Strangely, I was looking at doing exactly what you've done with this build but maybe using the L-Twoo eRX gears. I am new to your channel, and I was impressed with your comprehensive approach. I liked that you linked to sites that can explain a task better than you! I liked the build so much that I subscribed! Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much Mark. I really appreciate the kind words and the sub. It’s great to have you on board. The LTWOO groupsets are great too, and if I hadn’t been able to get hold of the GRX set so cheaply, I would definitely have fitted that. I install their mechanical R9 group on my son’s gravel bike and it works like a dream. Best of luck with your build. 👌🏻
Thanks for the video, I ordered the same frame a few days ago, but from a different company. I'm currently ordering the parts so I can start building it soon.
@@phililpb I can understand your perspective, me, I think Mr. Treadway's approach refreshing, honest & humorous. He makes it quite clear he is not an expert. Course I'm one of those who thinks bike mechanics isn't related to rocket science.
@petertreadway the headsets where the cables enter at the front seem much better for travel. Pair that with a bar / stem with a channels to hide the cables. Cables 97% hidden and you can change bars without needing to visit a psychologist afterwards.
You're right. Sadly, it was only only after recording this I realised my mistake, but I corrected myself in the review video I did a few weeks ago for this bike 👌
Excellent video. I went a similar route with a road bike build except I fitted Wheeltop electronic shifting, a Chinese carbon crankset, and tubular carbon wheels I built myself. Like you, I struggled with the internal cabling which was made much easier thanks to the absence of derailleur cables. Total cost was about £1500 and it weighs in at 7.5 kilos. Ridden about 150 miles so far and everything is really good. Overall, a great experience - no great skill required but lots of patience.
That sounds like an incredible bone for the money! 7.5kgs and a full electronic group for £1500. I’m constantly amazed at how great a deal you can get when you self build. I love that Wheeltop group though. I’ve got it on my road bike and it works perfectly. 👌🏻
i build a TanTan/Seraph tt912 tri bike in April. Did had some issues on certain parts, they help sorted me out by sending replacement part no extra charge. Also had to tinker around my steerer tube play. Well, as TraceVelo also shared, when going this route, gotta be prepared to have some tinkering/mods to make things works. At the end of the day, it was a fun learning experience building my 1st bike in hard mode, and great value. Its cheaper than baseline Speedmax and look way cooler
That's great to hear that Seraph gave you good after sales service. I was really impressed with the communication I had with them before I bought the frame. Absolutely agree with you (and Luke) that tinkering is a must when it comes to these frames though. Thankfully I love to play around with bikes, so don't mind the challenge. As you say, it's a great way to learn about the inner workings of your bike
Excellent job done. The bike looks great and worth every penny. Not for me I have not the time or the patience to do it .congratulations look forward to seeing it in action.
Cheers Ian, yeh I'm really happy with it. Definitely a great way to get a much nicer bike for your money. Watch this space for the review video coming soon.
I do love a flat black frame and I built may road bike with that colour. I thought I'd add a splash of extra colour to this one though. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment. 💪
I've been super interested in this frame so I'm so glad to finally see somebody do a full build of it! Would you be able to do a weight test of its full configuration?
So glad you found the video useful. When you say weight of the full configuration, do you mean the full weight with everything loaded on it, or the weight of all the individual parts?
Jimmy will be wanting to upgrade his once he sees it 😅 very nice build for a great price. Is good to see a self build and you get to learn lots of skills along the way 😊
@@simonb6058 I’ve been riding with Jimmy all day in the New Forest today and he’s very jealous of it already! 😂 I love tinkering with bikes though. As you say, you get to learn so much!
Great build! In this day and age £1200 is a lot of money to some people. However in cycling terms for a carbon gravel bike, with that spec it’s a steal.
I wasn’t actually aware of them doing e bike frames, Daniel. That definitely could be an interesting self build…. You’ve got me thinking now! 🤔😂 Glad you enjoyed the video though. Really appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. 💪🏻🌟
I always enjoy your build videos, and this one didn't disappoint. The only downside is that we won't get to hear you telling us just how heavy your gravel bike is 😂 perhaps you could occasionally compare the two as a way of weaning us off. On the subject of cost, it's brilliant since £1200 is pretty much at the top end of entry level spec bikes. If I had the money I'd absolutely do the same.
Cheers Alex, I'm glad you enjoyed this and my other build videos. Don't worry though, I'll keep harking back to the weight of the old one in comparison to this for some time! And yeh, I was so pleased with the end cost, although that was helped massively with getting the GRX groupset so cheaply. I'd have been happy to put an LTWOO gravel group on this if I couldn't;t have sourced the Shimano parts though.
@@petertreadway to be honest, after seeing the title, I'm surprised you didn't use an LTWOO groupset. That would probably be my go to as I was impressed by their road groupset.
The bike looks fantastic and based on this video, yes, I would buy the frame and handlebars. The other thing about the round post as it should allow for a dropper set up, which is great for lots of terrain and especially for descending. Are you doing a ride review? That would be great.
Very true about the dropper post. I have one somewhere in my spare parts bin, so I should dig it out and install it. I've done a ride review of this bike now too. You can find it here: th-cam.com/video/zei-77HsFa4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1j-_9DEx-Kgb48iq Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. 👌
I got mine gr048 last week, what a nightmare those cables, i give up the internal routing in the bars, now im hassling with the play in the headset, maybe going to drill some holes in the spacers so take the cables off easier 😬 but the frame looks amazing for the price 👌🏻
Thanks so much. Yeh, I’m massively happy with how it turned out. I’ve just replied about the 2x11 compatibility on your other comment but let me know if it doesn’t make sense. 👌🏻
Those internal cables limit your ability to easily change stem length/bar height. I always end experimenting with different stem size/bar heights before I settle on a perfect one. With some types of internal cables("Zero room for error on these"), you would need to replace your internal cables with cables of a new length-every time you move your bars an inch or 2. Deal-breaker for me. Excellent demo on building this frame!
Yeh, if I'm honest, Steve, it's the thought of the hassle it'll cause that's stopping me from taking the bar off and cutting the chimney down! At best I might get away with removing the front brake caliper and pulling that hose up through the fork for a bit of wiggle room and hope there's enough give on the rest of the cables/rear brake hose to lift the bar off the steerer. At worst, it'll mean redoing all of the cables and hoses, as you suggest. I'm going to do a longer term review on this bike shortly and that'll be one of the things I mention. If I were to do an internal routing build again, I'd definitely try to stuff as much excess hose in to the frame before terminating it and then leave enough extra cable on the FD and RD to release the screw and pull a bit of cable back through. A real PITA though, as you say. I'm a sucker for that clean cockpit look though! 😂 Glad you enjoyed the video though. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment.
@@PatrickFranzreb thanks Patrick, so glad you enjoyed it. I’d definitely recommend self building to anyone who’s willing to give it a go. As for the handlebar, mine was 400mm wide (to match the distance between the bony parts of my shoulders) and a 90mm stem. Hope that helps and thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. 👌🏻🌟
Thanks very much. It’s really not that difficult to put a bike together. It’s just like a giant Meccano build. 😂 AliExpress makes it much cheaper than buying big name brands too, so it doesn’t have to cost and arm and a leg! 💪🏻🌟
The build looks great Peter! and the matte frame 💎 i wish i could try or do something like this but here in Chile the taxes for importing stuff are ruthless. Nevertheless, the build seems great for the the prices you ended paying. Hoping to see how the bike works in action 💯
Hi Peter. Nice build! I have little, to no tech skills so purchased a Triban GRVL520 Sram. The Shimano SPD's come highly recommended by another cycling channel I watch, so they''ll be going on a some point.
@@anthonylloyd6094 thanks Anthony, glad you enjoyed it. As for the Triban, I’ve got a lot of time for Decathlon bikes. My guest ever ‘proper’ road bike was a Triban 500SE, which now sits pride of place on my turbo trainer. Definitely agree with putting SPD pedals on though. 👌🏻
Great build! Mission of discovery on video, excellent way to go! There is deffinatyely a genra evoloving utilizing chinese parts as the Shimanos and Srams of this World have managed to outprice their appeal to many of us! 1200 quid, yep a great price. GCN released their 9K old/new bike build, planely in another universe! I suggeted they do the same on a budget, same old frame / new kit build, but limited to a max of 500 quid.
