Was gonna apply to be your new co-host, but I just don't think I can compete with Tracy. In order to keep her around though, I do recommend filling her with sealant.
I have used these. True they look good quality, but mine lasted about a year: cracks and bottle drops. Died when the "lip" that the bottom of the bottle rests on broke. Have gone back to plastic cages: gain in weight isn't worth it.
I picked up a set of these bottle cages on aliexpress. The way I was sure mine are fake was the fact that they say OCLY instead of OCLV. Still super light and haven’t had any issues over the past year although I’m super careful with them
@@anekey925 I have used them for nearly four years, and most of that on gravel. They don't ever drop bottles. They can, and do, crack and break - I replace one of the two once a year on average. But they retain the bottles, are light, and seemingly aero - so I keep buying them.
Well, I had the same titanium skewers, also bought from China, and I feel obliged to report that they failed on me during a sprint (and I am a weakling, mind you) The rear wheel came loose and snapped my frame in half. An extremely expensive loss for a few grams of savings on the cheap. This is not to say that Chinese components or titanium skewers should be avoided. That is just my experience. My lesson learned is that there are certain components that must come from proven, trustworthy manufacturers for my own safety and the integrity of my bike. Cheers!
Actually I wanted say the same like you E Abe. Sorry but never, surely I would never buy rims (or parts of wheels like titanium skewers), handlebar, saddle, seatpost and each of screw which hold these components from China. People unaware how cheap carbon could be dangerous. IMO you can buy some components from China but you have to have a knowledge which parts are safe and eventually crack or damage will not be catastrophic. These skewers which hold the wheel in the frame are very very responsible parts in the bike!
It's not a matter of 'cheap chinese parts'. Internal cam locks (such as your typical Shimano and Campy skewers) will always clamp better than external cam locks. That's just how it is.
What else to consider, weight aside, is bringing elements of your bike into the realms of being a consumable. My annual commute is around 5k miles pa, so there's a number of parts that I have to replace no matter what - these videos have certainly made me rethink affordability and viability of cheaper alternatives. Thank you Luke.
Or superglue felt onto them. The bodge it thing to do is to cut up an old inner tube and use that rubber to wrap it around the cage (at least for a metal one, I guess you could just glue strips on a carbon one).
Just a heads up: those skewers will elongate at some point and start giving you noises. No amount of tightening will fix that. Been there done that, now back to the best: Shimano. A plastic bottle cage will set you back 1GBP and will weight about 18-20g. Carbon and titanium aren't always the best materials to pick.
Hi, I've been riding and racing on chinese bikes since the beginning (frame, wheels, bars, you name it...), never had any known brand in my possession. Everything good so far! As for Ti skewers, I found they tend to creak, they always need more tightening and as so the lever tends to bend. I don't feel they are trustworthy under high power and titanium is known to stretch. Went back to the good old steel axle for the peace of mind! Thanks for the content!
I have over 100k miles on a set of ti skewers. I'm a cat 1 that's 85kg. The only time I've had an issue was clamping them in the derailleur cable when I was in a rush and bent the shaft.. had 30k miles on that skewer and that's why I bought the pair that's lasted over 100k miles. They're not the most absurdly light skewers but they're around 55g for the pair and they've been crashed on a handful of times
I have some of those bottle cages on my XC mountain bike. No issues and I have had them since August 2019 and nearly 1000 miles of singletrack. No issues so far!
I've been using these bottle cages for about 3-5 years and they are pretty nice. They are a little flexible and the holes for the bottle cage screws aren't the best. I also have these TI Skewers on my MTB for over 10 years and they hold up perfectly, too!
Luke, I've got one product you should look into. SROAD Cassettes. Picked up a 11-28 on Amazon earlier this year. You can it now for $60. And the best part is, it only weighs 182-184 grams. Very similar to Sram Red cassette but awhole lot cheaper. Only got 400 miles on it thus far, so I can't comment on durability.
Just got to this channel. I buy a decent amount of parts from China and build bikes in the garage (from bare tubes...) Want to point out that the cheap titanium skewers can come with out-of-spec threading on the skewer end, in addition to out-of-spec threading on the end nuts. I bought four of these, and on one of them, the end nut threading wouldn't even grip the threads. Now, I bought mine to retain seats on recumbents, so WHEN the second one failed, all I got was a loose-feel in my seat. However, if this had been a front-wheel skewer, it could have been a much bigger problem. On an upright bike, it could have been a real disaster. What happened on the 2nd was that the skewer, under load, would pull through the nut by 1-2 threads, completely negating the clamping force, but possibly not enough to notice for a while, and during that time, it could loosen even more. I have since tested these skewers with steel M5 nuts to make sure the threads actually hold, and made my own end nuts, but I would NEVER use them on a wheel. Let that sink in a bit. I'm a duffer who builds bikes in the garage and I trust my work more than these skewers. Be careful out there.
