I personally own a LightCarbon triathlon frame and absolutely love it. Have had no problems with it so far and have had it for quite some time. The only downside is that the handlebars and extentions that come with the bike are not that adjustable, but you can always buy new handlebars ofcourse.
People underestimate how much Hambini loves cycling relative to how frequently he reams bad engineering. In truth he loves both, but it is refreshing to see him riding more on video, and I imagine he's enjoying it no matter how salty things get. It's that British humor that throws people over the bars. I hope one day you come out with a book. I want lots of pictures and red pen commentary because I, also, am five years old. We need some working titles.... The Joy of Cycling and _FILL IN THE BLANK_ - By Hambini, Age 5
I think it shows that the Chinese manufacturers are getting confident in their own work instead of only being outsourcing partners. This is also true with carbon wheels and gear systems, though those latter are not quite as world-beating. Braking is still behind where the rest of the industry is, AFAIK.
I built one of these 9 months ago for a customer who supplied it. Put a Super Record 12sp 2x on it. He's an ex pro, and is been thrashed, still going storng. Fit and tolerances were better than most high value "boutique" frames. Comfortable to ride too.
I fought gravel bikes for years, but I gave up on road riding because no one, especially police, care about the safety of cyclists. I find 45mm tires just add weight and thinner tyres with tread are just as effective on gravel. In the end, I went with an alloy frame, Microshift 1X10, and mechanical brakes. For an otherwise miserable person, this makes me happy. I spent about half this build. I fully expected to start MicroShit jokes, but it turns out expired Shimano IP is still excellent.
I have been using Microshift bar ends for years and they are excellent. Had an ascent x on a gravel bike I recently sold (surplus to requirement) and it was excellent. Looking forward to their new groupset - no wavy cables!
@@MerlinMan1579 Can't speak for him, but I run some Panaracer GravelKings in 28c on a bike with narrow clearances. I'd probably step up to 32 to 34c if I had a more dedicated gravel bike, add seatpost suspension and call it a day.
Gravel Bike for Commuting in big cities (Paris here) is the shit. Glad Hambini Sensei finally realizes that. With such an affordable carbon frame it’s a no brainer. High-end expensive Czrbon Gravel is just for racing really
As to "fail safe" probably 2 better examples are: 1. You have a wall socket charger, if the transformer fails, it will not catch fire, or if it does, will naturally extinguish. 2. A plastic casing of a electrical product may catch fire due to a overload or failure of the item, but will not propagate the fire or drip burning plastic onto another flammable source and ingnite other objects. How do I know this, i use to do these tests.
I also bought this Lightcarbon frame at the beginning of the year. First time buying a Chinese frame and was a bit worried about quality/durability. So it's very assuring to have it receive a good review from Hambini himself!
I built this same bike in 2021. I'm 220lbs and it's been the most comfortable bike I've owned. My first bike was steel, second was aluminum, both road configurations. I wanted something less aggressive that would accept bigger tires, plus I wanted to paint it (bought a raw carbon frame) and build it myself. Great project, great result. My seat tube that came with the frame is carbon. Press fit BB has had no issues, and was easy to install using a press I bought on Amazon. Glad to see one sliced open, makes me feel even better about my purchase. BTW - their products do have a warranty and their pre-sale support is awesome.
@@TonnyAbreu Hey there. I believe the wheelset is the same but they now have a second brand name. I looked at the ProX site and the LightCarbon site and I believe they are both selling the same wheels. I ride mostly on the road but do some light gravel and I haven't had any issues with anything on the bike. I'd happily buy the same frame/wheels again if something happened to my current bike. Let me know if you have specific questions. Their customer support is awesome.
@@markphillips5800 Hey mate, thanks for the answer, i´m not new to buy chinese stuff but normally i read away more reviews, i got (seaboard gr02 frame) and its really nice. The "thing" about prox carbon is very litle reviews/critics, but the their site and the techinical review from Hambini is nice. But nothing beats a long time review (hard to find one for prox carbon), dats why i had to ask you. I´m allready speaking with prox and i think i will purchase "C52DB-PCX44-1423", hope not getting problems with customs on portugal. Regards
Thinking about buying the new version with built in resin shock in the chainstay/toptube. Have you seen it, thoughts on it? I have a branded full carbon bike but willing to try out lightcarbon frame with resin shock since most of my riding is forest and fireroads. Thinking redshift stem and a mall resin shock would help a lot.
It would be great to see a review of one of their road bikes ( for me anyway ) . Love your show , the honesty is so refreshing in todays world . keep up the fabulous work . Thanks heaps Hambini ,.
For a few years I’ve been buying the cheapest Ali Express wheels. I’ve had zero issues with the. £260 for 60mm carbon disc wheels, weighed about 1800g. Had them two years and had zero problems. I am using the Supersix CX gravel frame but everything on the bike (apart from force 1X) is Ali express. The bars are 38cm Kuota classic drop (from Ali), the only classic drop carbon bars I’ve seen on there.
The notion that saying "it's probably not going to break" translates to an outstandingly good review perfectly sums up the current bike industry. We are talking about bikes as if they have just been invented and are unknown unproven technology. The more I ride my modern bikes the more I value my older antiquated ones
I live in a rural area and much of my riding has been mixed surface for years. My 'roadiest' bike is a Specialized Roubaix. For my riding style and surfaces, I've found the 35mm tires to be my best compromise. Your miles may vary. Keep up the good work... thanks.