Thanks Andy, glad you enjoyed it, and yes, definitely a learning curve involved in this one. Best way to learn though. 👌🏻 I like your idea of old frame new kit bike though, so might give that a go myself. 💪🏻
I like the idea with the electrical tape inside out. Have you considered using spray adhesive for the bars? I almost did it on this last build but im still waffling about adding a front derailleur
I can't claim credit for the inside out tape, as I got that from Calvin Jones of Park Tools (everyone's favourite bike mechanics teacher! 🤣) Not sure about spray adhesive though, as I feel that would leave quite a heavy residue when removing the bar tape. That would be messy and difficult to remove, I think. The beauty of insulation tape is that it doesn't 'stick' to the bar. You just stretch it tight enough for it to stay in place with friction, plus overlapping it slightly, so it sticks to itself. It then comes off clean as anything, with now mess. 👌 Regards the FD, I assume you're running 1x currently. What size cassette are you running at the back?
yep i would build a chinese carbon frame. i have been ordering parts and trying to pick a frame. that one is on the short list. just the other offerings that clear 50s has me on the fence. excited to see your review. have the same wheelset and an ltwoo electronic group in the garage waiting
There are some incredible deals to be had out there, Dylan. I did a 50mi sportive on this bike yesterday and it rode like a dream, so I'm very happy with it so far.
That was a very inspiring built, congrats Peter. It made me look at a GR 048 frame but on the spec sheet it says - Single speed Crankset: 42T, same as on the GR 047, and I was wondering if that is a max or I can get away with a Sram Rival with 46T? Many thanks.
Without confirming with Seraph themselves, that's a difficult one to answer, Gri, as it all depends on the bend in the rear chain stay just behind the crank. If it bends out quite a way, then a larger chainring with more teeth may rub against it. I'm running a 2x 46-30 on this GR047, but bear in mind that the larger ring will sit slightly further out from the frame, due to it having a small ring to fit in as well. Obviously they're different frames as well though, so even if a 46t fit on this, it's not a given that it'll be the same for the GR048. Before committing to buying, I'd definitely drop Seraph an email, as they're really responsive and helpful. Just bear in mind that you're messaging China direct, so due to time differences, you may have to wait up to 24 hours for a response.
I confirm the robustness of these elite ent gravel wheels. I have a 35 mm set and clocked 5.5k km so far with several bigger potholes and stronger root hits. No issues whatsoever, they stay true. The are a really good value for money. And the standard 6-pawl freehub is ridiculously loud. As for wheeltop I am considering swapping my ltwoo gr9 brifters and grx 812 rd setup for eds gex because I am not satisfied with the shifting performance, but first I need to see some reviews.
That's really reassuring to hear, although I was fairly confident in the Elite Wheels ability thanks to the road wheels I already have. As for the GeX, I'm hoping to get my hands on it at some point, but in the mean time, Dave Noakes and the Ribble Valley Cyclist both have videos of it, if you havent already checked them out. 👌
Cheers Darrell. The saddle is really comfortable, although it did look better on my old gravel bike when it had brown bar tape and brown saddle/bar bags! It looks a bit out of place as the only brown component now though! If I replace it with a black saddle, I'd definitely get another Charge Spoon though.
If some other guy gets to the top of the hill before you, you won't be able to blame the bike. A fine warts-and-all presentation but what a palaver to get an allegedly clean-looking result with the internal cabling. Forget any trailside maintenance. But the bike does look mint, I have to say, and at a great price.
That's one downside of replacing a 13kg bike with a 9kg one... non one to blame but myself for being slow now! 🤣 And yeh, the cabling issue was a bit of a headache but as someone else mentioned here, this frame was probably designed with wireless shifting in mind, which makes sense. Really appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. 🌟
I was looking to get a gravel bike for my son as I'm riding a boardman AVG 8.9 but after seeing your video. Think I will be giving my son mine and building a carbon one.. with electronic gears, just got to see which Chinese ones in going to get..🤔 Will have to sell a few bikes to get this build... Just going to wash my mouth out now!
That's a great idea, Colin. You'll get Brownie points from your son for giving him a 'new' bike and a brand new bike for yourself. 😉 If you haven't seen my Wheeltop electronic shifting video yet though, then I've been really impressed with it so far but, as I mention in that video, it is chiefly an 'upgrade' kit, as you don't get a crankset, chain, cassette or BB with it. If you add all that in, then you're not far off the cost of a new 105 Di2 group which does give you everything you need (Merlin cycles currently selling it for £899). That said, I do like the fact that the Wheeltop is completely wireless, unlike the Shimano which has a central battery in the seat post and electric wires running to the front and rear mechs. Whichever route you go down though, best of luck with the build. 💪
Heya, thanks for another nice build video :) A few things I've noticed: - The unbranded bar tape looks a lot like the SupaCaz brand I have in my parts bin. - 12 bucks for a Dura Ace chain seems quite cheap. Are you confident, it's not a counterfeit? - I don't think full internally routed frame and handlebars are meant for mechanical groupsets, since I would expect the bends around the headset to be too tight for it to operate properly? I assume electronic shifting is what this is designed around :)
@@donttouchthisatall yes, I think you’re right about the tape being a Supacaz copy. I’ve had the real super sticky kush tape in the past and this stuff is very close to it. I often wonder if the Shimano branded gear I’ve bought from AliExpress is kosher, but I’ve had loads of comments from people much more knowledgeable than me assuring me that they are highly likely to be real, so who knows. Again, I think you’re right about the frame being primarily for wireless shifting but even getting the brake hoses through is difficult enough. 🥴 the shifting seems to be working pretty well for now though so 🤞🏼 Thanks for taking the time to watch and your thoughts too. 👌🏻🌟
@@petertreadway yes SOME of the aliexpress shimano components are real things like the groupset parts which are very veyr difficult to replicate however for the chains they are heavily counterfeited on aliexpress and i would say with 95% certainty that is not a dura ace chain for that price. The parts will be maybe 20% cheaper on ae but not 1/4th the price like that chain is.
Honestly, they’re awesome. I’ve don’t done a huge amount of miles on these ones yet, but they roll beautifully and are incredibly light. I’ve done around 4000 miles on my Elite road bike wheels and they haven’t skipped a beat once. For less than £300 for the pair, it seems almost illegal that they should be this good!
I'm really interested in this approach. I want to build an nice endurance bike with some personal touches, and front and rear derailleurs with friction shifters. Would be a nice project, and comparatively low cost as well. I'm interested in titan frame though, but I expect you have no experience with that.
I’ve not heard of Titan frames, I’m afraid but if you search on Chinatown.com, then I’m sure you’ll find at least a few reviews from others on there. The Chinese self built route is definitely a value way of getting an incredible bike for the money. Plus, as you say, you can add your own personal touches to it too. 💪🏻
I've never built a bike up before and don't have much bike repair experience. How hard would you say this sort of a build is for someone with my lack of experience? Are there are lot of tools I'd need to buy? Really enjoyed the video though, hope your ride goes/went well!
I’d say that if you’re the type of person who likes logical challenges, then this shouldn’t be difficult at all. It’s basically a life size Meccano set and there are plenty of videos online of ultra specific parts of any build you’ll need to do (look up RJ the Bike Guy 👌🏻). As for tools, if you’re working with anything carbon fibre, you’ll really want a torque wrench to make sure you don’t overtighten/crush anything, then maybe a specific bottom bracket tool for which ever BB you’re fitting and then the only other non standard tool you’d need is a cassette removal/install tool and chain whip (which can be bought cheaply on Amazon as a set). Beyond that, it’s just your standard screwdrivers and hex drivers. Hope that helps. Thanks very much though. The ride was today and it was a dream! The video will be out soon. 👌🏻
Spoken like someone who's never bought anything from China using their size charts! 🤣 Sadly, not all size charts are created equal, so I always much prefer to speak directly to the manufacturer to ask what size they'd recommend. Honestly, I'd suggest that even if buying from a big name brand. 👌
Thanks for being up-front about buying the thing vs being a typical zootube shill. Hope the bike rides well and stays together with no issues. I keep wondering why so many independent bike shops continue to be held hostage by the big brands (who have their stuff made in the same place) rather than just order a supply of bikes like these with their own name on them? Back-in-the-day they either brazed-up their own in the back of the shop or had someone else do it for them locally...but now they're hostages to the Big T, S or G while customers either DIY it or order complete bikes direct from Canyon, etc. to try to get a better bike OR a better price.
I think the problem is that there are now far fewer bike shops that do full on builds, so there a bit stuck in terms of what they can customise and maybe they just don't have the capital to buy these frames up front with the concern that they may not sell. Therefore, their only options are with the big name brands. It's a shame, as you say, but I'm fully invested in DIY builds and showing people how cheap and easy they can be.
Are you in Canada by any chance, Jon? I ask because someone commented a couple of days ago saying all the GR047 frames were out of stock for them in Canada! When I look now from the UK, everything seems to be available to buy, so maybe they are just having some restocking issues in North America. They're very responsive on email though, so definitely drop them a message to ask.
I haven’t used them yet, Charlie but with the Dirty Reiver planned for next year, I am looking in to getting a large top tube bag to store plenty of nutrition. The boots being further back just allows a larger bag to be installed there. 👌🏻
Hey there - did not watch till the end yet (will continue tomorrow) to see how the build ends... but i paused to check the shimano compatibilty chart (i wanted to do the same you did once before) and confirmed again that GRX 812 RD is 1x11 compatible (not 2x11). Pretty sure it will work, though...