There is something special about those skewers, though: they are internal cam (and not external cam, like those shiny titanium ones and like pretty much all non-Shimano and non-Campagnolo levers). Why is that important? Internal cam skewers are far more robust when opening and closing them regularly (i.e.: swapping your wheelsets, removing your wheels in order to transport your bike) because the clamping mechanism is pretty much protected from water, dust or other contaminants. Nearly every single external cam QR skewer that I've ever used ended up being a lot harder to close and especially open after at most one year of use, so much so when the bike was used in crappy weather. Last, but not least, if they end up failing mid-ride, which might happen if you are on the heavier side, you are pretty much screwed (or skewered?). The saddle and the QR skewers are places where I wouldn't make any single sacrifice in the name of weight saving.
Hi, thx fir the video. I've already done both upgrades the quick release works two years later... But my bottle cages broke just after two months soo.... I would really love to see some content on rare derailleur cages, similar to the ceramic speed ones!
I got my bike down from 9.2 to 7.9 by moving to 105 R700 and adding the sweet Mavic Ksyrium UST wheelset, I got everything else from Ali Express and the accumulative weight saving is ridicules .. I never considered the QRs , 90 Gs is excellent !!! Thanks for that .... I am sitting here all confused!! how did i miss such an obvious weigh saving??? Cheers my man
I would suggest Ti bolts next as a cheap upgrade, ie stem has (usually) 6 bolts plus headset clamp, shifters have two bolts, brakes have two cor cable clamp... It adds up fairly quickly
I've got at least 6 of the 'bonrager' cages, the first set I got in 2013 and they've been super reliable. Never lost a bottle ever. I used some on my fatbiking tour through Utah and Nevada last year and no issues whatsoever.
Replaced my standard aluminium handlebars on my XC with toseek carbon.... weight saving was 1kg. When the handlebars cost £40 & tools to install were £45, it was worth it!
I tend to do the following. Buy a race frame second hand (get it scanned and verified no damage) and then get a nice ultegra or force group set. Add yoeleo wheels and oem Chinese parts (also my preferred branded saddle, expensive but it cares for my...) I have a 6.9kg road bike for $3000.00 easily as good as the rest of my local peloton.
Thank you Luke, it’s Cyd. For the last two weeks I’ve had the worst flu I’ve ever had in my life. I lost 11 pounds in 9 days. There is no testing available near me, So I have no idea what was wrong with me but the good news is I’m doing better. During this difficult time is your videos are a wonderful escape and in that there is comfort. Thank you sir.
Actualy I own a pair of those bottle cages for a few years now and they are still perfect. And also the squewers, different brand but the same thing, and no isues at all, I recomend those upgrades
Nice seeing you trace, thanks for highlighting the gains you get from these cheap parts. This information is very helpful especially for us poor folks😂. Hey man you alright, looked a little sad at the end of the vid.
Love the videos! You should do a round up of your bike and compare it to similar priced bike. After that, if there isn't more content, you could venture to another frame type (bike for communting, for example)
In my own experience, titanium bike skewers introduced some brake rub at the rear wheel when giving it some beans out of saddle. This has gone away when I put back the original rear skewer. So only the front one for me
Hi Luke !! Not my usual video choice whilst "self isolating!!" But as always , very informative and humourous. Hope you and your co presenter have fun, and above all , stay safe :))
I'm using the same bottle cages for years. One delaminated near the base, so I replaced it. Even if it was still holding the bottle strong, I decided not to risk my bottle and dying from thirst.
Thanks for continuing to upload amazing content! I’m definitely going to grab the items featured in this vid as 100g off will get my aluminium bike under 9kg with pedals ;) What is the total weight of your bike atm? I’m very tempted to build a full tracevelo bike but would love to know the finished bike weight. Thanks
Luke is the type of guy that appears to not remember his name every episode. “My name is... is.. *Deep thought* ...As always... *Panic stare off into distance*... is... *Lightbulb finally hits*... Luke! Gets me every time, lol
Man, salutes from Brazil! I allways want tô build a cheap carbon bike, and your videos are inspiring me to do It! It's absurd the costs of those superbikes, we normal people also diserve some Nice stuff! hahahah
Cool! I'm looking at some Dura Ace rotors, cassette, and summer tires to shed the winter weight. I didn't consider the thru axels, thanks! Pedals + bar tape can have some savings too
I have an almost identical set of qrs, only difference being the shape of the levers. The brass "cups" are definitely a design flaw, as the aluminium lever body gets badly scratched grinding against the brass under lots of pressure. It would not only be lighter but also smoother if the brass pieces was plastic instead.
Thanks Luke, longtime subscriber and your content is always enjoyable to watch. Looking forward to the next one. I am just building up an S-Works Tarmac so am looking forward to seeing how it stacks up against my pure chinese build
@@TraceVelo a suggestion for future videos would be reviews on any Chinese tools etc I've had disc brake bleed toolsets and cassette lockring tools from there so far with good results
I used the same one too. Don't like the excess rod after screw all the way in, though. as for the bottle cage, I prefer plastic, cheaper, lighter and been durable. never have one break.
I was told the quickest way to your bike lighter is to lose weight 😁. I'm 230lbs and 5ft 11in I'm wondering if these frames can take my weight! My bikes are specialized allez and diamondback response pro mtb .I'm not seeing the weight limits on some frames ,I totally love your channel and now looking to do a build myself 👍
dubpilot1 I am riding the same frame with carbon rims and weigh 260lb at 6ft, have had no issues is 6 months which includes a fall in the rain and being side swiped by a car!