I just finished building the same frame similar wheels with Sram AXS 1x10x52. LC matched the red color of my RAV4 Prime with custom decals under flawless clear coat. I'm running 700x50 WTB Venture gravel tires and it corners better than any bike I've owned. Also able to ride 40+ miles without typical low back and hip pain. I'm happy to see your positive assessment!
When I was at my bikefitter a few months ago he had some Lightcarbon frames standing around. Had a look inside of them and all looked pretty clean and comparable to the quality I'm seeing in this video. Seems like a good company.
I have been using the iGPSPORT unit for about a year now and have been 100% happy with it. It is definitely the best computer on the market in that price range.
The gravel groupset: I like the versatility of GRX400 2x10... It has a fast ratio (46-11) and a super low ratio (30-36/34, depends on the cassette). You don't get that with 1x11... So the next step (or a possible upgrade) from 2x10 is actually a SRAM 1x12 with a 10-44T cassette which is able to provide that multiple gearing options... By the way there are plenty of reasonable 1500-1800 USD gravel bikes with GRX400, 1600g ALU frame and perfectly acceptable total weight (10.5 - 11kg).
@@the.communist Argue that with the folks at Rene Herse. I really don't think I'm slowed-down even with a set of 50 mm slicks on a MTB/gravel bike conversion. Narrow tires=speed is all in your head!
My Trek Carbon Sport FX5 has that exact same groupset, as far as I can tell. I put a larger 42T chainwheel on it to make the gears more usable. Except for the integrated bars, the dimensions are very similar and the cost for all of this is coincidentally the same!
Biking community is not producing bikes, someone else does. But, the fact is that gravel bikes are the most hilarious shit when it comes to prices, being hyped up for nothing and companies making out of them to be some elite bikes. What companies in most cases do is that they are not giving cheap alternatives, but on purpose crippling cheaper bikes with the lack of features.
Yeah… everyone’s shaming me and stuff that in my opinion a 1500$ frame is “expensive”. Bro this is a bike and i dont live in a rich country with a top notch quality of life in the world lol.
@@johnnymcjenkins8910 Dude, give me a break. The only place where you can find bikes for reasonable price and prices that make sense is in not-rich countries, I wouldn't call them poor and those bikes were stolen in rich countries and then being sold for normal, reasonable price in those countries where the standard of living is lower. So, you have 1-2 years old 1200-1500 euros bike being sold for 400-450 euros. It's a fucking BICYCLE, it's not a motorcycle nor a fucking car. For 1200 euros you can literally buy a decent car, not to mention motorcycle. Companies with their overpriced, astronomical and fake prices of bicycles can go and fuck themselves. A bicycle that today costs 1200-1500 euros should have 2-3 times lower price IN REALITY.
Cool video, and nice explanation, I'm also tempted to try this gravel bike thing, but I don't know if I'll finally like this invention, maybe riding something cheap like you did, could be an interesting option
Just saw that LightCarbon makes a full-carbon 12" balance bike for toddlers. My kids have gone through 3-4 Strider bikes, I would've bought LightCarbon's balance bike in a heartbeat if I'd known about it!
Weight only makes a difference when braking or accelerating (physics). Comfort is more important for performance than weight. Aerodynamics is only important if your average speed is better than 25 km/h.
You've just realized why so many people have fallen in love with "gravel" bikes. It's also why I prefer Jan Heine's term, "all road" bike. I ride mine mostly in Arizona and South Dakota. The former has miles of irrigation canals with service roads alongside that switch from paved to gravel to sort-of-paved, back to gravel. So my 42mm tires without knobs are perfect. In SD, there are thousands of miles of gravel, connected to highways with sometimes sketchy shoulders so the same applies.
Same here though I'm in Sicily. One gravel bike has 38 mm slicks while another has 50 mm, both run at 40 psi, usually a bit less since I don't check 'em with more than a squeeze that often.
That frame is sold under other branding in other countries, bought be chancers, who put a a sticker on it to upsell. I’ve seen one sold as a “Godspeed” 😆
You could have got one of Cube's aluminium Nuroads or Cross Races for quite a bit less Decent spec too and ready to ride. I wouldn't say your bike is "cheap".
This seatpost clamp design is really hit or miss though. Depending on the geometry, saddle setback, weight, angle of the clamp wedge and screw, seat tube tolerances, and so on, enough force in the wrong direction will cause that push block to slide up and down the screw, causing the seatpost to rock back and forth, slowly grinding the seatpost away. Ask me how I know
There is an easy "fix" though. Just wrap some gaffa tape around the bottom of the seatpost to take up some of the slop (meaning that even if the push block rides up the screw, the seatpost doesn't have the space to move significantly inside the seat tube). This is not a perfect fix but it will prevent major damage
@@irfuel yes but only the bottom, nowhere near the clamping area. Imagine the clamping area to behave as a pivot point relative to which the seatpost rocks back and forth (ever so slightly) inside the seat tube. As such, it would only make sense to apply the tape somewhere other than the pivot point such that the seatpost can no longer rock back and forth sufficiently to cause damage
if you really wanted budget, should've gone with a clutch Sensah RD/shifter combo - those are much more affordable and have stiff springs that work great w/dirty drivetrains. bonus points for using cable/hydraulic calipers and used SRAM brifters.
It's interesting that the Chinese manufacturers invite your evaluation and make improvements whereas the Western brands send cease and desist letters for exposing their poor engineering and manufacturing.