Hey, thanks for taking the time to watch and the question. I hope you enjoy the rest of the video. 👌🏻 I think it might just be the way the compatibility info is worded though. The RD has no bearing on how many chainrings you can have at the front, as it literally just controls the chain at the back. Shimano state that for a 1x11 set up that the long cage RD (the 812) will need to be used ‘IF’ using an 40t or 42t cassette. However that’s only because the cassette is huge, so it needs a longer cage to accommodate it and the implication is that if you have that large a spread of gears at the back, you’ll only need to run 1x up front. That’s not to say it won’t work as a 2x, just that it’s not really necessary. A 2x11 set up with a max 34t cassette at the back would be much more standard, to give you a similar spread of gearing as a 42t sprocket with only 1 chainring. Does that make sense? In any case, I took the bike out on the Garmin ride today and it worked perfectly as a 2x with the 812 RD. 👌🏻 Again though, I really appreciate the question.
Makes perfect sense...i had the same idea to make my gravel bike more climbing friendly, combining 31/48 grx 800 and 812rd to get a greater gear ratio (11/42 cassette). Decided against it at the end because of the compatibily chart. Now i know better! Thanks for trying things out for the rest of us!
I'd personally go with the RX822 RD, because it's designed for 10-51, so intuitively, it should be less likely to have issues running 2X. (I know you just used what you had on hand though) But yes - big thanks for testing this out - extremely useful info! Edit: oops - the 822 is 12 speed, so I assume it wouldn't be compatible (or would it?) Edit 2: Googled - found a report that the 822 does actually work in an 11 speed config
Are you going to retry Great Dun Fell with the bigger gear change? Switching to a 10-36 and using a 46-33 on my Boardman, hoping to do it in under an hour!
I would love to get back up to GDF at some point, Chris, although the 11-42t cassette wasn’t specifically with that in mind. TBH as well, if I were to do it again, the chances are it’d be on my road bike, so this bike is unlikely to ever be troubled with the worst the Pennines can throw at it! 😂 Using 36 rear - 33 front ratio should see you climb it with ease though (well, I say ease, but you know what I mean! 😂). I used a 34-34 to get up there last time, so you’ll have a little more pulling power than I did. 💪🏻 Best of luck with it. 👌🏻
I mean, I think that makes most sense, because even if the seat tube is bigger, you can shim the seat post out to fit but why do you like them so much?
Great video and well done on the build. To answer your question, no I would not buy a budget China frame and source from Alibaba. Most, if not all, that stuff is a knock off of a company that did the research, design and testing to make a quality part. Knock offs did not do the work and they hurt the companies that continue to develop a sport and activity I enjoy. This is my personal opinion that you asked for. Again, I enjoyed the video.
Happy to hear your thoughts, Don and really glad you enjoyed the video. I take your point though, but while this frame does seem to mimic some larger name brands frame, that's not true for all Chinese CF frames. There are Chinese companies out there designing their own frame setups from scratch and making quality products. I appreciate that these frames aren't for everyone though, but that's the beauty of cycling, in that we can all have our own preferences but still all love just getting out together and spinning the legs on two wheels. Really appreciate you taking the time to watch and share your thoughts. 👌
I Know, I know! I rode it on a 50 mile sportive yesterday and the handlebar position felt great though, so I'm happy with the height and will likely cut the chimney off very soon.
@@petertreadway thank you for replying. Just curious, I’m in Canada and it always says 0 frames available no matter what size or colour I choose. Do you know if they don’t sell to Canada or was your video so popular that they sold out?
Oh if only I had that much influence, Bill! 😂 Given that everything is priced in USD though, that suggests they do ship to North America, so I don’t see why they shouldn’t ship to Canada. They’re really responsive by email though and I always got a response within 24 hours, so I’d highly recommend dropping them a message to ask.
Of course you can - you can even build a carbon fibre gravel bike for under 1K. The question is how much are you compromising? 😎💯 That's a nice build for what you paid 👍
Well I've now built a road and gravel bike using cheap carbon fibre frames and built cheap electronic and hydraulic components on to the road bike and a gravel bike for my son and I'm yet to have a serious problem with any of them. The road bike in particular has done around 4000 miles now and it's still going strong, so I'd say as long as you do your research, there isn;t really much of a compromise at all.
@@petertreadway If you see some carbon frame for $700-800, typically a delivery price is about .. $30. But if a frame price is $400-500, then a delivery is $100+. I’m not sure do they add this fee to their price after you pay, or do they have some cash back from a postal service. But this confuses when you try to sort frames by a sale price only.
Gotcha. Yeh, that does make it difficult to judge by product cost alone. It probably is a case of the postal cost subsidising the frame but I guess that’s no different to lots of companies offering low cost deals, only for you to find a whole host of additional features for an extra cost, that you’d expect to be basic provisions. All of that said, £566 for a carbon fibre frame that (so far) seems to be great quality is still an incredibly cheap price.
@@petertreadway Agree. Finally they know how to build carbon frames. At least not many people reported issues with T1000 ones. But 5 years ago it was 50/50
Can you tell me what the bottom bracket shell width (in millimeters) is for that bike? The website just says it is T47 with no further details. Apparently, there are about 5 different types of T47 which depends on which shell width you have.
Hey Alex, good question, well asked! I forgot to mention this. The BB shell is 86.5mm wide. I got mine from AliExpress here if it helps: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DFw5V9l
Customs fees are really hit and miss. Technically any item over £135 will attract some kind of fee, which will generally be 20% VAT plus another percentage for importing from ‘a country of another’. For imports from China in to the UK, this is an additional 6%. All of that is charged on top of the item AND shipping price. As I say though, sometimes you’ll get an invoice prior to delivery and sometimes the item will turn up on your doorstep unannounced.
Yeh, I thought it would be a nightmare too but.... having taken her out on her maiden 80km voyage last weekend, I didn't hear a squeak out of the cables! Don't want to jinx it then, but I think I've got away with it!
Internal derailleur cables with naked routing??? Never heard of that. So those lugs you talk about at 18-19 mins of video are only attributes of externally routed cables and naturally were not supplied here. Apart from that, brilliant, thanks. Also considering that most of the time was spent routing fully internals, I wonder if they have a frame with just cable entries on a side without resorting ti nightmare of routing through the handlebar...
My road bike has entry ports on either side of the frame for the brake and gear housings. The brake cable housing goes all the way through the frame, so you're not using the rigidity of the frame itself to transfer any braking force, but the shift port has a small pot in it to terminate the cable housing in to. The cable then runs naked through the frame, through a rubberised guide under the BB and then up and out for the FD, or along the chain stay and out of the rear dropout, with another pot to install a housing between the port and the RD. The channels for the cable guide that runs under the BB aren't wide enough to accommodate the housings either, so the frame is definitely designed for the shift cables to run naked through it.
@@petertreadway Thanks - this sounds really weird and sounds like a recipe for faster cable wearing to me. I have not seen this on inner cable routing frames yet. I do like this frame and looking at their site it seems to have the largest tyre clearance. Unfortunately they don't have other non fully internal routed frames that match this one.
@alexeydanilchenko434 no worries and yeh, potentially would wear cables quicker but, as someone else commented on this video, this frame and bar setup is likely built with electronic shifting in mind, so cable wear wouldn’t necessarily have been a consideration in the design. 👌🏻
Because people who spend upwards of five figures on a big name brand bike, like to think that somehow their frame was crafted by skilled artisans in a French or Italian barn Alps somewhere, when in reality they are mass produced in China exactly the same as these frames. My reason for pointing it out is to inform people that, so long as they do a little research on the Chinese company they’re getting their frame from, they can get exactly the same quality of frame as the big name brands for a fraction of the cost.
I had this frame for a while from Spcycle, good frame, sadly I stacked it BIG TIME and cracked the seat stay (and 2 fingers) not the frame's fault nothing would have survived that, I even managed to ride it home slowly. The design is a loose copy/clone of the Willier Jena if you thought it looked familiar. I got the C-Wind GT30 to replace it and I went with the external routing option, because.......well I don't really need to finish that sentence, do I? 🤣 Be VERY weary of that DA chain, at that price I'd bet it's fake I'm sorry to say, as are most on eBay in the UK. YBN are amazing chains for the price, I run them waxed on everything as they don't seem to care what brand/tooth profile they are running on, they just work/shift well, even in the mud and they are not hard to find reasonably cheap in the UK if you need one in a pinch.
Ouch! Sorry to hear that Chris! Hope you're fully recovered and back out riding again now. 💪. Really happy with the frame so far, but then I've only ridden it 50 miles, so will need to give it a bit longer before getting a real feel for it. I've also heard good things about YBN chains, so will definitely check them out next time. You could be right about the DA one I bought but I'm willing to take the risk in the name of science for you guys! 🤣 Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. Ride safe.
