The BEST Gravel Frameset in 2024? Voicevelo G Major

⚠️ The Frame: www.pandapodiu...
📝 Introduction
The founder of Voicevelo (Ling Ying) is a successful Chinese XC rider, being the first Chinese rider to race the Cape Epic (on his own brand's mountain bike no less) so it's no surprise that their new gravel frame is A) Very racey, and B) More towards the MTB side of the spectrum.
The frame is just 790g in a size medium and can take upto 700x47c tires. There's a UDH mech hanger and a T47 bottom bracket keeping things "modern", while a kevlar reinforced steerer tube shows a dedication to safety.
In this video I go through who the brand are, what this frame is about, as well as going through the bike build I went for. It's a long one, so grab a drink and check it out.
🔗 Links
The Frame: www.pandapodiu...
The Wheels: www.pandapodiu...
The Groupset: (Waiting until I have more KMs on it to recommend it.)
The Tires: www.maxxis.com...
The Crankset: www.pandapodiu...
The Chainrings: stonechainring...
The Jersey: www.pandapodiu...
Insta360 Ace Pro: www.insta360.c...
⏰ Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:22 Opening Montage
00:41 Let's Dive In!
00:59 Who are Voicevelo?
01:48 What is the G Major?
05:45 My complete bike build
08:20 Whats with the name 'G Major'?
09:07 How it rides
16:55 After-ride thoughts
28:40 Summary
32:18 Bonus Clip I
33:32 Bonus Clip II

[@TheXiamenCyclingFeed]

It annoys me that I have even more of weight disadvantage now when we go gravelllling 🥲

[@ChinaCycling]

See you on the descent... Oh, and thanks for filming lots of the shots in this video. ;)

[@jesperbach]

What do you have that is leighter

[@TraceVelo]

Super thorough review! The frame looks dope, and you can def see the moutian bike DNA in the design of this frame. The Chinese countryside looks absolutely georgous too! It's pissing it down in the UK this week, so to say i am jealous is an understatement 😂

[@lincolnlu9869]

Love the bonus clip reference

[@matthewavignonpetersen5893]

The Bach vs Mozart moment around 9:20 is so dope. Brilliant editing, Joe 🫡

[@ChinaCycling]

Haha, thanks. Trying to channel my inner Clarkson.

[@matthewavignonpetersen5893]

@@ChinaCycling That was very Clarkson, but without the general air of being a curmudgeon.

[@TwoTroutCreations]

Oh also the 'bonus clip time' from Trace Velo made me giggle, love it.

[@ChinaCycling]

🥖🥖🥖

[@TwoTroutCreations]

@@ChinaCycling 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖

[@ooookaaay1746]

Thank you for the interesting review and the time spent. But $2100 for a no-name Chinese frame with a silly name is just ridiculous.

[@ChinaCycling]

I think its brave of them. They could have started out with some boring 1000g frame with nothing special and slowly try to build a name, etc. But, I guess the boss doesn't wanna build mediocre stuff, he wants to build the stuff he wants to race on. So, respect for that. However many people end up buying it though - market forces will decide.

[@osp1999]

Impressive frame, but I do agree pricing is a bit on high side, due to unproven frame. Specialized crux weight wise I think still is king, but has external routing…

[@LordVarkson]

The chinese cycling market is doing fine. If the white devil won't buy it, the Chinese people will.

[@glennicol1361]

I must admit I was very impressed by the beer situation in China on a recent visit. Also crazy light frame!

[@ChinaCycling]

Yeah, surprising. Tsingdao have a great variety of beers.

[@marcing7684]

At 2099$ it's one step too far to suceed. IMHO. Realistically for European customer this is a purchase without ANY warranty. Nice but too expensive.

[@qwertyazerty2137]

Yep, unless they have a local representative office that could offer a proper after-sale support, it's too risky for this price.

[@ChinaCycling]

Its defo not cheap! There. isa three-year warranty for all Voicevelo frames though. Pandapodium has a few small warehouse / bike-shop partners scattered around the globe in case of such issues.

[@osp1999]

@@ChinaCyclingany in Midwest USA?

[@justinburrell5836]

The website claims 790g for the frame’s weight (size 51). Are there any weight restrictions? I’m 177cm tall and weigh between 74-77kilos. I’m aware carbon has come a long way, however that frame set is awfully lightweight.

[@LordVarkson]

That paint job is mint, and I love the G Major logo. Wish I could justify the price of the frame.

[@1mesonyx]

Do you have any news if Magene is working on pedal based power meter?

[@glennoc8585]

Good backstory about the boss if the frameset being a racer himself.

[@MIHALMICHAEL]

I love the ending clip

[@LorenzMapTV]

great looking gravel bike!

[@jerryofthebikes]

nice frame but to expensive for average Jerry

[@ChinaCycling]

Yeah, I wanted to find "the best" Chinese gravel frame (as per. the title) and unfortunately with all these things for a small reduction in weight, etc, the cost goes up exponentially.

[@dcv9460]

Awesome review! 😎😎 Love the Trace Velo bonus clip "jingle" 🥖🥖🥖

[@ChinaCycling]

🥖🥖🥖

[@bobsteinmann5793]

Want to pull the trigger so bad but so little know in the west about this brand. Your video is fantastic, but it is the only known review or info for this brand. What carbon grade are they using?. Voicevelo site has odd description of the bottom bracket that makes no sense . Is it threaded aluminum for t 47? The aesthetics are so cool.