Are those 700c wheels? What's the biggest tire that frame will clear? 50mm? I think that's one of the most important questions to ask when looking at any gravel frame. It's easy to go smaller, but when you top out too easily, it just limits your terrain options.
unfortunately that groupset is completely mechanical, including the disc brakes. Which would not be a problem were it not for the fact that this bike has integrated cable routing. That is a combination that is not going to work well.
@rollinrat4850 thanks for the heads up.I’ve always preferred external routed cables for access, I’m so slow there’s no benefit for me. So what about hydraulic mech hybrids like Juin Tech? I have a set of these new and with good compression less housing they have great modulation and power. Super easy setup too and look like easy to service. As for shifting you advise electronic wireless. Any brand that’s very good? I like idea of the simplicity of such a system.
@rollinrat4850 I can relate to much of what you’ve said and the mechanics perspective is great. I will be wary of SRAM although I have some Avid cantilever brakes - Shorty Ultimate - which seem pretty good. Coffee filtering the fluid is going the extra mile but sounds necessary. I just built up an early 90s mountain bike but my main bike is a 1986 Rockhopper which I stripped and powdercoated and added this and that too. Someone stole the wheels and I found an original set a guy had in a garage in California (I’m in Ontario) weird spacing 126mm as is the seat tube 26.4mm. I agree about how prices are through the roof and find it very interesting that late 80s Dura Ace 7400 is your favourite. I have a theory which I’ve gained by watching a channel called “Path Less Pedalled”. The creator Russ just helped bring to production a bar end shifter called The Uno which friction shifts with ratcheting shifts any cassette on any derailleur any size. It’s an interesting product. Anyway my theory is there’s pent up demand for a new groupset that is based on the best technology from the late 80s early 90s “peak mechanical groupset”. This would be a silver very finely crafted “heritage” groupo from Shimano all the best features but with the option of rim or hydraulic brakes. 2x10 or 2x11 and if need be from marketing perspective a 1x option with appropriate cassette options and smaller chainrings as well and - this is a big departure - options for much shorter cranks 150 155 160 165. I think a trend is developing to shorter cranks based on research and just people trying them and realizing the benefits. When I switched from 170 to 165 I was impressed by how much more comfortable I felt so now I have 160s and it’s even better. To go with the groupset I’d like to see a revival of classic steel frames for gravel/endurance applications but also touring and commuting. It’s easier to fall in love with a great steel frame for many reasons, not so easy with a carbon one that seems to have a built in expiry date. Anyway if you read this far thanks for hearing my rant, but I would be interested in what you think of the idea of a best of the best “heritage” Shimano groupset with nods to modern needs.
Seems Hambini is going for the best notion of gravel: a bike that's able to tackle anything casually and max out fun riding rather than pro racing. But why so pricey? Curious on his thoughts on an alloy Decrapalon frame, poor tolerances, cup and cone bearings, cable actuated brakes, alloy shit-rims tied to Novatecs with Sapim or DT Swiss spokes. Never the lightest, always forgiving of mistakes, and easy to maintain and repair. Everything for less than 600 bucks. Few things more fun than being underbiked on your local single track.
Excellent video once again @hambini. I notice that the length of these gravel bikes and the angle of the fork is longer more than let's say a road climbing bike. I too have mixed feelings. I picked one up the other day and had a hard time lifting it and it was super heavy. I must say I still prefer a road bike. Given I race CX, I would prefer the Cross bike, e.g., Ridley X Night.
When you build up a new frame, do you usually face the brake mounts? I recently bought a big name frame with horribly non-flat brake mounts. It was hard to find a bike shop with the proper tools to level the mounts, too.
@@biggaywizard Yep got a frame warranty on my new 2021 TCR Advanced 1 Disc Pro Compact, never even got to ride the bike, rear caliper was so out of alignment top to bottom, shop tried to align the caliper for 45 mins when I went to pick the bike up, bike shop didn't have a facing tool, neither did Giant NZ, gave them the option of refunding me or a new frame, they gave me a new frame.
When you hold a pen in your hand, use the pen for pointing. Without pen, use your index ("index" literally means "pointing finger" in Latin). You do not use he middle finger for pointing unless you want to be impolite.
I think there is such a thing as too light a wheel. Not in the safety sense, but in the loss of centrifugal force. Sure it takes more energy to get a Heavier wheel set up to speed but it's less work to keep them rolling especially on the flat surfaces into the wind. To me anything under 1550 - 1600 grams is too light for long distance riding. Where do you think the gain / loss advantage is? Thanks Mr. H.
I would recommend playing with tire size. I've dropped down to a 35mm (nominal, measures 37mm on my rims) tire. Other than in slick mud, I don't feel like I've given up anything, and I'm slightly faster (still slow).
Wanna see some back to back real world aero testing with a set of road wheels, i think a lot of roadies would happily give away a minute or two on their commute in to work for the versatility of being able to get away from the traffic on the way back home. Or for a change go for a blast round a blue xc course at the weekend (trail centres do good coffee too 😉). The skills you learn off road can and most likely will make you a better bike handler on road thus making that more fun as well. It's a looker too what's not to like?
@@Hambini thats similar to me, mines 17 miles each way, im down lands end in Cornwall there's tons of bridleways and cheeky trails to run and ride down here.
Gravel bikes now in terms of tire width are what road bikes are going to be in the not so distant future. Personally I can't wait for high end road tires around the 40mm width with rims appropriately matched in width.
Depends what you mean by road. At pro levels (barring cobbles and gravel), no -- and a lot of amateurs follow pro trends. For most people, that would indeed be better.