@@petertreadway Back riding now, that almost 14 whole hours off the bike was hard but I got through it. 😅 It was just the pinky and ring finger on the left hand, and I have this problem where I keep building/buying new bikes and forgetting to sell the old ones. Sometimes I wonder if I should talk to some about it, but it would just take valuable up riding and tinkering time. 😜 Keep an ear open for a loud "tick" when using that chain, both of the dodgy ones I got scammed with made that noise, and on inspection an outer plate had split around the pin. Happy Trails!
@chris1275cc you have a problem with keeping buying and building new bikes? I think we should start a support group just the two of us, Chris! 😂 Good to hear you had no lasting damage from the fall though and thanks for the advice with the chain. I’ll keep an ear out 👂🏻👌🏻
Hey Luiz, customs fees and import duty can be really hit and miss. Technically any item over £135 will attract an import fee, which will generally be 20% VAT (UK sales tax) plus another percentage for importing from ‘a country of another’. For imports from China in to the UK, this is an additional 6%. All of that is charged on top of the item AND shipping price. As I say though, sometimes you’ll get an invoice you’ll need to pay prior to delivery and sometimes the item will just turn up on your doorstep unannounced.
@@petertreadway thanks, im ordering it from portugal but i belive european policys about taxes are pretty much the same, just wondering why some frames on their site says eur tax free and rus tax free. i sent them a message to check. great build btw
@luizlemes3839 that’s strange, but maybe for some of the more expensive frames they pay the tax up front, which can be done. A lot of suppliers won’t bother offering that though, as it creates extra work for them, so they just let the buyer deal with the issue if required.
TBF, this frame is likely designed for electronic shifting, so I probably created more problems for myself by needing to install 4 cable housings/hoses! 🤦🏻♂️
It's a crazy price, isn't it? So while Elite Wheels are now a fairly well established Chinese brand and have wheel sets you can buy for well over £1k, they have retained their cheaper 'ENT' wheelsets. I bought a set of them for £277 for my road bike about 3 years ago and I was amazed to see they were largely the same price still for this gravel version. Given that I've done nearly 4000 miles on those road wheels without a single issue, I was happy to get the gravel set for this build. You can find them here: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DkDXKxv although they are now just over £300. The price fluctuates slightly with exchange rates, but they are generally around that price constantly
Ahhh, no! Yeh, we arrived around 8:15, had some brekkie and then we were stood just outside the marquee in the right while Katie, Chris and Ben were doing the welcome intro thing, as I was fitting Jimmy’s new wheels in the searing heat and sweating like a pig. 🤦🏻♂️ We’ll defo be back for it next year though. It was such a great ride.👌🏻 How did you find it?
@@petertreadway HOT! The wobbly paleskinned borderline ginger northlander does not do heat! It was nice to get out and ride the forest, but I forgot how 'snot flat! it was... I just wanted to get in the sea... 😖 Oh, and in answer, 7 litres of water. That's why friends call me the camel...
Not sure if that’s a tongue in cheek comment, Phillip, but if not then, respectfully, I’d have to disagree. I’ve moaned almost constantly about the weight of my old 13kg gravel bike when out on rides and that’s chiefly because it is an absolute monster to ride up any sort of incline, compared to my sub-8kg road bike. You can put some of that difference down to wider tyres/higher rolling resistance, etc but trying to lug an extra 5kg up a hill is going to have an effect.
@@petertreadway yes my comment was a little tongue in cheek. And it all comes down to personal choice. The extra weight does make a difference but for me it is not a big enough difference for me to spend another £1200 or more on another bike. But if you can afford it then it’s all good
@@petertreadway I actually have an E-bike, and it's evil in the sense that I have to use one because of my health. Or at least I have to use it if I want to be able to go any further than 2 or 3 km. Working on getting back to the point where I can ride by other bikes :)
Good point well made, Phil. I’ve just never tried tubeless and every time I think of giving it a go, I see another photo of someone with sealant all over their back and frame where they’ve had a blowout and the sealant hasn’t worked! 😂 I’ll give it a go one day, I’m sure. 👌🏻
39:24 - peeking out behind the God spray (GT85) - are you MADE of money?! Eurocarparts, Triple QX brake and clutch cleaner £2.89 for 600ml aerosol. Spend the difference on bourbons. YOU'RE WELCOME... 😎
I don’t even know where I got those, but it was likely a random Aldi aisle sale item at some point… the AliExpress videos should tell you I’m pretty tight! 😂
![[TH] 2024 PMGC League | Survival Stage วันที่ 1 | PUBG MOBILE Global Championship](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FVFT-PFwU80/mqdefault.jpg)
Strangely, I was looking at doing exactly what you've done with this build but maybe using the L-Twoo eRX gears. I am new to your channel, and I was impressed with your comprehensive approach. I liked that you linked to sites that can explain a task better than you! I liked the build so much that I subscribed! Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much Mark. I really appreciate the kind words and the sub. It’s great to have you on board.
The LTWOO groupsets are great too, and if I hadn’t been able to get hold of the GRX set so cheaply, I would definitely have fitted that. I install their mechanical R9 group on my son’s gravel bike and it works like a dream.
Best of luck with your build. 👌🏻
Thanks for the video, I ordered the same frame a few days ago, but from a different company. I'm currently ordering the parts so I can start building it soon.
@@memo-nq6vz fantastic! I hope it’s given you some ideas and inspiration for your build.
Best of luck with it. 👌🏻
Impressively articulated tutorial. A master class in bicycle building for the masses, up the rebels and thanks for your hard work, Mr. Treadway.
Thanks Richard. Blown away by your comment. Really appreciate the kind words and so glad you enjoyed it. 💪🏻
A “master class”? Really? This guy make good videos but when it comes to bike mechanics he is clearly a novice
@@phililpb I can understand your perspective, me, I think Mr. Treadway's approach refreshing, honest & humorous. He makes it quite clear he is not an expert.
Course I'm one of those who thinks bike mechanics isn't related to rocket science.
@petertreadway the headsets where the cables enter at the front seem much better for travel. Pair that with a bar / stem with a channels to hide the cables. Cables 97% hidden and you can change bars without needing to visit a psychologist afterwards.
looks like a fun frame !
though one note GRX400 (10 speed) = Tiagra level. GRX600 = 105 level
and GRX 800 = Ultegra.
You're right. Sadly, it was only only after recording this I realised my mistake, but I corrected myself in the review video I did a few weeks ago for this bike 👌
@petertreadway - no worries! I have a full GRX 810 groupset on my gravel bike ,
2x11 bombproof. The build looks great.
Get out and rip it up!!
Excellent video. I went a similar route with a road bike build except I fitted Wheeltop electronic shifting, a Chinese carbon crankset, and tubular carbon wheels I built myself. Like you, I struggled with the internal cabling which was made much easier thanks to the absence of derailleur cables. Total cost was about £1500 and it weighs in at 7.5 kilos. Ridden about 150 miles so far and everything is really good.
Overall, a great experience - no great skill required but lots of patience.
That sounds like an incredible bone for the money! 7.5kgs and a full electronic group for £1500. I’m constantly amazed at how great a deal you can get when you self build.
I love that Wheeltop group though. I’ve got it on my road bike and it works perfectly. 👌🏻
Thanks a lovely bike build Peter. Thanks for sharing it with us. I look forward to seeing your first rides and review of this.
Cheers Stuart. I took it out yesterday on the Garmin Ride Out and it rolled beautifully. I'll be doing a full review video on it soon.
Yep. Built a few such Chinese frames for myself and others. No probs. Way to go
Absolutely Felix. There are some incredible deals out there to be had. 💪🏻
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. 👌🏻🌟
Thank you sir for the video, i was looking around for a good frame to make it like my do it all bike and this looks amazing, hope you enjoy it .
@@e_n1984 perfect. So glad you enjoyed the video and gave you some ideas. 👌🏻
i build a TanTan/Seraph tt912 tri bike in April.
Did had some issues on certain parts, they help sorted me out by sending replacement part no extra charge. Also had to tinker around my steerer tube play.
Well, as TraceVelo also shared, when going this route, gotta be prepared to have some tinkering/mods to make things works.
At the end of the day, it was a fun learning experience building my 1st bike in hard mode, and great value. Its cheaper than baseline Speedmax and look way cooler
That's great to hear that Seraph gave you good after sales service. I was really impressed with the communication I had with them before I bought the frame. Absolutely agree with you (and Luke) that tinkering is a must when it comes to these frames though. Thankfully I love to play around with bikes, so don't mind the challenge.
As you say, it's a great way to learn about the inner workings of your bike
Excellent job done. The bike looks great and worth every penny. Not for me I have not the time or the patience to do it .congratulations look forward to seeing it in action.
Cheers Ian, yeh I'm really happy with it. Definitely a great way to get a much nicer bike for your money. Watch this space for the review video coming soon.