@@TraceVelo This is actually not good unless you're prepared to do a lot of maintenance. Aluminum and titanium have terrible galvanic compatibility. Any kind of electrolyte such as salt from sweat or any ambient humidity will cause the aluminum to corrode extremely fast where it is in contact with the titanium. This isn't really a big deal with skewers as you're going to be constantly using them and inspecting them, but for things like bolts that you tighten once and forget, this can destroy aluminum frames or aluminum nuts in a carbon frame unless you regularly remove, inspect, and grease them.
I have been lowering my standards to replace my bike parts with Decathlon parts because of budget reasons. Maybe I should try going with AliExpress once in a while
If you say those Ti skewers are acceptable, I will believe you but I bought a set of them and they were not confidence inspiring. The skewers did not fit together cleanly such that opening or closing the lever caused little shards of aluminum to get shaved off each time (your skewers look like they have the same problem). Also the cam of the lever never felt like it closed 'over center'. I felt like any vibration would cause the levers to open by themselves. I switched to a set of generic aluminum/steel skewers without ever actually taking the Ti skewers outside for a ride. Maybe I'm wrong but I didn't like or trust them. A little bit off topic, but I chose a set of aluminum handlebars formed into aero shape instead of carbon handlebars because I boneheadedly crushed the carbon by over tightening the stem. I broke a second carbon handlebar in a crash and decided I prefer aluminum handlebars.
I have bought the exact same skewers and I felt like my wheels didn't roll as smooth as they did before when I gave them a spin in my hand. My vernier told me that the axle of the AE skewer is thinner than the original one, wich is of course also a nice way to save weight but doesn't do any good performance wise... speaking of performance... I don't really know what the influence will be of the less thick axle since they're tightened in by the skewer.
Those farsport wheels have gone up a lot in price sadly, I checked the other day after watching your video on them. You should be getting yourself a referrrer code with these companies, nice little revenue stream for you, and hopefully bargains for us!
I'll drop farsports a message about this, but as far as im aware, their prices havent gone up, it's just that their website is not super easy to navigate. The best way to get a decent quote is to spec up a set of wheels, and use the chat function.
There’s loads of TI bolts on aliexpress you can use on the bike to save more weight but I’m a bit dubious on the quality/durability so those skewers I’d be a bit apprehensive using them on a vital connecting part of the bike apart from that another great vid
I bought both these items and they turned up today and they are really amazing. I have struggled with AliExpress finding what's good and what isn't is tough. It would be great to know how you work out what is decent and what isn't. A journey to being put on the bike almost
It depends on how much you are spending. If it's only a couple of bucks, then it's low risk if not quite what you thought. If spending more, I Read the feedback closely and look for merchants with lots of clear feedback about size and quality, and a high customer rating. And I do a lot of comparison of merchants rather than get the first thing I see. I've bought genuine motorcycle gloves and jackets for a quarter to a half the local price. They are only discounted because of discontinued designs. All my cycling gear is from AliExpress. I've got genuine chains and cassettes, bar tape, clothing and lights, tools. Saved me thousands of dollars and provided me with a lot more choice, particularly in the clothing. Worst thing is lights mainly because battery quality is highly variable, but AliExpress are good refunding faulty gear. Ultimately, though, you also have to be willing to get it wrong and shrug your shoulders and accept the loss. So the higher the cost, the more due diligence I'd suggest.
You definitely can't beat the price of the carbon water bottle Cage's. I have a handful of them. They are the same thing as the marked up ones for the faction of the price it's a no brainier
Would be great to see another graph with each component upgraded, the cost, weight saving and therefore cost per gram saved to demonstrate best value for money upgrades. You look like a wiz I'm sure you could figure it all out :D Also, great channel, new sub. Would you ever consider building a cheap bike to ride to the pub and wouldn't be worried about locking up outside?
I am really excited when a new video of your channel pops up. Keep going. Though I never tried to order from AliExpress, it just seems to be not trustworthy (to me). Have you ever made bad experiences with shops from China?
Honestly, I must have ordered like 50 things from AliExpress in the last year or so, and having a look back over my order history, every single thing has been delivered. Sometimes the quality isn't amazing, for example i ordered an extension arm for my go-pro, so i could mount it to my bike, but it was cheap and broke easily. But i think you will be surprised at how good some of the stuff is as long as you are careful about what you buy. Just be aware, you can wait over a month for things to be delivered...
In lockdown so might as well get on Aliexpress and save me some serious grammage: all in one stem and bars, seat post, saddle, QRs = about 1kg for $120
Hey man..saw your video where you built a bike for your neighbour 7 months back. I subscribed and liked the video and shared it as well. Can you help with the AliExpress links if I want to use the claris or sora groupset instead of tiagra due to low budget and for the fork too, I wanted the same no. Of parts as you showed in your groupset but wasn't sure if the sellers I finalised were providing those. If you could tell also from where you bought your groupset ,that'd be also helpful. Thanks. Love from India
Hi, Luke! Thank You for these great videos! Nice humor in them too:) Do You think this frame could be used to build a fixed gear bike? My main worry is there's gonna be a problem finding a chain that will fit so perfectly that it has the right tension, as the there is no adjustment in the rear as on ordinary fixed bikes. What is Your opinion? Thanks again!!
bought a pair of Chinese Ti skewers, and they just failed to close securely enough for me to actually ride them. They will keep turning in the fork even while being quite forcefully closed. didn't even bother trying the rear one.
