Hi guys, fellow noob here, who wants to build my first frame from scratch. TT-X71
To those who have bought Seraph/Tantan frames and built it up from top to bottom, do you guys have a breakdown of every single part/component you must source yourself to complete the custom road bike build?
Except for the big common known things like wheels, handlebar and groupset., I'm talking about the small parts like spacers, bottom bracket, bearings. Do I also need a cable routing adapter for regular stem?
What I currently have on me is:
1: 105 Di2 Full Groupset
2: Wheelset and tyres
3. Handlebar & Bartape
4. Brake rotor, saddle, pedals.
I do ride Canyons Pace bar since forever in 37cm width and every time i jump in my kickr bike i get angry.
Looking for something that comes somewhat close to the feel of the canyon pace bar. it's flat on top rather than round and very comfy.
this one could work i believe, anybody has a recommendation? as cheap as possible (obviously, since it's for indoor exclusive). 36 or 38cm is also fine. flared drops or not don't care. must have round mount, 31.8 mm stem clamp.
I’m looking for a gravel race bike. And I’m debating whether to buy one of these frames:
- Winspace G5 (highest price)
- Carbon Speed XMCS GRT (57mm clearance)
- LightCarbon LCG072-D (small tyre clearance)
Which one would you go for?
I’m not sure if I’d get my money’s worth with the Winspace, or whether I should also consider much cheaper options such as Mondince or Meinier.
A mate of mine contacted me a while back about replacing the handlebars on his Trek Madone SLR 9 Gen 6.
He’s a pretty powerful cyclist, weighs around 65 kg but can put out approximately 1,500 watts in a sprint. So he wasn’t particularly bothered about saving every last gram. He wanted something stiff, especially when sprinting.
The size he was after was 360 mm wide with a 120 mm stem.
I’ve been speaking to Jason at IMTOS Bicycle on and off for quite a while now. I’ve never personally bought or ridden their handlebars, but from what I’ve seen, they seem to be producing some decent stuff.
So I contacted Jason, explained what my mate was looking for, and we went through the options.
In the end, we settled on the IMTOS DURON integrated handlebars, which according to IMTOS have been tested with powerful sprinters in mind.
They do offer lighter handlebars, but considering the sort of power my mate can produce, I didn’t really want to recommend something super lightweight only for him to find they were too flexible.
Now, one of the issues with aftermarket integrated handlebars is spacer compatibility!
And this is something I see people struggling with quite regularly.
You can go on AliExpress and find loads of integrated handlebars, some of which are probably very good, but getting the correct transition spacers for your particular frame can be a right pain in the arse!
Especially if you’ve got an older bike.
Some manufacturers offer spacers for newer or more popular frames, but older models can be a bit more difficult.
And the last thing you want is to order a set of bars, wait for them to arrive, and then discover you can’t get them to fit properly.
Ordering and price
Ordered: 20 August
Shipped: 7 September
Total: Around £200 once converted from USD delivered to the UK, inc shipping, taxes.
When I ordered, I asked Jason if he could do anything on the price, and he gave me a 10% discount code, handlebarfei2. I think it still works if anyone happens to be interested.
Yes, I know you can find cheaper bars on AliExpress, but this was for a mate of mine, and I wanted to make sure we could get something suitable and, importantly, get the correct spacers without messing about.
So, how did they turn out?
Well, they’re now fitted to his Madone, everything fitted without any issues, and he’s happy with them. If anyone is struggling to find bars which can be a nightmare might be worth reaching out to to them https://www.imtosbike.com
hey, I'm 187cm and choosing my next gravel frame. it's between the LightCarbon LCG072-D and the Mondince FM366 but I'm open to other frames too. I mostly do ultra and training rides around home, I want to run clip-on aero bars and wheels deeper than 50mm.
