so, its finally complete. my Chinese Carbon Beauty is done! wheels have arrived, and today was their first outing, and the frames first relatively long test ride. and wow. its incredible. frame is lovely, its stiff on climbs and sprints, but is super smooth and comfy. wheels are awesome. some slight flex under my heavy weight (100kgs), but performed incredibly well. braking surface is sharp and responsive, and the hubs feel so smooth! and of course, they make it look badass! a bit more on the wheels: i bought a 60mm set and a 38mm set. both came with novatec hubs, and in matt UD finish. basalt braking surface, and a set of cork pads for each wheelset. the skewers are quite nice as well! they ride well, and true out the box, and tension from the factory seems on par. the finish and build quality is excellent, as with the frame, and fitting tyres was super simple, even with the gatorskins on the 38 set. both wheelsets have the exact same rim profile as the Zipps, just without the dimples. the LBS compared the two and were amazed at the quality! so an equivalent set of 404s and 303s. while not light by a long shot, 1700g for each set, weight wasn't my main objective, as i am heavy and need a strong wheelset, instead of a light one that i need to true every week. the first ride with the 60s was great, and i'm thoroughly chuffed with the look, feel, and especially, price of the bike, as it stands. I - cycle had no problems insuring both frame and wheels, so not too bothered about warantees. they're so well built i doubt id need to use it anyway. bike will remain blank for now, until i can sort out decals. wheels will forever be blank! enjoy the pics boys! was F****** freezing when i took them this morning so may have been a little shaky!
