Flyxii FE-02 Build

[00Garza]

The gravel curiosity finally got the best of me and I pulled the trigger on a Flyxii FE-02 on Jan 15th. Purchased through Ali and after discounts and coupons came out to $483 shipped. I'll update this post as I purchase all the parts to keep a tab on my budget (which I've already blown apart  ).

Edit: build list updated

$483- Flyxii FE-02 matte black
$386- Ltwoo GR9 1x11 hydro group
$12- Toseek ultralight stem
$25- Toseek carbon seatpost
$43- ZNIINO flared carbon bars
$315- DT Swiss G 1800 Spline 25 (merlincycles)
$4- 3k gloss carbon spacers
$18- 3k gloss carbon bottle cages
$27- carbon saddle
$20- YBN 11sp chain
$90- Senicx 1x crankset 44t chainring
$35- Sunshine 11/46 cassette
$20- Shimano RT10 rotors (pair)
$10- longer expander plug (better safe than sorry)
$36- WTB Riddlers 45c
$8- carbon stem cap
$45- Shimano PD-M520 Pedals
$18- Marquee bar tape

[Kk5551]

Looking forward to following your build!  Thank you for posting this one.

[coffeebreak]

Good luck with the build! Post photos. The frameset did not include handlebar or you chose not to?

[00Garza]

Good luck with the build! Post photos. The frameset did not include handlebar or you chose not to?

Thanks! Its going to be a slow process. Just realized frame probably won't be here til end of February or so. I'll use this time to figure out what drivetrain I want to use. Leading toward GRX or Sram Apex 1x. If the Ltwoo hydro stuff gets a price drop I might still entertain that option, but at its current price point its just not worth the risk/hassle.

This is an older model frame with standard cable routing, so no proprietary handlebar/stem/headset. That's really the main reason I chose this frame.

[coffeebreak]

Thanks! Its going to be a slow process. Just realized frame probably won't be here til end of February or so. I'll use this time to figure out what drivetrain I want to use. Leading toward GRX or Sram Apex 1x. If the Ltwoo hydro stuff gets a price drop I might still entertain that option, but at its current price point its just not worth the risk/hassle.

This is an older model frame with standard cable routing, so no proprietary handlebar/stem/headset. That's really the main reason I chose this frame.

Good decision to go with simple cable routing. ICR on my VB frame was a nightmare. I shudder at the thought when I have to change cables/upgrade to hydraulic. I spent about 2 months building my bike too lol it was a good time though. Messed up few parts, ordered them again and spent a LONG time just for the parts to arrive - bad planning on my part.

If you do go LTwoo way, definitely keep us posted. I am like you, that price is putting me off. And if I buy and don't like it, I doubt anyone will touch that group on FB marketplace or OfferUp either.

[mirphak]

I like mine

[00Garza]

I like mine

That’s almost the exact build I had originally dreamed up. I planned on 2x11 though. Budget constraints made me go cheaper on wheels to hopefully splurge on drivetrain. Waiting for either a big Shimano sale to go GRX, or ltwoo to drop prices on their hydro group before pulling the trigger.

[00Garza]

Parts are starting to arrive in the mail, so its feeling real now! Frame should be here in a week or so.

I need help deciding on groupset. I rode Campagnolo Chorus on my road bike and currently ride Shimano xt on my mtb. Will I be miserable riding Sensah or Ltwoo on my gravel rig, or is it good enough? If I wait a bit, I should be able to splurge on some shimano grx or Sram apex.

[jonathanf2]

Parts are starting to arrive in the mail, so its feeling real now! Frame should be here in a week or so.

I need help deciding on groupset. I rode Campagnolo Chorus on my road bike and currently ride Shimano xt on my mtb. Will I be miserable riding Sensah or Ltwoo on my gravel rig, or is it good enough? If I wait a bit, I should be able to splurge on some shimano grx or Sram apex.

At the very least I'd at least get a Shimano GRX 810/812 RD and/or FD if you plan on running 2x. People forget that Sensah has their 11 speed Team Pro Shimano compatible shifters and LTwoo uses the Shimano pull ratio. You can even run 105/Ultegra hydraulic or mechanical shifters with GRX. I'm really loving my GRX 812 RD's flexibility; the ability to fine tune clutch tension and the overall durability. You can run a Garbaruk or a Wolftooth Road/Goatlink to utilize bigger cassettes.

[mirphak]

If mixing is a goal, I actually would do the opposite. Use shimano levers with RD from ltwoo. Why? Because the 52t casette support is native. I have the grx812 with a garbaruk cage and I am not that impressed with it to be honest... . And shimano clutches are a bit crappy, at least the XTR I have in my 29er sucks BIG time.

Goat link moves the upper pulley away from the small sprocket. If shimano native already struggles with a 10t, I cannot imagine how bad would it work with a goat link...

Shimano levers are nice though. I have the 810 and they are pretty solid. Ltwoo too though.

Same story with sram+sensah. I never unserstood why people chose sram derailleur with sensah shifters. That removes the hydraulic option. I would rather do the opposite: sram shifters with hydraulic brakes and a sensah srx derailleur for a massive 52t native capacity

[00Garza]

Solid reasoning for both sides of that argument.

I've heard mixed results with the ltwoo rear mech's performance, but the added range is a plus. Still have time to think about it fortunately.

[brushwood69]

Which Ltwoo Rear mech are people considering? I've got a full 105 hydro set to transfer but wanted a bigger rear cassette (11-40) what should I consider?

[jonathanf2]

One of the main reasons I prefer current Shimano RDs is due to the shadow derailleur design. It shifts the position of the derailleur mount slighter in-board protecting it from damage and mis-alignment. All it takes is one perfectly angled drive-side bike drop to mess up hanger alignment with non-shadow derailleurs. Gravel riding is even more susceptible to bike drops/falling due to rougher terrain riding. Also I found by increasing the lower pulley size to 13t on the stock cage, it allows you to bring the derailleur cage closer to the small cog when using a Goatlink to improve shifting. It doesn't shift as quickly as a 105/Ultegra RD on a small ratio cassette, but if you need to go with a big cassette, your priority is having access to ultra low gearing. So far I found this to be a solid compromise.

Also one more thing to mention, the GRX clutch tension can easily be adjusted using a wrench. I lowered my GRX 812 tension allowing me to shift smoothly while still keeping the clutch engaged. If tension is too tight, it makes it harder to shift unless you only plan to use the clutch on the lowest gear and need maximum cage arm stability.

[TidyDinosaur]

Which Ltwoo Rear mech are people considering? I've got a full 105 hydro set to transfer but wanted a bigger rear cassette (11-40) what should I consider?

Just stay with shimano. You can get a GRX 812 rear derailleur.

[00Garza]

Frame arrived today! Box was a little banged up but frame is in perfect condition. Frame, fork, axles, headset, spare hanger, seatpost clamp were all well packaged.

Toseek stem and seatpost came in a few days ago as well. Slight dimple on the stem faceplate. I’ll keep an eye on it after the build, but I don’t think it’s a big deal.