My friend's bottle cage was the exact same one and he got it from our local online shop, Lazada. It had shipping damage and a local bike shop repaired the crack on said carbon bottle cages. It was fine but I'm not really sure about how I felt about it.
Do you run tubes or tubeless? Maybe you can save some weight replacing your butyl tubes for lightweight butyl or latex? Maybe you can also make a video of all the cumulative weight savings you've made since building the bike? I'm sure you've dropped nearly a kilo of weight by now
I would be hesitant to use cheap Titanium components, particularly on something as significant as the quick release skewer. One reason it is typically more expensive is because of the processes it undergoes to eliminate defects within the microstructure that can otherwise cause component failure. However, I have purchased the Tooseek seat and can say I was surprised by the quality of the cheap carbon.
The QR skewers do not work well. I have the same and it does not work. The wheel when riding is moving. The QR skewers look great BUT ... it does not work
@@TraceVelo what about a smart trainer? I have also tested out a power meter based on air pressure changes.....it was not great. I can sympathize on the power meter front the brand names are rediculous it's basically a whole new bike for the price of one component
@@TraceVelo great idea will be eagerly be waiting. It's great to watch a more common sense approach to Chinese manufacturing thanks for helping me make more informed decisions and saving my family some cash on the bike
Rhe bottle cages are that new nylon sheet carbon process same as what your wheels may be! Theres a new good video just been uploaded showing these wheels being made from the nylon carbon sheets I'll look up my history and leave the link for you mate its interesting
Was gonna apply to be your new co-host, but I just don't think I can compete with Tracy. In order to keep her around though, I do recommend filling her with sealant.
China Cycling, no way! Dude love your channel, and sorry to hear about your Allez Sprint, hope you came out of the accident ok though!
@@TraceVelo Love your channel too. Like your flavour of humour If you need help sourcing Chinese parts, lemme know! :)
Thanks so much, I might take you up on that. Yeah a couple of my packages have been held up for a few weeks now, hopefully they'll get here soon tho.
That's disgusting... oh, wait... you said seaLANT. (Sometimes text to speech is hard to understand... sorry.)
I own the same bottlecages for two years now. No issues, love them.
I have used these. True they look good quality, but mine lasted about a year: cracks and bottle drops. Died when the "lip" that the bottom of the bottle rests on broke. Have gone back to plastic cages: gain in weight isn't worth it.
Awesome, good to hear! I'm pretty confident that mine will last, but time will tell. Can occasionally be a bit of a lottery with these cheap replicas.
I picked up a set of these bottle cages on aliexpress. The way I was sure mine are fake was the fact that they say OCLY instead of OCLV. Still super light and haven’t had any issues over the past year although I’m super careful with them
I had them and they dropped bottles constantly. Couldn't stand them
@@anekey925 I have used them for nearly four years, and most of that on gravel. They don't ever drop bottles. They can, and do, crack and break - I replace one of the two once a year on average. But they retain the bottles, are light, and seemingly aero - so I keep buying them.
Well, I had the same titanium skewers, also bought from China, and I feel obliged to report that they failed on me during a sprint (and I am a weakling, mind you)
The rear wheel came loose and snapped my frame in half. An extremely expensive loss for a few grams of savings on the cheap.
This is not to say that Chinese components or titanium skewers should be avoided. That is just my experience.
My lesson learned is that there are certain components that must come from proven, trustworthy manufacturers for my own safety and the integrity of my bike.
Cheers!
Yeah, i'd rather have have durable heavier or more expensive components.
For critical components (ie ones that the failure would be catastrophic to the bike or me) I am more than willing to add a few grams.
Actually I wanted say the same like you E Abe. Sorry but never, surely I would never buy rims (or parts of wheels like titanium skewers), handlebar, saddle, seatpost and each of screw which hold these components from China. People unaware how cheap carbon could be dangerous. IMO you can buy some components from China but you have to have a knowledge which parts are safe and eventually crack or damage will not be catastrophic. These skewers which hold the wheel in the frame are very very responsible parts in the bike!
It's not a matter of 'cheap chinese parts'. Internal cam locks (such as your typical Shimano and Campy skewers) will always clamp better than external cam locks. That's just how it is.
What else to consider, weight aside, is bringing elements of your bike into the realms of being a consumable. My annual commute is around 5k miles pa, so there's a number of parts that I have to replace no matter what - these videos have certainly made me rethink affordability and viability of cheaper alternatives. Thank you Luke.
Would love to know what the starting weight of the bike was and what it is now with all these mods
It's 7.8kg current weight as it stands.