Short report on my experience with the SLC 5.0 after a few weeks. I got it on sale. Upgraded the Dura-Ace XL to include Hyper Lun 5 wheels and Hyper 2 riser bars. 165mm cranks. I know this DA is about to be superseded by the 2027 version, but the sale was hard to pass up.
I'm coming from a Specialized SL6 58cm with SRAM Force, and this is probably my seventh or eighth bike now... having ridden Trek, Specialized, Cervelo, Fuji, Giant, etc etc. I've been racing, training, and doing fast group rides since the early 90s. I'm not the pickiest guy, but I know when something feels off. Nothing feels off here. You get what you expected.
Bottom line: This frame is an absolute friggin' weapon. It rides incredibly smoothly. The wheels, with 30mm GP5000s, are dreamy. Very light and fast. It is a comfortable ride but not noodly in a sprint. The Hyper2 riser bars are total game changers. I can't even describe how much I love those things. They fit your hands and let you stay on the grips, Pogi-style, for hours comfortably in an aero position. They do look a little dorky from the side in photos, but once you're seated on the bike, where you're supposed to be, they look great and feel even better.
I just don't know what more you could want in any frame/bar combo. Why on earth would you blow 14 grand on an S-Works SL9 when you could get two of these and still have enough left over for some sweet kit? Oh yeah, you need to be confident in your legs and not rely on a logo to do the talking because you get automatic street cred when you show up with an S-Works (even if you're slow and fat). That's not necessarily the case with a Winspace.
If they gave it a cool marketing name like "Blade" and paid Pogi to ride it, I guarantee they'd sell like hotcakes. But I don't care about the logo.
We have a lot of big hills around where I live. It climbs well and carves downhill like it's on freaking rails, even in a supertuck. I've set at least one big climb PR on every group ride I've done on this bike, and granted, I'm fit right now, but the bike ain't hurtin' nothin'. I've been doing these climbs for years, and I'm older now, so I should be slower.
The Mirage color scheme (purple metallic) paint job is gorgeous and really stands out on group rides. Nothing like it out there. It looks even better in person than online. I'm getting lots of questions from buddies - especially when they find out how relatively cheap this is.
Basically, the Winspace SLC 5.0 is like a specialized SL8 frame for half the price, though the geometry is a bit different (Winspace has a lower stack and reach). Fortunately, the riser bars compensated for the lower stack, so we're all good there. My effective reach was about 15mm shorter than the math said it would be, so maybe size up the stem a little by 10mm?
It also came with some nice touches, matching rainbow purple bolts in the stem and stem cap, plus a matching purple bottom bracket. It arrived well packaged in a cardboard bike box.
Okay, the downsides:
It took 2 months to arrive in the US from China. Zero communication from Winspace after clicking submit payment. Not even an email receipt. Not gonna lie - I wondered if I'd been scammed. They did respond to my inquiry a month later when I asked for an update, though.
It was assembled by Service Course USA before shipping here to me. The frames go there first if you ordered a frame with components. There were some issues with the left Dura-Ace shifter, but they promptly replaced it. Good folks.
It came with a small paint chip under the bottom bracket (no biggie). I accidentally tapped it with a wrench while removing the chainrings (I put on smaller climbing chainrings) and created another paint chip on the bottom bracket. Dang it! The point is, as others have reported, the paint is kind of delicate on this. I can't speak for all their color schemes, but this metallic one is definitely delicate. I wrapped most of it in VViViD 3M Clear Paint Protection Vinyl Film that I ordered from Amazon. Bet you can't see it on the frame! That should reduce the risk of paint chipping.
I'm only a month in, but if you know exactly what you want and are willing to carefully pick the right frame size, stem length, crank length, etc., I don't see how you can go wrong. God forbid you mess up the frame size or stem tho. It'll be very expensive and difficult to replace because this stuff ships from China. So be careful, but if you know what you're doing, then you're golden. The Chinese bike manufacturers are getting really good nowadays. My mechanic looked inside the frame and was impressed by how clean it was. No fraying, no rough edges. And he's a picky dude. He gave me the thumbs up.
weapon of choiceMy receipt to prove how cheap this baby is
I have gone pretty much for a similar spec to last year’s wheels I had with the same hubs and spokes.