Nonsense. On road, narrow tyres (max. 38 mm) are just faster and not less comfortable than heavy wide tyres. If you need wide tyres, a road bike is the wrong bike for you.
Hambini, how long will it be until you have a website sifting the shite expensive from good cheap products out there?? Your content it top notch, keep it up!! (And keep banging your hairdresser)
Mine is a BikesDirect Motobecane mulekick. Everything was ok except for the crap, 2.2 kg wheels. Got sub 1300g 24 spoke Novatech 411/412 wheels, been bomb proof for a 4 years now
I got e bike from decathlon, around 750 euro, alu frame and carbon alu steerer fork. 5 euro for tubeless, 45 euro carbon seatpost/stem/handlebar, 40 euro lightweight crankset/chainring, that it. Also I spend 30 euro on hydraulic brakes, this was not necessary. Going to carbon frame/wheelset gonna multiply the cost of the bike several times and the weight saving is abysmal, also it is a big compromise in durability and I advise it only for racers where anyway they are either sponsored or will not buy bicycle from decathlon anyway.
Hambini, the rear mech cable housing is wayyy too long. It should be quite short. Take a look at factory install bikes with this equipment for examples. The mech body that the housing goes into does not move any more like older systems so there doesn’t need to be any length to the housing to permit pivoting. Also, Shimano specifies a particular housing to be used there and it’s in the box of retail mechs. The end going into the frame is the only one to be cut if needed, and the other end has a metal ferrule/housing end that should be used to go into the adjuster, not any old plastic one.
@@Hambini If you go with the shorter housing with metal end at the adjuster, plus check the hanger alignment, you’ll get even better performance. I couldn’t see well from the video, but there should also be a cable tongue between/under the adjuster and mech body.
You can go even cheaper than what you chose. A Tiagra drive train with alloy frame+wheels work perfectly fine. The brake disks should last for 10K km. What did you do to them?
Watch Hambini become vegan, grow a moustache and unironically start dressing as a hipster.
Have to dope to cope 💯👍
Ands starts drinking craft beer!
He is still at Hipster entry level. Has to ride Fixed Gear to move to Ultimate level.
Steel. With a quill stem.
I'd watch it
Touching to see how tenderly you review your own bike, which you’ve obviously grown attached to.
👨🏾⚕️ ❤ 🚲 Think I’ll go down on my MTB now.
right? talk about bias...
I personally own a LightCarbon triathlon frame and absolutely love it. Have had no problems with it so far and have had it for quite some time. The only downside is that the handlebars and extentions that come with the bike are not that adjustable, but you can always buy new handlebars ofcourse.
People underestimate how much Hambini loves cycling relative to how frequently he reams bad engineering. In truth he loves both, but it is refreshing to see him riding more on video, and I imagine he's enjoying it no matter how salty things get. It's that British humor that throws people over the bars.
I hope one day you come out with a book. I want lots of pictures and red pen commentary because I, also, am five years old. We need some working titles....
The Joy of Cycling and _FILL IN THE BLANK_ - By Hambini, Age 5
Really rather nice. Kind of like carbon frame manufacture finally coming of age. I would happily buy this. Thanks...
I think it shows that the Chinese manufacturers are getting confident in their own work instead of only being outsourcing partners. This is also true with carbon wheels and gear systems, though those latter are not quite as world-beating. Braking is still behind where the rest of the industry is, AFAIK.
I built one of these 9 months ago for a customer who supplied it. Put a Super Record 12sp 2x on it. He's an ex pro, and is been thrashed, still going storng. Fit and tolerances were better than most high value "boutique" frames. Comfortable to ride too.
no need to lie man, sometimes when you feel the need to talk, you should just stay quiet...
Stop telling boring stories. This gravel bike is absolute dog shit! What a way to waste a Super record group set. 😮
Whats the import price for race bike ?
some of "botique" brands are getting their frames from Lightcarbon.
7😊😊%tjj*jk😊😊😊😊😊😊😊i😊😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅hh😅
Disc brakes and 1x. I think Hambini has lost his hairdresser….
Hambini the Gravel Grindr 🤓 maneuvering the pot holes.
Keeping his stick and stones well protected, but always ready.
My favourite Harry Potter edition
the first thing on my mind, the paint job is cool
Gravel is a stepping stone to MTB. Come on Hambini, we need you to ream the ever living hell out of it.
I fought gravel bikes for years, but I gave up on road riding because no one, especially police, care about the safety of cyclists. I find 45mm tires just add weight and thinner tyres with tread are just as effective on gravel. In the end, I went with an alloy frame, Microshift 1X10, and mechanical brakes. For an otherwise miserable person, this makes me happy. I spent about half this build. I fully expected to start MicroShit jokes, but it turns out expired Shimano IP is still excellent.
Microshift is under rated
I have been using Microshift bar ends for years and they are excellent. Had an ascent x on a gravel bike I recently sold (surplus to requirement) and it was excellent. Looking forward to their new groupset - no wavy cables!
What width tyres do you use off-road?
@@MerlinMan1579 Can't speak for him, but I run some Panaracer GravelKings in 28c on a bike with narrow clearances. I'd probably step up to 32 to 34c if I had a more dedicated gravel bike, add seatpost suspension and call it a day.
The new Microshift SWORD is supposed to run circles around the ubiquitious Advant X. They learned a lot how to make good stuff.