It's in the description
Been using those cages for like 4 years. I put some felt furniture pad dots on them so they hold tighter and don't scratch bottles as much
That's a good tip thanks! I have very similar ones and they've held up great even on very bumpy roads but they do scratch bottles pretty nice.
what is that felt furniture your are talking
Great advice! Thanks
@@SniperSnake50BMG Small stickers with felt on the other side. You can google "felt furniture pad" to find more information and where to get them
Or superglue felt onto them. The bodge it thing to do is to cut up an old inner tube and use that rubber to wrap it around the cage (at least for a metal one, I guess you could just glue strips on a carbon one).
Next, lightweight chinese water?
It's not water, It's
水
Leo l lightweight air
Helium filled tyres
I have carbon toothpaste now!
Yeah, replace that Norwegian heavy water...
Just a heads up: those skewers will elongate at some point and start giving you noises. No amount of tightening will fix that. Been there done that, now back to the best: Shimano.
A plastic bottle cage will set you back 1GBP and will weight about 18-20g.
Carbon and titanium aren't always the best materials to pick.
I never paid attention to those weight savings of the quick releases until now 👍🏻
Don't use titanium skewer. They fail all the time. Not worth your front teeth.
My Ti skewers work well....even lighter because they have no lever...
"Have a quick piss before you get on the bike"😂😂, and go for a number 2, great savings on weight👍👍
Hawk really long and spit out a huge chunk of phlegm, that can weigh even 10 gramms, $0 spent. For technique: ua-cam.com/video/C_YhAFb6Gjk/v-deo.html
Great to know Rik Mayall's son is fit and well!
Came from the future to watch more GREAT and fun content,
Hi, I've been riding and racing on chinese bikes since the beginning (frame, wheels, bars, you name it...), never had any known brand in my possession. Everything good so far! As for Ti skewers, I found they tend to creak, they always need more tightening and as so the lever tends to bend. I don't feel they are trustworthy under high power and titanium is known to stretch. Went back to the good old steel axle for the peace of mind! Thanks for the content!
I have over 100k miles on a set of ti skewers. I'm a cat 1 that's 85kg. The only time I've had an issue was clamping them in the derailleur cable when I was in a rush and bent the shaft.. had 30k miles on that skewer and that's why I bought the pair that's lasted over 100k miles. They're not the most absurdly light skewers but they're around 55g for the pair and they've been crashed on a handful of times
Love your mindset and the challenge to find good quality cheap gear. Sick of looking at all the crazy expensive gear on branded websites
I have some of those bottle cages on my XC mountain bike. No issues and I have had them since August 2019 and nearly 1000 miles of singletrack. No issues so far!
I've been using these bottle cages for about 3-5 years and they are pretty nice. They are a little flexible and the holes for the bottle cage screws aren't the best. I also have these TI Skewers on my MTB for over 10 years and they hold up perfectly, too!
Luke, I've got one product you should look into. SROAD Cassettes. Picked up a 11-28 on Amazon earlier this year. You can it now for $60. And the best part is, it only weighs 182-184 grams. Very similar to Sram Red cassette but awhole lot cheaper. Only got 400 miles on it thus far, so I can't comment on durability.
Very good video! I like how you put cost and weight savings in perspective! As you said, all the little savings add up.
Yeah exactly, all the little savings that you can make really do add up. Plus with stuff like this, it's a nice cheap upgrade!
That bottle cage same with mine. Nice design and light weight.
Just got to this channel. I buy a decent amount of parts from China and build bikes in the garage (from bare tubes...) Want to point out that the cheap titanium skewers can come with out-of-spec threading on the skewer end, in addition to out-of-spec threading on the end nuts. I bought four of these, and on one of them, the end nut threading wouldn't even grip the threads. Now, I bought mine to retain seats on recumbents, so WHEN the second one failed, all I got was a loose-feel in my seat. However, if this had been a front-wheel skewer, it could have been a much bigger problem. On an upright bike, it could have been a real disaster. What happened on the 2nd was that the skewer, under load, would pull through the nut by 1-2 threads, completely negating the clamping force, but possibly not enough to notice for a while, and during that time, it could loosen even more. I have since tested these skewers with steel M5 nuts to make sure the threads actually hold, and made my own end nuts, but I would NEVER use them on a wheel. Let that sink in a bit. I'm a duffer who builds bikes in the garage and I trust my work more than these skewers. Be careful out there.
I had these cages for 3 years without any problems. This dent which you have, had to be a manufacturing issue, but not standard. They are great
There is something special about those skewers, though: they are internal cam (and not external cam, like those shiny titanium ones and like pretty much all non-Shimano and non-Campagnolo levers). Why is that important? Internal cam skewers are far more robust when opening and closing them regularly (i.e.: swapping your wheelsets, removing your wheels in order to transport your bike) because the clamping mechanism is pretty much protected from water, dust or other contaminants. Nearly every single external cam QR skewer that I've ever used ended up being a lot harder to close and especially open after at most one year of use, so much so when the bike was used in crappy weather. Last, but not least, if they end up failing mid-ride, which might happen if you are on the heavier side, you are pretty much screwed (or skewered?).
The saddle and the QR skewers are places where I wouldn't make any single sacrifice in the name of weight saving.
You can get similar skewers from Amazon, I have them on most of my bikes. Similar price. Nice video Luke, thanks
Hi,
thx fir the video.
I've already done both upgrades the quick release works two years later...
