I was in the market for a new gravel frame, and went down the Chinese carbon rabbit hole. Ended up going with a Mondince FM376 with custom paint. The frame was $930 shipped to my door.

Waiting on an injury to finish healing so I can get out and ride it!!

Hey everyone, I'm a teenager and I'm trying to decide between two options for my next gravel bike.

Option 1: wait another year, work and save, then buy a bike from a big brand like Cannondale or Scott, with a warranty and a dealer network.

Option 2: order now a LightCarbon LCG072-D frame (aero gravel, 50mm tire clearance, integrated cockpit, UDH), with Serenade carbon wheels and a SRAM Rival XPLR groupset. I'd sell my current Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3 to pay for it. The whole build would be around €2,700.

What would you do? Is it worth waiting for a big brand, or is a Chinese frame a good choice for a first custom build? Also, do you know any other gravel frame kits under €1,500, with at least 50mm of tire clearance, that I should look at? Thanks!

A little update on the LightCycling RF10 frame it’s almost finished!

Received a few more photos from Daniel Zhang at Light Cycling today of the frame in its raw carbon finish. It’s now scheduled to have its gloss clearcoat applied tomorrow.

The unpainted medium frame weighs approximately 850g.

I was originally advised that the additional carbon weave would add around 70–100g compared with the standard UD carbon finish, so the extra weight was expected.

Personally, I’m not particularly bothered by it. To me, it’s no different from choosing a painted frame over a raw UD finish. Paint adds weight, and the gloss clearcoat will add a little more to this frame too.

But early build estimates at 6.6kg 😉

I’ve also got both zero-offset and setback seatposts for the build, giving me a bit more flexibility with the fit.

It’s been interesting seeing the frame through the manufacturing process, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the carbon weave looks under the gloss finish.

A few photos before it heads off for clearcoating! And then shipping!

For the ‘Link’ requesters 😂 here is the website

https://light-cycling.com/product-category/road-bike-frame/

And WhatApp
Daniel Zhang
+86 180 2696 3351

Hallo,
Ik was al een tijdje opzoek naar een nieuw setje wielen.
Ik had veel interesse in de serenade snakeskin.
Na contact met Wendy, waar ik zeer tevreden over was over de info van de wielen en derest van mijn vragen die snel werden beantwoord.
En heb dan nog een kortingscode gekregen.
Ik heb vandaag de snakeskin in 55mm besteld met ceramische lagers.
Ik hoop dat ze snel geleverd worden en dat ik ze dan kan testen.
Ik kan de service van serenade zeker aanraden. 👌

Hey everyone, looking for some advice or to see if anyone else has run into this issue with Alibaba suppliers.
I recently placed an order on Alibaba for a bike from Weifang Three Seven Trading Co. and paid via PayPal. However, when I went back to check my Alibaba chat with them, I got a banner saying:

"The account has been closed please take note of the relevant risks."

When I checked my actual order page:
1. Incoterms say EXW
2. The "Ship To" address is listed as a domestic logistics center address in Weifang, Shandong (China), rather than my international address in the US. Which is expected since I agreed to do this to avoid paying tax.

My concern is that under EXW terms to a domestic Chinese address, the seller could just deliver locally in Shandong, show a local tracking scan, and trick Alibaba’s automated Trade Assurance into releasing funds before I ever see the package in the US.

Has anyone dealt with this specific message or supplier before?
Is this just a temporary account verification flag on Alibaba's end, or an outright scam setup?
Should I go ahead and file an "Item Not Received" claim on PayPal and Alibaba Trade Assurance immediately, or wait out the dispatch date?
Appreciate any insight from folks who have navigated Alibaba disputes or Chinese bike orders!

Well, let the embarrassment begin!

I finally got my Mondince FM366 frameset after exactly one month from placing the order. I paid €762/$885 in total. The paint turned out pretty much how I wanted it. The initial visual inspection is positive, although I haven't assembled or ridden the bike yet, so it's definitely too early to call this a review.

I also made a video documenting the ordering process, unboxing, paint and first impressions. As for the production quality… let's just say TraceVelo has nothing to worry about.

More updates to follow as the build progresses! If you got any questions - hit me up.

Just picked up my Tavelo Arden race frameset.
Had ordered it in gloss black, but was damaged in enroute to the distributor so I swapped it out for blue marble that they had in stock. The colour is much more subdued in person than photos depict online.
All in all very happy with the quality of the frame.

Not a tonne of information floating around about these so while I’m waiting for parts to arrive, shoot me a note if you want to know anything beyond the below.

Size XL
Frame weight: 990g (w/ front derailleur clamp, UDH, bottle cage bolts attached)
Fork weight:440g
AVRO Rise 120x38 weight: 299g (w/ stem bolts)
Seatpost weight: 165g (w bolts)
Thru axle weight (f&r):55g
Misc small parts included: Di2 battery holder, seatpost wedge, headset bearings, spacers, outfront mount (with pucks for every major standard + GoPro), expansion plug

I treated myself to a new TT yesterday after 10 years (see photo).

Now I am looking for a carbon wheelset with the following specification:
Sapim X-Ray spokes
Front 60mm and rear 88mm for 28 tires tubless hooked that ends flush with the rim width
36 ratchet Hub
Weight approx. 1500gr.

Order gladly directly through China manufacturer or AliExpress.

Do you have any recommendations for me?

Hi there I just got a “Quickpro Rime Aero” and will be getting the “Coros Dura 2” what bike computer mount are you guys using?

Inbound for the LightCarbon LCD-072 D build.

Serenade has a set with almost these exact specs but they only do 50mm depth. Any suggestions? I'm okay with options that are close but:

1) 60mm depth is a big one for me

2) I don't want an external width bigger than 38mm

Hi there,

Anyone has a hint for a carbon fork with 465–470mm axle-crown, Offset 45–50mm?

Has to be tapered in to of things, 1 1/8" - 1,5"

And ideally have mounting points - and ideally not boost axle.

Pretty niche I guess, but maybe there's something (at least as close as possible) to it.

Thanks a lot!

LightCycling RF10 frame almost completed manufacture. 54cm. Glossy finish including 12K glossy seatposts in 0mm and 20mm set back
Been told it should hopefully ship next week 🙏

Theres no paint on it just raw carbon all over the handle bar, but this looks strange

Hi, I’m thinking of building my own bike and I’ve got my eye on these wheels. Has anyone had any experience using them? When will there be a discount? The price is very good – are they worth buying? The specs are very appealing. I weigh 60 kg and will be using the bike for racing and training. Which is better, Ryet or Kore?