Looks 4x the price. Awesome video Peter. As a mountain biker, I really enjoyed that.
Cheers Phil, glad you enjoyed it. Yeh, I'm sp pleased with how it turned out. I think it looks incredible and it rides like a dream. 👌
Awesome bike build I have the exact frame in flat black, I went the road bike direction with 32c's, and di2. Keep up that great builds and riding on.
I do love a flat black frame and I built may road bike with that colour. I thought I'd add a splash of extra colour to this one though.
Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment. 💪
I've been super interested in this frame so I'm so glad to finally see somebody do a full build of it! Would you be able to do a weight test of its full configuration?
So glad you found the video useful. When you say weight of the full configuration, do you mean the full weight with everything loaded on it, or the weight of all the individual parts?
Jimmy will be wanting to upgrade his once he sees it 😅 very nice build for a great price. Is good to see a self build and you get to learn lots of skills along the way 😊
@@simonb6058 I’ve been riding with Jimmy all day in the New Forest today and he’s very jealous of it already! 😂
I love tinkering with bikes though. As you say, you get to learn so much!
Good video, very nice overview and build.
Cheers Adam, glad you found it useful.
I’ve actually done a follow up ride and review of this bike too, if you haven’t seen it yet. 👌🏻
Brilliant video, really well explained and a very good looking bike. Can't wait to see it in action.
Thanks so much. Really glad you enjoyed the video and found it interesting. I’ll do a full review video of it soon. 👌🏻
Great build! In this day and age £1200 is a lot of money to some people. However in cycling terms for a carbon gravel bike, with that spec it’s a steal.
Yeh, it’s an incredibly priced bike and for the performance you get with it as well, the price is even better! 👌🏻
Great video, definitely something I'm interested in doing myself. I notice that Seraph do ebike frames. Could be an interesting project
I wasn’t actually aware of them doing e bike frames, Daniel. That definitely could be an interesting self build…. You’ve got me thinking now! 🤔😂
Glad you enjoyed the video though. Really appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. 💪🏻🌟
Looks stunning Peter and love the colour as well. Looks very slick!
@@GaryPerlmutter thanks so much Gary. Yeh, I’m so happy with how it turned out. 👌🏻
I always enjoy your build videos, and this one didn't disappoint. The only downside is that we won't get to hear you telling us just how heavy your gravel bike is 😂 perhaps you could occasionally compare the two as a way of weaning us off. On the subject of cost, it's brilliant since £1200 is pretty much at the top end of entry level spec bikes. If I had the money I'd absolutely do the same.
Cheers Alex, I'm glad you enjoyed this and my other build videos. Don't worry though, I'll keep harking back to the weight of the old one in comparison to this for some time!
And yeh, I was so pleased with the end cost, although that was helped massively with getting the GRX groupset so cheaply. I'd have been happy to put an LTWOO gravel group on this if I couldn't;t have sourced the Shimano parts though.
@@petertreadway to be honest, after seeing the title, I'm surprised you didn't use an LTWOO groupset. That would probably be my go to as I was impressed by their road groupset.
DAMNIT! What am I gonna needle you with now?! Epic video as always, sir!
You finally bullied me in to getting something lighter! 😂
Cheers though, Sam. Really appreciate your continued support. 💪🏻
@@petertreadway Ain't getting rid of me that easily! 😁🤣
Wouldn’t have it any other way. 😉
Brilliant content mate. Thank you. Very useful and well delivered. You just got a long term sub!
Thanks so much. So glad you enjoyed the video and really appreciate the sub. Great to have you on board. 💪🏻
Nice bike Peter. Happy riding.
Thanks Paul, really appreciate that.
The bike looks fantastic and based on this video, yes, I would buy the frame and handlebars.
The other thing about the round post as it should allow for a dropper set up, which is great for lots of terrain and especially for descending.
Are you doing a ride review? That would be great.
Very true about the dropper post. I have one somewhere in my spare parts bin, so I should dig it out and install it.
I've done a ride review of this bike now too. You can find it here:
th-cam.com/video/zei-77HsFa4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1j-_9DEx-Kgb48iq
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. 👌
I got mine gr048 last week, what a nightmare those cables, i give up the internal routing in the bars, now im hassling with the play in the headset, maybe going to drill some holes in the spacers so take the cables off easier 😬 but the frame looks amazing for the price 👌🏻
Nice build Peter look forward to your ride review 😊 Pete 🚴🏻👍
Cheers Pete, glad you enjoyed it. I'll be taking it for a review ride soon, I promise.
Great looking bike, though! Realy curious to hear if you find any issues with the 2x11 setup and 812RD 👍
Thanks so much. Yeh, I’m massively happy with how it turned out.
I’ve just replied about the 2x11 compatibility on your other comment but let me know if it doesn’t make sense. 👌🏻
Those internal cables limit your ability to easily change stem length/bar height. I always end experimenting with different stem size/bar heights before I settle on a perfect one.
With some types of internal cables("Zero room for error on these"), you would need to replace your internal cables with cables of a new length-every time you move your bars an inch or 2. Deal-breaker for me.
Excellent demo on building this frame!
Yeh, if I'm honest, Steve, it's the thought of the hassle it'll cause that's stopping me from taking the bar off and cutting the chimney down! At best I might get away with removing the front brake caliper and pulling that hose up through the fork for a bit of wiggle room and hope there's enough give on the rest of the cables/rear brake hose to lift the bar off the steerer. At worst, it'll mean redoing all of the cables and hoses, as you suggest. I'm going to do a longer term review on this bike shortly and that'll be one of the things I mention.
If I were to do an internal routing build again, I'd definitely try to stuff as much excess hose in to the frame before terminating it and then leave enough extra cable on the FD and RD to release the screw and pull a bit of cable back through.
A real PITA though, as you say. I'm a sucker for that clean cockpit look though! 😂
Glad you enjoyed the video though. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment.
Very well made Video! I was thinking about building one on my own. Do you remember the width and the stem length of your handlebar?
@@PatrickFranzreb thanks Patrick, so glad you enjoyed it. I’d definitely recommend self building to anyone who’s willing to give it a go.
As for the handlebar, mine was 400mm wide (to match the distance between the bony parts of my shoulders) and a 90mm stem. Hope that helps and thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. 👌🏻🌟
Amazing bike nicely built 👍
Thanks very much. 💪
i would love to build a bike like yours :) Great video, keep up the good work :)
Thanks very much. It’s really not that difficult to put a bike together. It’s just like a giant Meccano build. 😂
AliExpress makes it much cheaper than buying big name brands too, so it doesn’t have to cost and arm and a leg! 💪🏻🌟
@@petertreadway i might try it soon :)
T47 BB for the win!
It's an absolutely massive BB shell, but it seems to be working perfectly. Plenty of room for fiddling with cables, which was nice. 👌
The build looks great Peter! and the matte frame 💎 i wish i could try or do something like this but here in Chile the taxes for importing stuff are ruthless. Nevertheless, the build seems great for the the prices you ended paying.
Hoping to see how the bike works in action 💯
Ahh, damn, that sucks! Sorry dude! Hope you still have a bike to cut round on though.
I'll do a full review of the bike soon.
Hi Peter.
Nice build!
I have little, to no tech skills so purchased a Triban GRVL520 Sram.
The Shimano SPD's come highly recommended by another cycling channel I watch, so they''ll be going on a some point.
@@anthonylloyd6094 thanks Anthony, glad you enjoyed it. As for the Triban, I’ve got a lot of time for Decathlon bikes. My guest ever ‘proper’ road bike was a Triban 500SE, which now sits pride of place on my turbo trainer.
Definitely agree with putting SPD pedals on though. 👌🏻
Great build! Mission of discovery on video, excellent way to go! There is deffinatyely a genra evoloving utilizing chinese parts as the Shimanos and Srams of this World have managed to outprice their appeal to many of us! 1200 quid, yep a great price.
GCN released their 9K old/new bike build, planely in another universe! I suggeted they do the same on a budget, same old frame / new kit build, but limited to a max of 500 quid.
Thanks Andy, glad you enjoyed it, and yes, definitely a learning curve involved in this one. Best way to learn though. 👌🏻
I like your idea of old frame new kit bike though, so might give that a go myself. 💪🏻
I like the idea with the electrical tape inside out. Have you considered using spray adhesive for the bars? I almost did it on this last build but im still waffling about adding a front derailleur
I can't claim credit for the inside out tape, as I got that from Calvin Jones of Park Tools (everyone's favourite bike mechanics teacher! 🤣)
Not sure about spray adhesive though, as I feel that would leave quite a heavy residue when removing the bar tape. That would be messy and difficult to remove, I think. The beauty of insulation tape is that it doesn't 'stick' to the bar. You just stretch it tight enough for it to stay in place with friction, plus overlapping it slightly, so it sticks to itself. It then comes off clean as anything, with now mess. 👌
Regards the FD, I assume you're running 1x currently. What size cassette are you running at the back?
yep i would build a chinese carbon frame. i have been ordering parts and trying to pick a frame. that one is on the short list. just the other offerings that clear 50s has me on the fence. excited to see your review. have the same wheelset and an ltwoo electronic group in the garage waiting
There are some incredible deals to be had out there, Dylan. I did a 50mi sportive on this bike yesterday and it rode like a dream, so I'm very happy with it so far.