But my bottle cages broke just after two months soo....
I would really love to see some content on rare derailleur cages, similar to the ceramic speed ones!
I got my bike down from 9.2 to 7.9 by moving to 105 R700 and adding the sweet Mavic Ksyrium UST wheelset, I got everything else from Ali Express and the accumulative weight saving is ridicules .. I never considered the QRs , 90 Gs is excellent !!! Thanks for that .... I am sitting here all confused!! how did i miss such an obvious weigh saving??? Cheers my man
Used all express seat post and for £20 and 200g well impressed so I’m presuming similar quality from this
I have the same bottle cages. Ridden over 15000km with them. No issues
I would suggest Ti bolts next as a cheap upgrade, ie stem has (usually) 6 bolts plus headset clamp, shifters have two bolts, brakes have two cor cable clamp... It adds up fairly quickly
I've got at least 6 of the 'bonrager' cages, the first set I got in 2013 and they've been super reliable. Never lost a bottle ever. I used some on my fatbiking tour through Utah and Nevada last year and no issues whatsoever.
Replaced my standard aluminium handlebars on my XC with toseek carbon.... weight saving was 1kg. When the handlebars cost £40 & tools to install were £45, it was worth it!
I tend to do the following.
Buy a race frame second hand (get it scanned and verified no damage) and then get a nice ultegra or force group set.
Add yoeleo wheels and oem Chinese parts (also my preferred branded saddle, expensive but it cares for my...)
I have a 6.9kg road bike for $3000.00 easily as good as the rest of my local peloton.
Been using the skewers for about three years on my MTB now without issue. I nearly laid an egg when I found out the weight difference!
Stay safe Luke. Really enjoying the video’s 😍🥰
Thanks ASD, really appreciate it, hope you are staying safe too :)
Thank you Luke, it’s Cyd. For the last two weeks I’ve had the worst flu I’ve ever had in my life. I lost 11 pounds in 9 days. There is no testing available near me, So I have no idea what was wrong with me but the good news is I’m doing better. During this difficult time is your videos are a wonderful escape and in that there is comfort. Thank you sir.
Actualy I own a pair of those bottle cages for a few years now and they are still perfect.
And also the squewers, different brand but the same thing, and no isues at all, I recomend those upgrades
I have used bottle cages the same as those for about two years now with no problems
Would be interesting to see the GCN guys do their test route against a super bike with your build :)
Nice seeing you trace, thanks for highlighting the gains you get from these cheap parts. This information is very helpful especially for us poor folks😂. Hey man you alright, looked a little sad at the end of the vid.
Love the videos!
You should do a round up of your bike and compare it to similar priced bike.
After that, if there isn't more content, you could venture to another frame type (bike for communting, for example)
In my own experience, titanium bike skewers introduced some brake rub at the rear wheel when giving it some beans out of saddle. This has gone away when I put back the original rear skewer. So only the front one for me
Hi Luke !!
Not my usual video choice whilst "self isolating!!"
But as always , very informative and humourous.
Hope you and your co presenter have fun, and above all , stay safe :))
I got these bottle cages, and have had 0 problems in 2 years. To be honest I recommend them to every lad i know
Love your videos about AliExpress cheap parts. Now um building a MTV hardtail with very parts from there. Thanks for your videos and opinions 🙌🏻
I've used the same bottle cages for over a year now. Never dropped a bottle and have proven to be rugged,
Yeah my set still going strong 💪
Same bottle holders awesome 😆😃
I'm using the same bottle cages for years. One delaminated near the base, so I replaced it. Even if it was still holding the bottle strong, I decided not to risk my bottle and dying from thirst.
Thanks for continuing to upload amazing content! I’m definitely going to grab the items featured in this vid as 100g off will get my aluminium bike under 9kg with pedals ;) What is the total weight of your bike atm? I’m very tempted to build a full tracevelo bike but would love to know the finished bike weight. Thanks
Luke is the type of guy that appears to not remember his name every episode.
“My name is... is.. *Deep thought* ...As always... *Panic stare off into distance*... is... *Lightbulb finally hits*... Luke!
Gets me every time, lol
Man, salutes from Brazil! I allways want tô build a cheap carbon bike, and your videos are inspiring me to do It! It's absurd the costs of those superbikes, we normal people also diserve some Nice stuff! hahahah
Cool! I'm looking at some Dura Ace rotors, cassette, and summer tires to shed the winter weight. I didn't consider the thru axels, thanks! Pedals + bar tape can have some savings too
I have an almost identical set of qrs, only difference being the shape of the levers. The brass "cups" are definitely a design flaw, as the aluminium lever body gets badly scratched grinding against the brass under lots of pressure. It would not only be lighter but also smoother if the brass pieces was plastic instead.
Another good video. Really like the presenting style. Need more poetry - loved the wheel one. Stay safe Luke.
Thanks Luke, longtime subscriber and your content is always enjoyable to watch. Looking forward to the next one. I am just building up an S-Works Tarmac so am looking forward to seeing how it stacks up against my pure chinese build
Nice one, glad you like the videos. And good luck with the bike, S-Works Tarmac is a nice build!