Gravel Bike for Commuting in big cities (Paris here) is the shit. Glad Hambini Sensei finally realizes that. With such an affordable carbon frame it’s a no brainer. High-end expensive Czrbon Gravel is just for racing really
As to "fail safe" probably 2 better examples are:
1. You have a wall socket charger, if the transformer fails, it will not catch fire, or if it does, will naturally extinguish.
2. A plastic casing of a electrical product may catch fire due to a overload or failure of the item, but will not propagate the fire or drip burning plastic onto another flammable source and ingnite other objects.
How do I know this, i use to do these tests.
More people need to understand product testing principles, much appreciated!
Looks suspiciously clean for a Hambini bike
he didnt grind it long enough
the bottle cage is pretty filthy though...
I also bought this Lightcarbon frame at the beginning of the year. First time buying a Chinese frame and was a bit worried about quality/durability. So it's very assuring to have it receive a good review from Hambini himself!
I built this same bike in 2021. I'm 220lbs and it's been the most comfortable bike I've owned. My first bike was steel, second was aluminum, both road configurations. I wanted something less aggressive that would accept bigger tires, plus I wanted to paint it (bought a raw carbon frame) and build it myself. Great project, great result. My seat tube that came with the frame is carbon. Press fit BB has had no issues, and was easy to install using a press I bought on Amazon. Glad to see one sliced open, makes me feel even better about my purchase. BTW - their products do have a warranty and their pre-sale support is awesome.
Hi Mate, do you use the same Wheelset ?
If yes, whats your long time review of them? (i weight around the same so your opinion will have valid points)
@@TonnyAbreu Hey there. I believe the wheelset is the same but they now have a second brand name. I looked at the ProX site and the LightCarbon site and I believe they are both selling the same wheels. I ride mostly on the road but do some light gravel and I haven't had any issues with anything on the bike. I'd happily buy the same frame/wheels again if something happened to my current bike. Let me know if you have specific questions. Their customer support is awesome.
@@markphillips5800 Hey mate, thanks for the answer, i´m not new to buy chinese stuff but normally i read away more reviews, i got (seaboard gr02 frame) and its really nice.
The "thing" about prox carbon is very litle reviews/critics, but the their site and the techinical review from Hambini is nice.
But nothing beats a long time review (hard to find one for prox carbon), dats why i had to ask you.
I´m allready speaking with prox and i think i will purchase "C52DB-PCX44-1423", hope not getting problems with customs on portugal.
Regards
I can't wait to see this bike in a couple months. Hambni will put it through the "anti-wash" routine and the nice white paint cry in pain.
Thinking about buying the new version with built in resin shock in the chainstay/toptube. Have you seen it, thoughts on it? I have a branded full carbon bike but willing to try out lightcarbon frame with resin shock since most of my riding is forest and fireroads. Thinking redshift stem and a mall resin shock would help a lot.
It would be great to see a review of one of their road bikes ( for me anyway ) . Love your show , the honesty is so refreshing in todays world . keep up the fabulous work . Thanks heaps Hambini ,.
For a few years I’ve been buying the cheapest Ali Express wheels. I’ve had zero issues with the. £260 for 60mm carbon disc wheels, weighed about 1800g. Had them two years and had zero problems. I am using the Supersix CX gravel frame but everything on the bike (apart from force 1X) is Ali express.
The bars are 38cm Kuota classic drop (from Ali), the only classic drop carbon bars I’ve seen on there.
The notion that saying "it's probably not going to break" translates to an outstandingly good review perfectly sums up the current bike industry. We are talking about bikes as if they have just been invented and are unknown unproven technology. The more I ride my modern bikes the more I value my older antiquated ones
My Yoeleo G21 is the same color and is built using the same technology. Having watched this, I feel quite good about it.
Great work as always. Really appreciate the rigour you put into your work and the analysis to bring us the facts.
The first time I see Hambini's pen live in action 🖋️ 1:06
i missed you hambini. i had exercise induced ileus and now i just look at my bikes on the wall now because i cant ride but at least i have hambini
I would love to see you design a UCI totally illegal fast aero bike for those who do not race but want to go really fast!
I live in a rural area and much of my riding has been mixed surface for years. My 'roadiest' bike is a Specialized Roubaix. For my riding style and surfaces, I've found the 35mm tires to be my best compromise. Your miles may vary.
Keep up the good work... thanks.
Them sending a frame for you to cut up is epic!
I just finished building the same frame similar wheels with Sram AXS 1x10x52. LC matched the red color of my RAV4 Prime with custom decals under flawless clear coat. I'm running 700x50 WTB Venture gravel tires and it corners better than any bike I've owned. Also able to ride 40+ miles without typical low back and hip pain. I'm happy to see your positive assessment!
Can also vouch for igpsport GPS. I took it to flanders last week. Installed Belgium maps from their website, no issues at all.
When I was at my bikefitter a few months ago he had some Lightcarbon frames standing around. Had a look inside of them and all looked pretty clean and comparable to the quality I'm seeing in this video. Seems like a good company.
Trusty cx Rabobank Giant bike does same job and bomb proof. Compared to premium brands this build is a bargain!
I have been using the iGPSPORT unit for about a year now and have been 100% happy with it. It is definitely the best computer on the market in that price range.
I 🥰 price performance reviews. Thank you soo much for posting.
