots). I may repaint it in some years.

Cheers and nice weekend!!!

Congrats. Looks great! need some drive side pics too

Wow that white paint really shows how different the layup is. The tubes going into the headtube, the downtube shape and also the junction between top tube and seatpost (that bump) look very different (less smooth) to my SL8. Also, the shape around the front thru axle is completely different (SL8 fork hugs the thru axle a LOT more).

Quote from: JustinFox on July 04, 2025, 05:14:26 PM
Wow that white paint really shows how different the layup is. The tubes going into the headtube, the downtube shape and also the junction between top tube and seatpost (that bump) look very different (less smooth) to my SL8. Also, the shape around the front thru axle is completely different (SL8 fork hugs the thru axle a LOT more).

It actually looks just like the bigger sizes. The proportions are way different and I agree it's nicer on a small size.

I actually think a lot of that is reflections in the photos. Although mine is a a much smaller size (49) the downtube isn't flattened (round like an actual) and there's no "bumps" at the tube junctions.

We all know by now that this frame has nothing to do with the original, and that's how it should stay. As you can see, there are no stickers visible. All in all it doesn't cost 15k, but under 2k and for that price i'm more than happy to have at least a frame that from the shape impressed me since day one. Who cares about the decals and minor differences to the original...

question, and apologies if has been answered before. Has anyone tried an OEM or Darimo seat post in the X68 frame?

Quote from: Cyclinglondon on July 08, 2025, 04:48:42 AM
question, and apologies if has been answered before. Has anyone tried an OEM or Darimo seat post in the X68 frame?

Can only speak for the Hylix SL8 seat post, that fits. So I'd assume the OEM and the Darimo would fit as well

Hey!

I've started building my bike now, only potential problem I've found so far is that the headset bottom bearing is sitting high on the crown race. I've seen some mentions of this, but did anyone solve this?

Maybe this is acceptable?

Quote from: Jeslun on July 08, 2025, 06:21:52 AM
Hey!

I've started building my bike now, only potential problem I've found so far is that the headset bottom bearing is sitting high on the crown race. I've seen some mentions of this, but did anyone solve this?

Maybe this is acceptable?

That's how its sits you need to install fully and finish everything off. There is a gap on my genuine and X68 are the same