@@TraceVelo a suggestion for future videos would be reviews on any Chinese tools etc I've had disc brake bleed toolsets and cassette lockring tools from there so far with good results
I used the same one too. Don't like the excess rod after screw all the way in, though. as for the bottle cage, I prefer plastic, cheaper, lighter and been durable. never have one break.
another great vid mate.
Cheers Neil!
I was told the quickest way to your bike lighter is to lose weight 😁. I'm 230lbs and 5ft 11in I'm wondering if these frames can take my weight! My bikes are specialized allez and diamondback response pro mtb .I'm not seeing the weight limits on some frames ,I totally love your channel and now looking to do a build myself 👍
dubpilot1 I am riding the same frame with carbon rims and weigh 260lb at 6ft, have had no issues is 6 months which includes a fall in the rain and being side swiped by a car!
Great I guess I'm building one ! Be careful out there, thanks for the reply 👍
It's surprising how substantial a few weight savings can become. I'm curious about replacing all steel bolts with titanium - or swap in Ti spokes.
Yeah me too, I was looking at some Chinese titanium bolts the other day, should be a nice cheap upgrade!
@@TraceVelo Be careful with titanium bolts because the threads can be razor sharp and will wreak havoc on softer aluminium parts.
@@palicar Ok noted, thanks for the heads up!
@@TraceVelo This is actually not good unless you're prepared to do a lot of maintenance. Aluminum and titanium have terrible galvanic compatibility. Any kind of electrolyte such as salt from sweat or any ambient humidity will cause the aluminum to corrode extremely fast where it is in contact with the titanium. This isn't really a big deal with skewers as you're going to be constantly using them and inspecting them, but for things like bolts that you tighten once and forget, this can destroy aluminum frames or aluminum nuts in a carbon frame unless you regularly remove, inspect, and grease them.
I have been lowering my standards to replace my bike parts with Decathlon parts because of budget reasons. Maybe I should try going with AliExpress once in a while
I ordered some blooke titanium skewers. Matched the blue on my trek
If you say those Ti skewers are acceptable, I will believe you but I bought a set of them and they were not confidence inspiring. The skewers did not fit together cleanly such that opening or closing the lever caused little shards of aluminum to get shaved off each time (your skewers look like they have the same problem). Also the cam of the lever never felt like it closed 'over center'. I felt like any vibration would cause the levers to open by themselves. I switched to a set of generic aluminum/steel skewers without ever actually taking the Ti skewers outside for a ride.
Maybe I'm wrong but I didn't like or trust them.
A little bit off topic, but I chose a set of aluminum handlebars formed into aero shape instead of carbon handlebars because I boneheadedly crushed the carbon by over tightening the stem. I broke a second carbon handlebar in a crash and decided I prefer aluminum handlebars.
I have bought the exact same skewers and I felt like my wheels didn't roll as smooth as they did before when I gave them a spin in my hand. My vernier told me that the axle of the AE skewer is thinner than the original one, wich is of course also a nice way to save weight but doesn't do any good performance wise... speaking of performance... I don't really know what the influence will be of the less thick axle since they're tightened in by the skewer.
Those farsport wheels have gone up a lot in price sadly, I checked the other day after watching your video on them. You should be getting yourself a referrrer code with these companies, nice little revenue stream for you, and hopefully bargains for us!
I'll drop farsports a message about this, but as far as im aware, their prices havent gone up, it's just that their website is not super easy to navigate. The best way to get a decent quote is to spec up a set of wheels, and use the chat function.
@@TraceVelo thanks
Very good analysis and style!
LOL ... I love the intro. Should take Tracey out for some rides.
Nice video. What bike stand do you have? Could you recommend some tools which are good value for money.
There’s loads of TI bolts on aliexpress you can use on the bike to save more weight but I’m a bit dubious on the quality/durability so those skewers I’d be a bit apprehensive using them on a vital connecting part of the bike apart from that another great vid
I have exactly the same bottle cages and they are amazing for the price.
I bought both these items and they turned up today and they are really amazing. I have struggled with AliExpress finding what's good and what isn't is tough. It would be great to know how you work out what is decent and what isn't. A journey to being put on the bike almost
It depends on how much you are spending. If it's only a couple of bucks, then it's low risk if not quite what you thought. If spending more, I Read the feedback closely and look for merchants with lots of clear feedback about size and quality, and a high customer rating. And I do a lot of comparison of merchants rather than get the first thing I see.
I've bought genuine motorcycle gloves and jackets for a quarter to a half the local price. They are only discounted because of discontinued designs. All my cycling gear is from AliExpress. I've got genuine chains and cassettes, bar tape, clothing and lights, tools. Saved me thousands of dollars and provided me with a lot more choice, particularly in the clothing. Worst thing is lights mainly because battery quality is highly variable, but AliExpress are good refunding faulty gear.
Ultimately, though, you also have to be willing to get it wrong and shrug your shoulders and accept the loss. So the higher the cost, the more due diligence I'd suggest.
You definitely can't beat the price of the carbon water bottle Cage's. I have a handful of them. They are the same thing as the marked up ones for the faction of the price it's a no brainier
Would be great to see another graph with each component upgraded, the cost, weight saving and therefore cost per gram saved to demonstrate best value for money upgrades. You look like a wiz I'm sure you could figure it all out :D Also, great channel, new sub. Would you ever consider building a cheap bike to ride to the pub and wouldn't be worried about locking up outside?