That was a very inspiring built, congrats Peter. It made me look at a GR 048 frame but on the spec sheet it says - Single speed Crankset: 42T, same as on the GR 047, and I was wondering if that is a max or I can get away with a Sram Rival with 46T? Many thanks.
Without confirming with Seraph themselves, that's a difficult one to answer, Gri, as it all depends on the bend in the rear chain stay just behind the crank. If it bends out quite a way, then a larger chainring with more teeth may rub against it.
I'm running a 2x 46-30 on this GR047, but bear in mind that the larger ring will sit slightly further out from the frame, due to it having a small ring to fit in as well. Obviously they're different frames as well though, so even if a 46t fit on this, it's not a given that it'll be the same for the GR048.
Before committing to buying, I'd definitely drop Seraph an email, as they're really responsive and helpful. Just bear in mind that you're messaging China direct, so due to time differences, you may have to wait up to 24 hours for a response.
@@petertreadway Thank you for taking the time! I think I might have gotten what I need from this thorough answer. Keep on doing what u are doing!
I confirm the robustness of these elite ent gravel wheels. I have a 35 mm set and clocked 5.5k km so far with several bigger potholes and stronger root hits. No issues whatsoever, they stay true. The are a really good value for money. And the standard 6-pawl freehub is ridiculously loud. As for wheeltop I am considering swapping my ltwoo gr9 brifters and grx 812 rd setup for eds gex because I am not satisfied with the shifting performance, but first I need to see some reviews.
That's really reassuring to hear, although I was fairly confident in the Elite Wheels ability thanks to the road wheels I already have.
As for the GeX, I'm hoping to get my hands on it at some point, but in the mean time, Dave Noakes and the Ribble Valley Cyclist both have videos of it, if you havent already checked them out. 👌
@@petertreadway yeah, I saw their videos but these are just unboxing. I am waiting for an actual test video.
Great looking bike Peter, not sure about the saddle ? But if your comfortable every one to there own
Cheers Darrell. The saddle is really comfortable, although it did look better on my old gravel bike when it had brown bar tape and brown saddle/bar bags! It looks a bit out of place as the only brown component now though!
If I replace it with a black saddle, I'd definitely get another Charge Spoon though.
If some other guy gets to the top of the hill before you, you won't be able to blame the bike. A fine warts-and-all presentation but what a palaver to get an allegedly clean-looking result with the internal cabling. Forget any trailside maintenance. But the bike does look mint, I have to say, and at a great price.
That's one downside of replacing a 13kg bike with a 9kg one... non one to blame but myself for being slow now! 🤣
And yeh, the cabling issue was a bit of a headache but as someone else mentioned here, this frame was probably designed with wireless shifting in mind, which makes sense.
Really appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. 🌟
And a great tip about applying electrical tape sticky side up to stop the bar tape slipping. Genius.
@weeringjohnny I wish I could take credit for that tip, but that was all Calvin Jones of the Park Tool company! 😂
I was looking to get a gravel bike for my son as I'm riding a boardman AVG 8.9 but after seeing your video.
Think I will be giving my son mine and building a carbon one.. with electronic gears, just got to see which Chinese ones in going to get..🤔
Will have to sell a few bikes to get this build...
Just going to wash my mouth out now!
That's a great idea, Colin. You'll get Brownie points from your son for giving him a 'new' bike and a brand new bike for yourself. 😉
If you haven't seen my Wheeltop electronic shifting video yet though, then I've been really impressed with it so far but, as I mention in that video, it is chiefly an 'upgrade' kit, as you don't get a crankset, chain, cassette or BB with it. If you add all that in, then you're not far off the cost of a new 105 Di2 group which does give you everything you need (Merlin cycles currently selling it for £899). That said, I do like the fact that the Wheeltop is completely wireless, unlike the Shimano which has a central battery in the seat post and electric wires running to the front and rear mechs.
Whichever route you go down though, best of luck with the build. 💪
Heya, thanks for another nice build video :)
A few things I've noticed:
- The unbranded bar tape looks a lot like the SupaCaz brand I have in my parts bin.
- 12 bucks for a Dura Ace chain seems quite cheap. Are you confident, it's not a counterfeit?
- I don't think full internally routed frame and handlebars are meant for mechanical groupsets, since I would expect the bends around the headset to be too tight for it to operate properly? I assume electronic shifting is what this is designed around :)
@@donttouchthisatall yes, I think you’re right about the tape being a Supacaz copy. I’ve had the real super sticky kush tape in the past and this stuff is very close to it.
I often wonder if the Shimano branded gear I’ve bought from AliExpress is kosher, but I’ve had loads of comments from people much more knowledgeable than me assuring me that they are highly likely to be real, so who knows.
Again, I think you’re right about the frame being primarily for wireless shifting but even getting the brake hoses through is difficult enough. 🥴 the shifting seems to be working pretty well for now though so 🤞🏼
Thanks for taking the time to watch and your thoughts too. 👌🏻🌟
@@petertreadway yes SOME of the aliexpress shimano components are real things like the groupset parts which are very veyr difficult to replicate however for the chains they are heavily counterfeited on aliexpress and i would say with 95% certainty that is not a dura ace chain for that price. The parts will be maybe 20% cheaper on ae but not 1/4th the price like that chain is.
thank you for making a great point
@@CreativeFishDesignsCharlotte you’re very welcome. 😉👌🏻
How do you find the elite wheels?? Looking of getting a set for my gravel bike. Nice one
Honestly, they’re awesome. I’ve don’t done a huge amount of miles on these ones yet, but they roll beautifully and are incredibly light.
I’ve done around 4000 miles on my Elite road bike wheels and they haven’t skipped a beat once. For less than £300 for the pair, it seems almost illegal that they should be this good!
I'm really interested in this approach. I want to build an nice endurance bike with some personal touches, and front and rear derailleurs with friction shifters. Would be a nice project, and comparatively low cost as well. I'm interested in titan frame though, but I expect you have no experience with that.
I’ve not heard of Titan frames, I’m afraid but if you search on Chinatown.com, then I’m sure you’ll find at least a few reviews from others on there.
The Chinese self built route is definitely a value way of getting an incredible bike for the money. Plus, as you say, you can add your own personal touches to it too. 💪🏻
@@petertreadway Thanks for the reply. I meant titanium frame, but as decidedly foreign and very tired I miswrote. :)
I've never built a bike up before and don't have much bike repair experience. How hard would you say this sort of a build is for someone with my lack of experience? Are there are lot of tools I'd need to buy?
Really enjoyed the video though, hope your ride goes/went well!
I’d say that if you’re the type of person who likes logical challenges, then this shouldn’t be difficult at all. It’s basically a life size Meccano set and there are plenty of videos online of ultra specific parts of any build you’ll need to do (look up RJ the Bike Guy 👌🏻).
As for tools, if you’re working with anything carbon fibre, you’ll really want a torque wrench to make sure you don’t overtighten/crush anything, then maybe a specific bottom bracket tool for which ever BB you’re fitting and then the only other non standard tool you’d need is a cassette removal/install tool and chain whip (which can be bought cheaply on Amazon as a set).
Beyond that, it’s just your standard screwdrivers and hex drivers. Hope that helps.
Thanks very much though. The ride was today and it was a dream! The video will be out soon. 👌🏻
Don't they have a geometry chart? Sizing shouldnt be a mystery...
Spoken like someone who's never bought anything from China using their size charts! 🤣
Sadly, not all size charts are created equal, so I always much prefer to speak directly to the manufacturer to ask what size they'd recommend. Honestly, I'd suggest that even if buying from a big name brand. 👌
@@petertreadway so in this case, did your your frame measure up to the provided geo chart?
Thanks for being up-front about buying the thing vs being a typical zootube shill. Hope the bike rides well and stays together with no issues.
I keep wondering why so many independent bike shops continue to be held hostage by the big brands (who have their stuff made in the same place) rather than just order a supply of bikes like these with their own name on them? Back-in-the-day they either brazed-up their own in the back of the shop or had someone else do it for them locally...but now they're hostages to the Big T, S or G while customers either DIY it or order complete bikes direct from Canyon, etc. to try to get a better bike OR a better price.
I think the problem is that there are now far fewer bike shops that do full on builds, so there a bit stuck in terms of what they can customise and maybe they just don't have the capital to buy these frames up front with the concern that they may not sell. Therefore, their only options are with the big name brands.
It's a shame, as you say, but I'm fully invested in DIY builds and showing people how cheap and easy they can be.
