Weight Cheapie (Chinese crabon fun)

Considering their proximity to rapha I'd say the price has tripled.

buy a torque wrench.

This. It's best practice to use one if you're successfully going to adjust anything yourself in the future.

+1. Building up a bike isn't particularly hard or skilled, provided you have the correct tools (including a torque wrench). And it's much more satisfying to have done it yourself.

If anyone need persuasion I can post some pictures of nice components that I've mangled over the years before I decided to buy a) a torque wrench and b) a proper set of spanners rather than an adjustable one...

No, it really isn't. It's akin to putting some leccy tape over the silver piece of fruit on the back of your phone. You're still ordering a brand new frame from the other end of the earth, made in a country that throws up power stations like apartment blocks. A "big fu" would be to build your own frame.

I don't understand why I should spend the time and money to build something myself when there are more cost-effective alternatives enabled by globalization. All I know is it makes me smile in sportives when fat old me passes fit MAMILs on a Cervelo that cost twice as much as my open mold charbon bike. I don't think I would be on the same line on a DIY steel frame.

You can do DIY carbon, many people have.

Definately get a torque wrench and assembly paste. A search on here should bring up some threads.

I would do most of the building yourself and have a shop do:

• cutting down forks
  
• BB/crank installation
  
• *probably *headset (especially if you're get the forks done anyway)
  
  
  
  
  

I'm sure BLB have no problem with Chinese carbon...

Although I wouldn't trust them with so much as changing a tyre.

It's best to learn how to do it yourself and to buy a torque wrench but I mean get the carbon checked over :)

Also carbon assembly grease is useful to have around.

The only two jobs I've had done by BLB were both excellently done*. One was free, the other had some cheeky "extras" such as a chain and crank bolts that I didn't ask for.

• Phil BB installation
  
• fixed cog tightened
  

Build day...

You are going to need fluro yellow shoes to go with a bike this black!! (Looks good though)

So. Much. Carbon

its nicer when you build it up then complete it then ride it its like self satisfaction

Looking good, glad you didn't go for the full carbon clinchers!

I still can't help but feel that getting a clearance something or other from a reputable company would've been far better value for money. I hope it rides well!

interested how the wheels hold up. im after some carbon wheels but dont really want to go down the chinese route

I still can't help but feel that getting a clearance something or other from a reputable company would've been far better value for money. I hope it rides well!

Don't waste your breath - this isn't that kind of project ;)

Good luck with it all.

interested how the wheels hold up. im after some carbon wheels but dont really want to go down the chinese route

Why? Dammit is the perfect example of how well they hold up.

i dont lurk enough to know what you are referring to... (unless you are talking about the zipps he sold to guildy?)

so if so link to said decent carbon chinese wheels

Dammit commutes on Chinese tubs and praises them highly. Dude just go to the orient express thread.

Sorry for derail.

You can do DIY carbon, many people have.

Yeah,
You can, but I trust the Chinese professionals better than myself. Also I'm not too keen on getting that resin dust in my lungs. Anyways just got my charbon bike out yesterday after spending the first 700km of the season riding steel. The FM015 is fast and since I've lost some weight I think I can drop the bar even lower now.

Yes, but neil had his deep crabbon built up by a good wheel builder over here, which counts for a lot.

Didn't realise that. Yeah personally I'd just get Chinese rims and get the rest over here and build em myself.

I believe that Jim had him send back the first set of carbon rims he built for the geared bike as they were a bit ropey.

I still don't really get it for commuting - deep carbon is mega harsh and uncomfortable. I love riding around london on overbuilt 36h open pros - fuck you potholes!

You'd have to try it I guess, I don't find them uncomfortable at all.

The tyres might well be helping out a lot there, of course.

Anyway, they get no special treatment, and do ~100 miles/week come rain or shine through Londons famous London.

Absolutely fine after 1,300 miles of abuse.

I already have 45mm carbon wheels and they are a world away from classic box section in terms of comfort - god knows what your monsters are like :)

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPPX52CCL/planet_x_52mm_carbon_clincher_wheelset

These are not much more expensive than chinese crabon, have a normal brake surface, and from the couple of weeks I've had them seem great. To be fair, I've never ridden other carbon wheels so I don't have anything to compare them to, but for the price they seem fantastic value