Excellent insight. But then you already knew that! Thank you for the deep dive :)
The gravel groupset: I like the versatility of GRX400 2x10... It has a fast ratio (46-11) and a super low ratio (30-36/34, depends on the cassette). You don't get that with 1x11... So the next step (or a possible upgrade) from 2x10 is actually a SRAM 1x12 with a 10-44T cassette which is able to provide that multiple gearing options... By the way there are plenty of reasonable 1500-1800 USD gravel bikes with GRX400, 1600g ALU frame and perfectly acceptable total weight (10.5 - 11kg).
I use a gravel bike as a relatively comfortable road bike on 38mm Schwalbe G-One Speed tyres.
Nothing about "speed" on a 38mm tyre
@@the.communist Yeah, it is their reference to the minimal depth of the sypes; the G-One comes in 8 varieties.
@@the.communist Argue that with the folks at Rene Herse. I really don't think I'm slowed-down even with a set of 50 mm slicks on a MTB/gravel bike conversion. Narrow tires=speed is all in your head!
I’ve had a set of their wheels for about 4 years and they are still as good as the day I brought them.
I do believe these were the ones Durianrider was selling, but of course with his name etc. He rated them!
You should make a spreadsheet that you use to compare all the bikes and the specs and out of spec. It'd be a fun comparison
I'm keen to see this bike feature in more videos.
lol, cheap is subjective. This is my goals bike. Great stuff.
My Trek Carbon Sport FX5 has that exact same groupset, as far as I can tell. I put a larger 42T chainwheel on it to make the gears more usable. Except for the integrated bars, the dimensions are very similar and the cost for all of this is coincidentally the same!
£1800 for a gravel bike 'is at the cheap end of it'.. The biking community have completely lost their minds
Biking community is not producing bikes, someone else does.
But, the fact is that gravel bikes are the most hilarious shit when it comes to prices, being hyped up for nothing and companies making out of them to be some elite bikes.
What companies in most cases do is that they are not giving cheap alternatives, but on purpose crippling cheaper bikes with the lack of features.
There are definitely cheaper available. Carbon is never a cheap choice (nor ideal for gravel in my opinion)
Yeah… everyone’s shaming me and stuff that in my opinion a 1500$ frame is “expensive”. Bro this is a bike and i dont live in a rich country with a top notch quality of life in the world lol.
@@johnnymcjenkins8910 Dude, give me a break. The only place where you can find bikes for reasonable price and prices that make sense is in not-rich countries, I wouldn't call them poor and those bikes were stolen in rich countries and then being sold for normal, reasonable price in those countries where the standard of living is lower.
So, you have 1-2 years old 1200-1500 euros bike being sold for 400-450 euros.
It's a fucking BICYCLE, it's not a motorcycle nor a fucking car.
For 1200 euros you can literally buy a decent car, not to mention motorcycle.
Companies with their overpriced, astronomical and fake prices of bicycles can go and fuck themselves.
A bicycle that today costs 1200-1500 euros should have 2-3 times lower price IN REALITY.
Well, you race for 6 hours on a 1k bike and let me know your experience 🥰🥰
Cool video, and nice explanation, I'm also tempted to try this gravel bike thing, but I don't know if I'll finally like this invention, maybe riding something cheap like you did, could be an interesting option
Just saw that LightCarbon makes a full-carbon 12" balance bike for toddlers. My kids have gone through 3-4 Strider bikes, I would've bought LightCarbon's balance bike in a heartbeat if I'd known about it!
I like to think part of the reason kids bikes are so heavy is so that parents of modest fitness can chase them down and prevent accidents.
Those tots can really fly! I've seen the racing videos.
Weight only makes a difference when braking or accelerating (physics). Comfort is more important for performance than weight. Aerodynamics is only important if your average speed is better than 25 km/h.
I really like the paint/finish on it, looks cool.
I have those same bars on my rig. Super happy with them for $100 notes
You've just realized why so many people have fallen in love with "gravel" bikes. It's also why I prefer Jan Heine's term, "all road" bike. I ride mine mostly in Arizona and South Dakota. The former has miles of irrigation canals with service roads alongside that switch from paved to gravel to sort-of-paved, back to gravel. So my 42mm tires without knobs are perfect. In SD, there are thousands of miles of gravel, connected to highways with sometimes sketchy shoulders so the same applies.
Same here though I'm in Sicily. One gravel bike has 38 mm slicks while another has 50 mm, both run at 40 psi, usually a bit less since I don't check 'em with more than a squeeze that often.
what's next? a fixie?
That frame is sold under other branding in other countries, bought be chancers, who put a a sticker on it to upsell. I’ve seen one sold as a “Godspeed” 😆
Love the bike very good road handling.
Welcome to the dark side! I added a gravel bike in 2014 and it has been a lot of fun.
One step further and Hambini buys a Trek Session and makes a deal with Pit Viper.
I only ride for a commute but this was interesting. Nice presenting style too.
You know it’s business time when the mechanical pencil is present during a bike review
You could have got one of Cube's aluminium Nuroads or Cross Races for quite a bit less Decent spec too and ready to ride. I wouldn't say your bike is "cheap".
Do you own one from Cube's?
