Chinese Open Mold Gravel / CX Bikes
Moderator: Moderator Team
Hi all, I currently have a crappy gravel bike and an Aethos 54 (so 544/384 stack/reach), is there any "established" frame that would basically be either:
- a good road bike with aggressive geo similar to the Aethos, possibly even 1cm lower , relatively snappy and fun, with clearance to comfortably take 38mm tyres when riding or racing gravel (think: Aethos with slightly better tyre clearance)
- an aero gravel bike with aggressive, road-like geo, which will be decent to be ridden mainly on tarmac.
A key point: I would not want to struggle an awful lot to build the bike because of poorly designed stuff like headsets, ports, etc.
I don't mind about cable routing either way but would appreciate not having proprietary parts, would like a threaded BB, and I would rather have a surdy rather than an hyper light frame. But I also don't want a bikepacking rig full of mount points. As I said, in an ideal world it would be Aethos + Aero + Clearance, with as little compromises made to geometry as possible, basically just what necessary to allow wider tyres.
Any suggestions? Most of the stuff I've seen had either too relaxed geo (and, at 178cm height, I'd worry about having to pick a 51cm frame), or lacked in other areas.
- a good road bike with aggressive geo similar to the Aethos, possibly even 1cm lower , relatively snappy and fun, with clearance to comfortably take 38mm tyres when riding or racing gravel (think: Aethos with slightly better tyre clearance)
- an aero gravel bike with aggressive, road-like geo, which will be decent to be ridden mainly on tarmac.
A key point: I would not want to struggle an awful lot to build the bike because of poorly designed stuff like headsets, ports, etc.
I don't mind about cable routing either way but would appreciate not having proprietary parts, would like a threaded BB, and I would rather have a surdy rather than an hyper light frame. But I also don't want a bikepacking rig full of mount points. As I said, in an ideal world it would be Aethos + Aero + Clearance, with as little compromises made to geometry as possible, basically just what necessary to allow wider tyres.
Any suggestions? Most of the stuff I've seen had either too relaxed geo (and, at 178cm height, I'd worry about having to pick a 51cm frame), or lacked in other areas.
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Hi. I just got a Ridley Kanzo Adventure, which is a 696 Carbonda frame.
There are no specs on how tight the thru axles should be. I just tightened them to 10Nm as on my other bikes. I read somewhere that the front is supposed to be 10Nm and rear 5Nm, which is pretty strange.
Maybe the thru axles aren't the same on the Ridley as the 696?
There are no specs on how tight the thru axles should be. I just tightened them to 10Nm as on my other bikes. I read somewhere that the front is supposed to be 10Nm and rear 5Nm, which is pretty strange.
Maybe the thru axles aren't the same on the Ridley as the 696?
Scott Addict RC 20 2021
Ridley Kanzo Adventure 2022
Ridley Kanzo Adventure 2022
I have Hardlite thru axles on my CFR696, and tighten mine to about 6nm front and rear, and never had an issue with them coming loose. When my bike shop services the bike they do them up so tight I can't undo them with my multi-tool, I need a longer Allen key for leverage. My bike is 3 years old, 30,000km, and never had an issue, so the frame and fork can handle 10Nm and more.Roadbiker10 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:20 amHi. I just got a Ridley Kanzo Adventure, which is a 696 Carbonda frame.
There are no specs on how tight the thru axles should be. I just tightened them to 10Nm as on my other bikes. I read somewhere that the front is supposed to be 10Nm and rear 5Nm, which is pretty strange.
Maybe the thru axles aren't the same on the Ridley as the 696?
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Thanks. I only weigh 66kg so maybe I don't need that tight, I could try 8 then. It's strange that they don't have anything writen on them like other bikes do.emotive wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:17 pmI have Hardlite thru axles on my CFR696, and tighten mine to about 6nm front and rear, and never had an issue with them coming loose. When my bike shop services the bike they do them up so tight I can't undo them with my multi-tool, I need a longer Allen key for leverage. My bike is 3 years old, 30,000km, and never had an issue, so the frame and fork can handle 10Nm and more.Roadbiker10 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:20 amHi. I just got a Ridley Kanzo Adventure, which is a 696 Carbonda frame.
There are no specs on how tight the thru axles should be. I just tightened them to 10Nm as on my other bikes. I read somewhere that the front is supposed to be 10Nm and rear 5Nm, which is pretty strange.
Maybe the thru axles aren't the same on the Ridley as the 696?
Lately I have also been having the issue of not being able to remove the front axle from my Addict RC with supplied tool. Maybe I could go lower on the Addict too? It says 10Nm on the axles.
Scott Addict RC 20 2021
Ridley Kanzo Adventure 2022
Ridley Kanzo Adventure 2022
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Hey. Does anyone know what dimension the smaller silver bolts are on the 696? I think they are for the fenders. Also what dimesnion are the black ones on the fork and underneath the downtube?
I'm looking to replace all those with nylon screws, since I'm not using them. I've seen someone in another thread claim that saved 60-70g by doing that.
I'm looking to replace all those with nylon screws, since I'm not using them. I've seen someone in another thread claim that saved 60-70g by doing that.
Scott Addict RC 20 2021
Ridley Kanzo Adventure 2022
Ridley Kanzo Adventure 2022
Does anyone recognise this frame set? Is this an open mold frame?
(it is a bit different to the Carbonda CFR696!)
https://www.basicbikes.de/rahmenset
(it is a bit different to the Carbonda CFR696!)
https://www.basicbikes.de/rahmenset
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How are you setting the preload? In the past I had issues with cartridge bearing headsets coming loose on me, then I learned how to avoid it. Rather adding preload until you can feel the play is gone, add preload until you start to feel the bearings bind, then back off just enough to relieve the binding. Cartridge bearings with their tapered seats (and likely inaccuracies in fit) require way more preload than older, loose ball bearing headsets in my experience.
Looks like it. Thanks!
Thought I'd add this here built my wife a gravel bike from LT Bikes http://www.ltbikes.com/product/97.html
She named it Explosive diarrhea (because nothing is faster than it) and picked the paint colour herself
She named it Explosive diarrhea (because nothing is faster than it) and picked the paint colour herself
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- robbosmans
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With all due respect, maybe get her a bike fit?