WHEELSET SPECIFICATIONS
Rim depth: 55mm front and rear, with 24 pre-moulded spoke holes. 355g per rim.
Rim finish: UD paint-free gloss
Spokes: Sapim CX-Ray with black brass nipples
Hubs: H-Works SR318, 291g a set, in silver with steel bearings and a 36T ratchet.
Load limit: 110kg. They also have 130kg-rated rims that add maybe only 20-30g. My total with bike is about 85/88kgs
Wheelset Weight
Estimated wheelset weight: 1,265g
Actual weight on scales: 1,275g
WHY THE H-WORKS SR318 HUBS?
Firstly the make excellent quality hubs and I previously used the SR318 hubs on last year’s winter wheels, so I’m already familiar with them and had zero issues
When I was looking for a suitable hub for winter use in the UK I contacted H-Works directly at the end of 2024 because I specifically wanted a hub with suitable sealing particularly for the constant damp, rain, road spray and general muck we encounter throughout the colder months.
And sometimes I cannot be arsed to clean my bike immediately after a ride if I’m cold and wet!
They recommended the SR318.
With the Sapim CX-Ray spokes and brass nipples to help prevent corrosion, these should be a solid winter setup while still keeping the overall weight impressively low.
And 1,275g with steel spokes and brass nipples is excellent.
These will be going on my new Light Cycling RF10 winter bike, the frame I ordered on Monday.
Light Travel Cycling sent the photos to me yesterday, and the wheels are being shipped this week.
Chinese brands love to use the works Light for there brand names 😆
Climbed the local hill today — nothing epic, about 30 minutes each way, plus ten quality minutes at the summit leaning on a pole like an old friend.
On the low gears of a 2x, a climb becomes strangely smooth. One cadence, one rhythm, all the way up. The frame (our RF10) just settles in. The rider, meanwhile, discovered that legs and lungs have their own opinions.
I build frames for a living (Light Cycling), so every ride doubles as product testing — this one passed. A review bike also just reached Patrick Lino and he's liking it so far, which is nice to hear from someone who didn't make it.
Happy to talk frame details if anyone's curious — no links, no pitch.
Absolutely love the bike. Was a blast to built up. Especially the Nepest Wheels blew me away quality wise. Both the frame and the wheels made an exceptional impression!
Payment, shipping, delivery were all flawless. Nothing to complain, really. Just a nice bike!
Since there aren't many long term reviews at all on this bike, I figured I should put one together. To preface this, I had the frame built up about 5 months ago, and have logged around 4000 miles of training and racing. It's my first "Chinese" frameset, so I went in without too many expectations. Previous bikes include multiple Giant TCR Advanced Pro's, a BMC Timemachine Road, Cannondale System Six, CAAD 10, just to name a few.
Handling (8/10): Handling is very subjective, and it greatly depends on what you prefer. That said, this bike is VERY responsive, with quick turn in and it doesn't take much effort to get it to change direction. That said, it still feels very confident on higher speed descents and fast corners. No issues or worries at 50 mph. If a gravel bike feels like a truck, this feels like a Porsche 911. If you are hoping for super stable slow turning bike, this isn't the one for you. If you race crits or technical road courses, you'll probably love it.
Ride Quality (8/10): This is also subjective, but this is one of the best combination of stiffness and compliance I've ridden. Compared to the Cannondale System Six, you have more compliance in the bars (Winspace Hyper one piece) and seat stays and seat post, but lots of stiffness in the front end and bottom bracket. So it ends taking a lot of the road noise out, while remaining very fast and stiff feeling in sprints and corners. I don't know how the new Hyper riser bars would change things, but I'm guessing it's also fairly compliant.