If you want to stay with aluminum wheels but still go light and not too expensive, the Easton EA90SLX set is right on 1400g.
I am really excited when a new video of your channel pops up. Keep going. Though I never tried to order from AliExpress, it just seems to be not trustworthy (to me). Have you ever made bad experiences with shops from China?
Honestly, I must have ordered like 50 things from AliExpress in the last year or so, and having a look back over my order history, every single thing has been delivered. Sometimes the quality isn't amazing, for example i ordered an extension arm for my go-pro, so i could mount it to my bike, but it was cheap and broke easily. But i think you will be surprised at how good some of the stuff is as long as you are careful about what you buy. Just be aware, you can wait over a month for things to be delivered...
In lockdown so might as well get on Aliexpress and save me some serious grammage: all in one stem and bars, seat post, saddle, QRs = about 1kg for $120
That is sweet
Any experience with AliExpress cycling kit? Jerseys /gilets?
Hey man..saw your video where you built a bike for your neighbour 7 months back. I subscribed and liked the video and shared it as well. Can you help with the AliExpress links if I want to use the claris or sora groupset instead of tiagra due to low budget and for the fork too, I wanted the same no. Of parts as you showed in your groupset but wasn't sure if the sellers I finalised were providing those. If you could tell also from where you bought your groupset ,that'd be also helpful. Thanks. Love from India
Hi, Luke! Thank You for these great videos! Nice humor in them too:) Do You think this frame could be used to build a fixed gear bike? My main worry is there's gonna be a problem finding a chain that will fit so perfectly that it has the right tension, as the there is no adjustment in the rear as on ordinary fixed bikes. What is Your opinion? Thanks again!!
Luke, thanks for the video ;) Not sure if you covered it, but what about cycling clothing, boots and other accesories ? Cheers
Just found your channel and loving watching through the vids - quick Q - what import duty / taxes are you paying on the imported items ?
what are those new cranks like after using them for a while? Shifting etc? cheers
Yeah fantastic, use them nearly every day and have zero complaints!
you got me.. i really thought you gonna put a specific doll in the video..
bought a pair of Chinese Ti skewers, and they just failed to close securely enough for me to actually ride them.
They will keep turning in the fork even while being quite forcefully closed. didn't even bother trying the rear one.
My friend's bottle cage was the exact same one and he got it from our local online shop, Lazada. It had shipping damage and a local bike shop repaired the crack on said carbon bottle cages. It was fine but I'm not really sure about how I felt about it.
Hi how are the bars- what's the worst crash/pothole they've endured?
Quick question - did you specifically orer tracey for trace, or was she knocking around under the bed or in a cupboard somewhere?
Do you run tubes or tubeless? Maybe you can save some weight replacing your butyl tubes for lightweight butyl or latex?
Maybe you can also make a video of all the cumulative weight savings you've made since building the bike? I'm sure you've dropped nearly a kilo of weight by now
I would be hesitant to use cheap Titanium components, particularly on something as significant as the quick release skewer. One reason it is typically more expensive is because of the processes it undergoes to eliminate defects within the microstructure that can otherwise cause component failure. However, I have purchased the Tooseek seat and can say I was surprised by the quality of the cheap carbon.
Informative and entertaining - great video.
Nice
hey Luke, I have been looking in AliExpress some magnetic water bottles to replace the standard bottle cages, have you considered this option?
Keep up the good work...👌
The QR skewers do not work well. I have the same and it does not work. The wheel when riding is moving. The QR skewers look great BUT ... it does not work
Hi Luke, do you know if the Farsports Kaze wheels you’ve previously reviewed are still available?
I've been toying with buying a magene ridge power meter as they seem great value might be one worth a video
Yeah I've thought about this, but the thing is, I can't afford a proper power meter to benchmark it against...
@@TraceVelo what about a smart trainer? I have also tested out a power meter based on air pressure changes.....it was not great. I can sympathize on the power meter front the brand names are rediculous it's basically a whole new bike for the price of one component
Possibly, I think the best route will be to see if I can borrow a power meter from someone and benchmark it against that...
@@TraceVelo great idea will be eagerly be waiting. It's great to watch a more common sense approach to Chinese manufacturing thanks for helping me make more informed decisions and saving my family some cash on the bike
Hey Luke. Have you finished upgrading you bike now? If so what’s the weight?
What did you do to prevent your seat post from slipping?
Love your videos!!!
Rhe bottle cages are that new nylon sheet carbon process same as what your wheels may be! Theres a new good video just been uploaded showing these wheels being made from the nylon carbon sheets I'll look up my history and leave the link for you mate its interesting
Would love to see a video on cheap chinese Titanium bolt set for the bike if there is such a thing !
They exist
Make sure Tracy's lipstick isn't lead based
MissingLink MTB yeah, because it’s heavy. 😜
@@jbratt carbon fiber smooching FTW
Good work 🔁
i once bought a carbon saddle on ali express. the saddle was first of all not made of carbon. in addition, the saddle was crooked