Is the GR047 discontinued or are they just out of stock after you released the video :) GR048 looks good as well.
Are you in Canada by any chance, Jon? I ask because someone commented a couple of days ago saying all the GR047 frames were out of stock for them in Canada!
When I look now from the UK, everything seems to be available to buy, so maybe they are just having some restocking issues in North America.
They're very responsive on email though, so definitely drop them a message to ask.
@@petertreadway Europe/Norway. Well I’ll look into it later. Either way the 047 or 048 will be a nice project ☺️
Those mounting bolts for the top tube bag being so far back, where they actually useful?
I haven’t used them yet, Charlie but with the Dirty Reiver planned for next year, I am looking in to getting a large top tube bag to store plenty of nutrition. The boots being further back just allows a larger bag to be installed there. 👌🏻
Hey there - did not watch till the end yet (will continue tomorrow) to see how the build ends... but i paused to check the shimano compatibilty chart (i wanted to do the same you did once before) and confirmed again that GRX 812 RD is 1x11 compatible (not 2x11). Pretty sure it will work, though...
Hey, thanks for taking the time to watch and the question. I hope you enjoy the rest of the video. 👌🏻
I think it might just be the way the compatibility info is worded though. The RD has no bearing on how many chainrings you can have at the front, as it literally just controls the chain at the back.
Shimano state that for a 1x11 set up that the long cage RD (the 812) will need to be used ‘IF’ using an 40t or 42t cassette. However that’s only because the cassette is huge, so it needs a longer cage to accommodate it and the implication is that if you have that large a spread of gears at the back, you’ll only need to run 1x up front. That’s not to say it won’t work as a 2x, just that it’s not really necessary. A 2x11 set up with a max 34t cassette at the back would be much more standard, to give you a similar spread of gearing as a 42t sprocket with only 1 chainring.
Does that make sense?
In any case, I took the bike out on the Garmin ride today and it worked perfectly as a 2x with the 812 RD. 👌🏻
Again though, I really appreciate the question.
Makes perfect sense...i had the same idea to make my gravel bike more climbing friendly, combining 31/48 grx 800 and 812rd to get a greater gear ratio (11/42 cassette). Decided against it at the end because of the compatibily chart. Now i know better! Thanks for trying things out for the rest of us!
I'd personally go with the RX822 RD, because it's designed for 10-51, so intuitively, it should be less likely to have issues running 2X. (I know you just used what you had on hand though) But yes - big thanks for testing this out - extremely useful info!
Edit: oops - the 822 is 12 speed, so I assume it wouldn't be compatible (or would it?)
Edit 2: Googled - found a report that the 822 does actually work in an 11 speed config
Are you going to retry Great Dun Fell with the bigger gear change?
Switching to a 10-36 and using a 46-33 on my Boardman, hoping to do it in under an hour!
I would love to get back up to GDF at some point, Chris, although the 11-42t cassette wasn’t specifically with that in mind. TBH as well, if I were to do it again, the chances are it’d be on my road bike, so this bike is unlikely to ever be troubled with the worst the Pennines can throw at it! 😂
Using 36 rear - 33 front ratio should see you climb it with ease though (well, I say ease, but you know what I mean! 😂). I used a 34-34 to get up there last time, so you’ll have a little more pulling power than I did. 💪🏻
Best of luck with it. 👌🏻
27,2 mm seat posts are the best option!
I mean, I think that makes most sense, because even if the seat tube is bigger, you can shim the seat post out to fit but why do you like them so much?
Great video and well done on the build. To answer your question, no I would not buy a budget China frame and source from Alibaba. Most, if not all, that stuff is a knock off of a company that did the research, design and testing to make a quality part. Knock offs did not do the work and they hurt the companies that continue to develop a sport and activity I enjoy. This is my personal opinion that you asked for. Again, I enjoyed the video.
Happy to hear your thoughts, Don and really glad you enjoyed the video.
I take your point though, but while this frame does seem to mimic some larger name brands frame, that's not true for all Chinese CF frames. There are Chinese companies out there designing their own frame setups from scratch and making quality products.
I appreciate that these frames aren't for everyone though, but that's the beauty of cycling, in that we can all have our own preferences but still all love just getting out together and spinning the legs on two wheels.
Really appreciate you taking the time to watch and share your thoughts. 👌
Cool bike, but the chimney....😂
I Know, I know! I rode it on a 50 mile sportive yesterday and the handlebar position felt great though, so I'm happy with the height and will likely cut the chimney off very soon.
I can’t find the discount code for the frame or the ParkTool link that were promised. Am I missing something?
Sorry Bill, clearly had a brain fart when writing out the description! Added now though. Thanks for the reminder. 👌
@@petertreadway thank you for replying. Just curious, I’m in Canada and it always says 0 frames available no matter what size or colour I choose. Do you know if they don’t sell to Canada or was your video so popular that they sold out?
Oh if only I had that much influence, Bill! 😂
Given that everything is priced in USD though, that suggests they do ship to North America, so I don’t see why they shouldn’t ship to Canada.
They’re really responsive by email though and I always got a response within 24 hours, so I’d highly recommend dropping them a message to ask.
Of course you can - you can even build a carbon fibre gravel bike for under 1K. The question is how much are you compromising? 😎💯 That's a nice build for what you paid 👍
Well I've now built a road and gravel bike using cheap carbon fibre frames and built cheap electronic and hydraulic components on to the road bike and a gravel bike for my son and I'm yet to have a serious problem with any of them.
The road bike in particular has done around 4000 miles now and it's still going strong, so I'd say as long as you do your research, there isn;t really much of a compromise at all.
They usually ask $100+ for cheaper frames. “This is not about us, this is a post service” they say.
Sorry, I'm not sure I understand. What do you mean?
@@petertreadway If you see some carbon frame for $700-800, typically a delivery price is about .. $30. But if a frame price is $400-500, then a delivery is $100+. I’m not sure do they add this fee to their price after you pay, or do they have some cash back from a postal service. But this confuses when you try to sort frames by a sale price only.
Gotcha. Yeh, that does make it difficult to judge by product cost alone. It probably is a case of the postal cost subsidising the frame but I guess that’s no different to lots of companies offering low cost deals, only for you to find a whole host of additional features for an extra cost, that you’d expect to be basic provisions.
All of that said, £566 for a carbon fibre frame that (so far) seems to be great quality is still an incredibly cheap price.
@@petertreadway Agree. Finally they know how to build carbon frames. At least not many people reported issues with T1000 ones. But 5 years ago it was 50/50
Can you tell me what the bottom bracket shell width (in millimeters) is for that bike? The website just says it is T47 with no further details. Apparently, there are about 5 different types of T47 which depends on which shell width you have.
Hey Alex, good question, well asked! I forgot to mention this.
The BB shell is 86.5mm wide. I got mine from AliExpress here if it helps: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DFw5V9l
Hello Peter, for the carbon frame what customs fees should be added please?
Customs fees are really hit and miss. Technically any item over £135 will attract some kind of fee, which will generally be 20% VAT plus another percentage for importing from ‘a country of another’. For imports from China in to the UK, this is an additional 6%.
All of that is charged on top of the item AND shipping price.
As I say though, sometimes you’ll get an invoice prior to delivery and sometimes the item will turn up on your doorstep unannounced.
@@petertreadway Thanks a lot!
This frame also looks like a Lexon gravel frame, though i am not 100% sure.
Yes, very possibly. A lot of these frames are open sold, so the design will be shared by more than one manufacturer.
All those cables and hoses with no dampening routed internally, they're going to rattle like a box of spanners and drive you insane,
Yeh, I thought it would be a nightmare too but.... having taken her out on her maiden 80km voyage last weekend, I didn't hear a squeak out of the cables!
Don't want to jinx it then, but I think I've got away with it!
Just ordered a gr048 😂how long it took for the frame to arrive ?
Mine came in about two weeks, I think. You won’t be disappointed though, it’s a great frame set. 👌🏻
Internal derailleur cables with naked routing??? Never heard of that. So those lugs you talk about at 18-19 mins of video are only attributes of externally routed cables and naturally were not supplied here. Apart from that, brilliant, thanks.
Also considering that most of the time was spent routing fully internals, I wonder if they have a frame with just cable entries on a side without resorting ti nightmare of routing through the handlebar...
My road bike has entry ports on either side of the frame for the brake and gear housings. The brake cable housing goes all the way through the frame, so you're not using the rigidity of the frame itself to transfer any braking force, but the shift port has a small pot in it to terminate the cable housing in to. The cable then runs naked through the frame, through a rubberised guide under the BB and then up and out for the FD, or along the chain stay and out of the rear dropout, with another pot to install a housing between the port and the RD.
The channels for the cable guide that runs under the BB aren't wide enough to accommodate the housings either, so the frame is definitely designed for the shift cables to run naked through it.