This seatpost clamp design is really hit or miss though. Depending on the geometry, saddle setback, weight, angle of the clamp wedge and screw, seat tube tolerances, and so on, enough force in the wrong direction will cause that push block to slide up and down the screw, causing the seatpost to rock back and forth, slowly grinding the seatpost away. Ask me how I know
There is an easy "fix" though. Just wrap some gaffa tape around the bottom of the seatpost to take up some of the slop (meaning that even if the push block rides up the screw, the seatpost doesn't have the space to move significantly inside the seat tube). This is not a perfect fix but it will prevent major damage
@@irfuel yes but only the bottom, nowhere near the clamping area. Imagine the clamping area to behave as a pivot point relative to which the seatpost rocks back and forth (ever so slightly) inside the seat tube. As such, it would only make sense to apply the tape somewhere other than the pivot point such that the seatpost can no longer rock back and forth sufficiently to cause damage
@@irfuel also, don't apply so much tape you have to jam the seatpost inside the frame because you'll never get it out again
@@irfuel that really depends on the design. In many cases the answer is yes by design, especially with d-shaped seatposts
Smear it with tooth paste before installing.
For that price, you could almost just pick up a Giant Revolt Advanced 2 with all Shimano GRX bits and carbon. I absolutely love mine.
if you really wanted budget, should've gone with a clutch Sensah RD/shifter combo - those are much more affordable and have stiff springs that work great w/dirty drivetrains. bonus points for using cable/hydraulic calipers and used SRAM brifters.
Nice! What's the total weight of the bike?
have you discovered the spirit of gravel yet?
Stunning bike. Really love it.
That tape job is top tier
It's interesting that the Chinese manufacturers invite your evaluation and make improvements whereas the Western brands send cease and desist letters for exposing their poor engineering and manufacturing.
Nice! Not worried about stupid light.
The other thing to watch on these fully hidden cables is that internal rub can cause carbon failure in a critical junction, the stem/steerer
"Cheapest gravel bike" no Halfords in Monaco it seems 😂
What we're seeing from light carbon is classic "disruption" of the industry. Thanks for sharing your technical review of their products.
Great review 👍
Would like to know more about the techniques used for the internal moulding on this frame
Heaviest duty discs seem to be elvedes CRX series. 6 bolt only, so will need adapters for centre lock
Are those 700c wheels? What's the biggest tire that frame will clear? 50mm? I think that's one of the most important questions to ask when looking at any gravel frame. It's easy to go smaller, but when you top out too easily, it just limits your terrain options.
Hambini going all gravel on us. You think you know someone, then Bam! your world is turned upside down 😮
UK's National Cycling Network (Sustrans) is great for gravel bikes.. went from Dover to London then Edinburgh mostly using it
Gravel is my 90's mtb with road bike handlebars
Micro shift has a new groupset that looks interesting and could be used for a gravel bike.
unfortunately that groupset is completely mechanical, including the disc brakes. Which would not be a problem were it not for the fact that this bike has integrated cable routing. That is a combination that is not going to work well.
@rollinrat4850 thanks for the heads up.I’ve always preferred external routed cables for access, I’m so slow there’s no benefit for me. So what about hydraulic mech hybrids like Juin Tech? I have a set of these new and with good compression less housing they have great modulation and power. Super easy setup too and look like easy to service. As for shifting you advise electronic wireless. Any brand that’s very good? I like idea of the simplicity of such a system.
@rollinrat4850 I can relate to much of what you’ve said and the mechanics perspective is great. I will be wary of SRAM although I have some Avid cantilever brakes - Shorty Ultimate - which seem pretty good. Coffee filtering the fluid is going the extra mile but sounds necessary. I just built up an early 90s mountain bike but my main bike is a 1986 Rockhopper which I stripped and powdercoated and added this and that too. Someone stole the wheels and I found an original set a guy had in a garage in California (I’m in Ontario) weird spacing 126mm as is the seat tube 26.4mm.
I agree about how prices are through the roof and find it very interesting that late 80s Dura Ace 7400 is your favourite. I have a theory which I’ve gained by watching a channel called “Path Less Pedalled”. The creator Russ just helped bring to production a bar end shifter called The Uno which friction shifts with ratcheting shifts any cassette on any derailleur any size. It’s an interesting product. Anyway my theory is there’s pent up demand for a new groupset that is based on the best technology from the late 80s early 90s “peak mechanical groupset”. This would be a silver very finely crafted “heritage” groupo from Shimano all the best features but with the option of rim or hydraulic brakes. 2x10 or 2x11 and if need be from marketing perspective a 1x option with appropriate cassette options and smaller chainrings as well and - this is a big departure - options for much shorter cranks 150 155 160 165. I think a trend is developing to shorter cranks based on research and just people trying them and realizing the benefits. When I switched from 170 to 165 I was impressed by how much more comfortable I felt so now I have 160s and it’s even better.
To go with the groupset I’d like to see a revival of classic steel frames for gravel/endurance applications but also touring and commuting. It’s easier to fall in love with a great steel frame for many reasons, not so easy with a carbon one that seems to have a built in expiry date. Anyway if you read this far thanks for hearing my rant, but I would be interested in what you think of the idea of a best of the best “heritage” Shimano groupset with nods to modern needs.
Seems Hambini is going for the best notion of gravel: a bike that's able to tackle anything casually and max out fun riding rather than pro racing. But why so pricey? Curious on his thoughts on an alloy Decrapalon frame, poor tolerances, cup and cone bearings, cable actuated brakes, alloy shit-rims tied to Novatecs with Sapim or DT Swiss spokes. Never the lightest, always forgiving of mistakes, and easy to maintain and repair. Everything for less than 600 bucks. Few things more fun than being underbiked on your local single track.