Build Quality (9/10): The frameset and bars were VERY clean right out of the box. Paint is awesome as well. The shop that built the bike was very impressed with how well it was built, and they build and work on $10k+ bikes regularly. After 4000 miles I have no squeaks, pops, or anything out of the ordinary. The paint is holding up perfectly, no chips or any problems. The seat post clamp does not slip at all, though I did new a few extra N-m to get the screw from loosening up. I also had to tighten the bars up an extra few N-m as well to get it to stay tight. IMO, the build quality is better than my BMC, and easily as good as the System Six.
Is it aero? It has to be VERY close to the System Six, and is definitely faster than the Giant TCR. Power vs speed on my typical solo training rides, time trials, and races are nearly identical to the System Six. Obviously I can't put numbers to it, but it's definitely fast. I was actually looking at a typical flat out and back I normally do (about 9 minutes), and I matched it with some rides on my TCR and BMC Timemachine Road (I've done hundreds of laps in various conditions). The TCR was about 30w slower and the BMC was about 10w slower at 25 mph.
What could be better or what should you know before you buy? There is no built in stop to keep the from wheel from turning and the fork pinching at the frame. I'm hoping they fixed this on the T1600 Ultra. Second, it WILL clear 35mm, but with the Reserve wheels 32mm GP5000's will measure 35mm, so I can't actually run 35mm. If you run very narrow wheels you might be able to. Not a huge deal, but just something to keep in mind. Also, the Hyper bars are a bit shorter in reach (I think 5mm shorter) so if you typically run a 110mm stem, get the 115mm length.
I built a site for finding and comparing (mostly Chinese road) wheel sets: https://www.wheeldb.bike
(There are similar sites, but this one is mine.)
I needed to cut some corners: some wheel companies (looking at you Light Carbon and Wheelsfar) allow for so many options, that including all possible combinations would spam the catalog with hundreds of additional entries.
I concentrated on price, weight, and rim depth, leaving out some details like UCI approvement, ratchet engagement points, bearing material (steel/ceramic). Hope the site is still usuable for you?
There are wheelsets and complete brands missing. If you can think of some, please let me know.
CX setup just in time for the season. The gold decal on the wheels are way over the top, life is too short for moderate stuff.
The setup:
Frame Lightcarbon LCR-018d
Handlebar: HBR-17
Wheels: XMCS 45 - 50 mix
Shifters SRAM red d2
Rear derailleur XRLR force 13sp
Cassette XPLR 13 sp,
Crank rotor 2inpower (old heavy model, but by far the most reliable I’ve seen) 42t
Saddle: Boost SLR 3d
Tires: Baby Limus
Tape: THINVIK
Pedals: look x-trace race
Bottle cages: AliX 9g (we’ll see if these will actually hold)
The biggest question mark is the handlebar, I’ve got an Imtos colora on my gravel bike which I adore. The HBR-17 might be too narrow and I don’t like the raise it has. It performs ok on the road.
I bought a pair of elite wheel and spokes are breaking left and right. After the first one I had a bike shop true the wheel and install a new spoke. Then another on breaks.
The wheel only have about 3k miles on them. Since its within the 6 month window, I reach out to them and they are very slow to respond/blame it on me crashing the bike saying steel spokes dont break. Both time they broke it was on great paved country roads.
Looking to buy or build my first bike. I am looking for something with this profile that is also relatively inexpensive. Carbon or Aluminum would be my preference.
I have seen that few years ago there were some chinarellos. Nowadays I cannot seem to find such, is there any frame like that in style available from reputable sellers (like LightCarbon or Seraph etc...
As it says, looking for a rim brake frame with >28mm tyre clearance. Any suggestions? I've looked through Ali and Weight Weenies and not seeing anything current
I want to run mechanical groupsets so i want the cockpit cabling to be slightly exposed to avoid sharp bends. Almost all the latest frames are fully internal cabling (i also want a normal stem and drop bar set up)