@@petertreadway Thanks - this sounds really weird and sounds like a recipe for faster cable wearing to me. I have not seen this on inner cable routing frames yet.
I do like this frame and looking at their site it seems to have the largest tyre clearance. Unfortunately they don't have other non fully internal routed frames that match this one.
@alexeydanilchenko434 no worries and yeh, potentially would wear cables quicker but, as someone else commented on this video, this frame and bar setup is likely built with electronic shifting in mind, so cable wear wouldn’t necessarily have been a consideration in the design. 👌🏻
**SPOILER ALERT** just about every carbon gravel frame is made in China or Taiwan. Seems like a weird thing to highlight.
Because people who spend upwards of five figures on a big name brand bike, like to think that somehow their frame was crafted by skilled artisans in a French or Italian barn Alps somewhere, when in reality they are mass produced in China exactly the same as these frames.
My reason for pointing it out is to inform people that, so long as they do a little research on the Chinese company they’re getting their frame from, they can get exactly the same quality of frame as the big name brands for a fraction of the cost.
I had this frame for a while from Spcycle, good frame, sadly I stacked it BIG TIME and cracked the seat stay (and 2 fingers) not the frame's fault nothing would have survived that, I even managed to ride it home slowly. The design is a loose copy/clone of the Willier Jena if you thought it looked familiar.
I got the C-Wind GT30 to replace it and I went with the external routing option, because.......well I don't really need to finish that sentence, do I? 🤣
Be VERY weary of that DA chain, at that price I'd bet it's fake I'm sorry to say, as are most on eBay in the UK. YBN are amazing chains for the price, I run them waxed on everything as they don't seem to care what brand/tooth profile they are running on, they just work/shift well, even in the mud and they are not hard to find reasonably cheap in the UK if you need one in a pinch.
Ouch! Sorry to hear that Chris! Hope you're fully recovered and back out riding again now. 💪. Really happy with the frame so far, but then I've only ridden it 50 miles, so will need to give it a bit longer before getting a real feel for it.
I've also heard good things about YBN chains, so will definitely check them out next time. You could be right about the DA one I bought but I'm willing to take the risk in the name of science for you guys! 🤣
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. Ride safe.
@@petertreadway Back riding now, that almost 14 whole hours off the bike was hard but I got through it. 😅 It was just the pinky and ring finger on the left hand, and I have this problem where I keep building/buying new bikes and forgetting to sell the old ones. Sometimes I wonder if I should talk to some about it, but it would just take valuable up riding and tinkering time. 😜
Keep an ear open for a loud "tick" when using that chain, both of the dodgy ones I got scammed with made that noise, and on inspection an outer plate had split around the pin.
Happy Trails!
@chris1275cc you have a problem with keeping buying and building new bikes? I think we should start a support group just the two of us, Chris! 😂
Good to hear you had no lasting damage from the fall though and thanks for the advice with the chain. I’ll keep an ear out 👂🏻👌🏻
@@petertreadway Bicycle Hoarders Anonyms.
5 minutes into the first meeting, we would all be on a group ride......to a bike shop. 🤣
What kind of saddle are you using ?
It's a Charge Spoon. So comfortable!
Hello you have any info about taxes ?
Hey Luiz, customs fees and import duty can be really hit and miss. Technically any item over £135 will attract an import fee, which will generally be 20% VAT (UK sales tax) plus another percentage for importing from ‘a country of another’. For imports from China in to the UK, this is an additional 6%.
All of that is charged on top of the item AND shipping price.
As I say though, sometimes you’ll get an invoice you’ll need to pay prior to delivery and sometimes the item will just turn up on your doorstep unannounced.
@@petertreadway thanks, im ordering it from portugal but i belive european policys about taxes are pretty much the same, just wondering why some frames on their site says eur tax free and rus tax free. i sent them a message to check. great build btw
@luizlemes3839 that’s strange, but maybe for some of the more expensive frames they pay the tax up front, which can be done. A lot of suppliers won’t bother offering that though, as it creates extra work for them, so they just let the buyer deal with the issue if required.
Why do they make handlebars that you can't get the hoses through?
TBF, this frame is likely designed for electronic shifting, so I probably created more problems for myself by needing to install 4 cable housings/hoses! 🤦🏻♂️
I always love when chinese production bike companies are like "hell yes here's a code" and its literally 3%.
3% is better than 0% though. 😉
How did you get the elitewheels down to 280 pounds? That's an absolute bargain
It's a crazy price, isn't it?
So while Elite Wheels are now a fairly well established Chinese brand and have wheel sets you can buy for well over £1k, they have retained their cheaper 'ENT' wheelsets. I bought a set of them for £277 for my road bike about 3 years ago and I was amazed to see they were largely the same price still for this gravel version. Given that I've done nearly 4000 miles on those road wheels without a single issue, I was happy to get the gravel set for this build.
You can find them here: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DkDXKxv although they are now just over £300. The price fluctuates slightly with exchange rates, but they are generally around that price constantly
Further to my last comment, you can actually still get the road wheels for around £280.
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dk5AvbV
@@petertreadway For me they're almost 350 pound, but I'm afraid that's because of a different exchange rate to euros.
Ahhh, yes of course. That’s frustrating! That said, £350 is still a great price for a complete wheel set, especially one as good as these are. 👌🏻
Wait, hang on, I did that?! How did I miss you?! 😱
The North London Dirt Ride???
@@petertreadway no, the Garmin ride out, today in Ringwood? I only live just up the M27!
Ahhh, no! Yeh, we arrived around 8:15, had some brekkie and then we were stood just outside the marquee in the right while Katie, Chris and Ben were doing the welcome intro thing, as I was fitting Jimmy’s new wheels in the searing heat and sweating like a pig. 🤦🏻♂️
We’ll defo be back for it next year though. It was such a great ride.👌🏻
How did you find it?
@@petertreadway HOT! The wobbly paleskinned borderline ginger northlander does not do heat! It was nice to get out and ride the forest, but I forgot how 'snot flat! it was... I just wanted to get in the sea... 😖 Oh, and in answer, 7 litres of water. That's why friends call me the camel...
Well done again Mr Treadway. I am losing count of how many bikes you have. I have 5 so can't complain.
@@richardhall263 I only have 1 bike, Richard! Honest, ask my wife…. 👀🤫😂
The weight of a bike is only important if you need to carry it
Not sure if that’s a tongue in cheek comment, Phillip, but if not then, respectfully, I’d have to disagree.
I’ve moaned almost constantly about the weight of my old 13kg gravel bike when out on rides and that’s chiefly because it is an absolute monster to ride up any sort of incline, compared to my sub-8kg road bike.
You can put some of that difference down to wider tyres/higher rolling resistance, etc but trying to lug an extra 5kg up a hill is going to have an effect.
@@petertreadway yes my comment was a little tongue in cheek. And it all comes down to personal choice. The extra weight does make a difference but for me it is not a big enough difference for me to spend another £1200 or more on another bike. But if you can afford it then it’s all good
At least you didn't make the mistake of using the E word.
@@rfwillett2424 e bike or electronic shifting? 😂
@@petertreadway Could have been either. But no, even more evil, the worse possible curse on any undertaking, just say "It's Easy".
@@petertreadway I actually have an E-bike, and it's evil in the sense that I have to use one because of my health. Or at least I have to use it if I want to be able to go any further than 2 or 3 km. Working on getting back to the point where I can ride by other bikes :)
Why not tubeless?
Good point well made, Phil. I’ve just never tried tubeless and every time I think of giving it a go, I see another photo of someone with sealant all over their back and frame where they’ve had a blowout and the sealant hasn’t worked! 😂
I’ll give it a go one day, I’m sure. 👌🏻
GRX 600 = Tiagra ; GRX 800 = Ultegra !
Having just checked, it appears we are both slightly wrong! 😂
800 is Ultegra, as you say, but 600 is 105. 400 is Tiagra. 😉
39:24 - peeking out behind the God spray (GT85) - are you MADE of money?! Eurocarparts, Triple QX brake and clutch cleaner £2.89 for 600ml aerosol. Spend the difference on bourbons. YOU'RE WELCOME... 😎
I don’t even know where I got those, but it was likely a random Aldi aisle sale item at some point… the AliExpress videos should tell you I’m pretty tight! 😂
... im still not sure about that saddle ..😏
@@davewright8206 the colour or comfort, Dave, because I’ve gotta tell you, it’s as comfy as anything. 🍑👌🏻
Looks like polygon frame.
@@biggertree7063 very possibly. A lot of these frames are open mold, so you’ll likely see the same design rebranded by a few companies. 👌🏻
Hydraulic brakes............ Bleeding hell.
Yep! 😖
wilier jena frame lol
For a fraction of the cost. 💪🏻
Clearly a fake video. The "on air" sign is off... It shouldn't even be possible for us to be able to see the video right now. Rookie mistake.
F- Must try harder! 😂
I'll try to get the sign fixed for the next video, Daniel!