Excellent video once again @hambini. I notice that the length of these gravel bikes and the angle of the fork is longer more than let's say a road climbing bike. I too have mixed feelings. I picked one up the other day and had a hard time lifting it and it was super heavy. I must say I still prefer a road bike. Given I race CX, I would prefer the Cross bike, e.g., Ridley X Night.
i have a lightcarbon MTB frame. it has been bomb proof.
When you build up a new frame, do you usually face the brake mounts? I recently bought a big name frame with horribly non-flat brake mounts. It was hard to find a bike shop with the proper tools to level the mounts, too.
I'm a former race mechanic, it's shocking how many high end bikes come like this.
@@biggaywizard Yep got a frame warranty on my new 2021 TCR Advanced 1 Disc Pro Compact, never even got to ride the bike, rear caliper was so out of alignment top to bottom, shop tried to align the caliper for 45 mins when I went to pick the bike up, bike shop didn't have a facing tool, neither did Giant NZ, gave them the option of refunding me or a new frame, they gave me a new frame.
Don't the brakes come with those funny "cup and cone" washers, that compensate for all that stuff ?
@@kevinshort3943 You are thinking post mount brakes. We are talking about flat mount brakes.
@@ichallengemydog
Why would you have flat mounts?
When you hold a pen in your hand, use the pen for pointing. Without pen, use your index ("index" literally means "pointing finger" in Latin). You do not use he middle finger for pointing unless you want to be impolite.
I think there is such a thing as too light a wheel.
Not in the safety sense, but in the loss of centrifugal force.
Sure it takes more energy to get a Heavier wheel set up to speed but it's less work to keep them rolling especially on the flat surfaces into the wind.
To me anything under 1550 - 1600 grams is too light for long distance riding.
Where do you think the gain / loss advantage is?
Thanks Mr. H.
I would recommend playing with tire size. I've dropped down to a 35mm (nominal, measures 37mm on my rims) tire. Other than in slick mud, I don't feel like I've given up anything, and I'm slightly faster (still slow).
Apparently narrow tyres are better in the mud (with knobs), they go deeper so less risk of skidding. I heard that from a CX racer...
Thats actually a beautiful bike.
Wanna see some back to back real world aero testing with a set of road wheels, i think a lot of roadies would happily give away a minute or two on their commute in to work for the versatility of being able to get away from the traffic on the way back home. Or for a change go for a blast round a blue xc course at the weekend (trail centres do good coffee too 😉). The skills you learn off road can and most likely will make you a better bike handler on road thus making that more fun as well. It's a looker too what's not to like?
My commute is 25km. The unscientific difference is about 2 to 3 minutes
@@Hambini thats similar to me, mines 17 miles each way, im down lands end in Cornwall there's tons of bridleways and cheeky trails to run and ride down here.
Gravel bikes now in terms of tire width are what road bikes are going to be in the not so distant future.
Personally I can't wait for high end road tires around the 40mm width with rims appropriately matched in width.
Depends what you mean by road. At pro levels (barring cobbles and gravel), no -- and a lot of amateurs follow pro trends. For most people, that would indeed be better.
There are very nice tubeless slicks you can get in 38mm or wider - Renée Herse, Soma, Panaracer
Nonsense. On road, narrow tyres (max. 38 mm) are just faster and not less comfortable than heavy wide tyres. If you need wide tyres, a road bike is the wrong bike for you.
Hambini, how long will it be until you have a website sifting the shite expensive from good cheap products out there?? Your content it top notch, keep it up!! (And keep banging your hairdresser)
That cheap bike is still better then my expensive gravel bike 😂
... better than*
Mine is a BikesDirect Motobecane mulekick. Everything was ok except for the crap, 2.2 kg wheels. Got sub 1300g 24 spoke Novatech 411/412 wheels, been bomb proof for a 4 years now
Total system weight for the bike?
Why didn't you go with the Ltwoo Erx?
He literally answers this at the end of the video.
I got e bike from decathlon, around 750 euro, alu frame and carbon alu steerer fork. 5 euro for tubeless, 45 euro carbon seatpost/stem/handlebar, 40 euro lightweight crankset/chainring, that it. Also I spend 30 euro on hydraulic brakes, this was not necessary. Going to carbon frame/wheelset gonna multiply the cost of the bike several times and the weight saving is abysmal, also it is a big compromise in durability and I advise it only for racers where anyway they are either sponsored or will not buy bicycle from decathlon anyway.
I approve of your mechanical pencil selection
Can you also do an assessment of rocker plates? Do we actually need it or does it put more stress or strain on the bike frame?
Hambini, the rear mech cable housing is wayyy too long. It should be quite short. Take a look at factory install bikes with this equipment for examples. The mech body that the housing goes into does not move any more like older systems so there doesn’t need to be any length to the housing to permit pivoting. Also, Shimano specifies a particular housing to be used there and it’s in the box of retail mechs. The end going into the frame is the only one to be cut if needed, and the other end has a metal ferrule/housing end that should be used to go into the adjuster, not any old plastic one.
You are quite right. I was intending to shorten it but it worked so I left it.
@@Hambini If you go with the shorter housing with metal end at the adjuster, plus check the hanger alignment, you’ll get even better performance. I couldn’t see well from the video, but there should also be a cable tongue between/under the adjuster and mech body.
Good match for Microshift Sword groupset? I'd say so!
Oh my giddy odd Hambini age 5 riding a bike 😊😂
You can go even cheaper than what you chose. A Tiagra drive train with alloy frame+wheels work perfectly fine.
The brake disks should last for 10K km. What did you do to them?
Tiagra with grx rear derailleur and you have the best combo possible