[@RAP4EVERMRC96]

Hey, when will the voice velo bags be available? Any recommendations for a seatpost? Tbh. the Voicevelo is little to expensive for my wallet.

[@VinceCabahug]

More Panda Power on the gravel

[@ChinaCycling]

More coming soon... some more affordable stuff too! :)

[@danjo1967]

the disappointing trend in chinese products is they are approaching western pricing. this was their appeal, as some products are good, and value for money was the draw.

[@ChinaCycling]

I think its more the spectrum is widening. There's still the budget stuff, but now they do high end stuff. You can still get the "Pretty good" frames for like $1000, but now we're seeing "very good" frames on a par with Western quality levels, for about 1/3rd cheaper. As long as the cheaper stuff is still there, I don't think it's a problem. More choice is always a good thing.

[@ynie1]

Would you consider doing package deals? I think this frame checks all the boxes for me. I would love to get a package deal (like the ones you had during Black Friday) with frame, handlebar, and wheels! As far as narrow handlebars on gravel bikes go, I have 38 cm handlebars on my gravel bike with a 42cm flair, and I absolutely LOVE that setup. I tried the wide handlebar initially (44cm), but ended up constantly compensating resulting in arm and shoulder pain.

[@ChinaCycling]

Yeah, we can. I think the biggest advantage of building your own bike is that you choose every single component yourself, so having package deals may limit that. But we can sort something out for you. Either shoot us an email or come talk to use on the live chat on the site between 9am-noon or 2pm-5.30pm Beijing time. We can help recommend components and sort you out.

[@B.r.o.t.h.e.r.2]

That was what she said 😂😂😂 💪

[@shaunedwards4362]

Love the trace velo bonus clip time

[@GuitarHello]

Looks great, but I can buy Rose backroad ff for FAR cheaper than building this myself, have warranty, can do a test ride etc. I don't see how someone in EU can chose this frameset.

[@sc0or]

Chinese frame manufacturers are very modest in increasing wheelbase and stack for gravel frames (compared to track/aero). They add literally a 1cm and call that a "gravel frame". They don't care real requirements

[@ChinaCycling]

The guy who designed the frame has raced the Cape Epic multiple times and I'm sure could drop you on any trail. You're right that *most* brands here may just do that, but don't judge them all the same...

[@sc0or]

@@ChinaCycling​​⁠To win a race and to be successful in a business are two different things ) This frame is short in all directions to be a gravel one. But it can be good in something else of course. If I would 30-40 cm shorter, and a landscape around would be more flat, I’ll definitely consider this frame. At least it’s manufactured and painted like a real thing )

[@sc0or]

@@ChinaCycling By the way, if we take a look at a top 7 winners of number of US classical 500km gravel races, we ca find stack/reach ratio from 1.39 to 1.58, ht angle from 66 to 73, wheelbase from 1000 to 1150, chain stay from 415 to 435. This is an example of that to win a gravel race is a different thing to make a gravel bike ) Cheers.

[@bigsnakedildo]

i like the glich effect in the audio and video, quite trendy!

[@dustyhoods]

I love orange too 🧡

[@minimodelling]

Looking at eGR - would be really interesting to know is that a SRAM cassette or one of the xdr zrace/ztto/sunshine ones? Not sure which to be looking at, if I can run the 11-44 apex cassette with this with a non flattop chain that would be awesome, won’t need to get a new freehub and the spacing is a bit nicer!

[@hasfiilman5900]

Size S little bit heavier than size M. How come ?

[@dylangrantz8124]

Great looking bike and finish looks first class but support and warranty are issues with any frameset that costs a few hundred less than a lauf seigula rigid complete bike with sram axs. I don't understand how people beat direct to consumer options really. Great looking bike really. It just takes well more than looks now.

[@ChinaCycling]

Lots of these products make a lot more sense in China. A Lauf will be a lot more expensive in China, and also the sizes of the G Major more Asian-friendly. But, It's fun to have a little niche, so that's basically what Panda Podium is for.

[@lincolnlu9869]

​@@ChinaCyclingas a Chinese person in America, having products designed for my smaller dimensions is really refreshing.

[@pavelhlushchanka]

Where can i check their top tube bag?

[@ChinaCycling]

Coming to Panda Podium soon!

[@Leo-gt1bx]

Nice looking bike. Have you tried their chainrings?

[@angelortiz353]

Hi does that seatpost be able to be used with a carbon rail saddle?

[@treyquattro]

BMC don't agree that the cockpit is a bit controversial for gravel: it's exactly what they've done with the Kaius, at least the Kaius 1. BMC probably did it at least 5 times the price too! (For the 1 which retails over $11K)

[@dustyhoods]

Dylan Jonson made a wind tunnel test and anything under the down tube is bad for airdynamic. Which makes me sad since I love to put that heavy toolbox down there (and never use it ha ha) but I do this anyway since it's very convenient.

[@LordVarkson]

It's gravel, you're not going that fast so don't worry about it.

[@albertomiragil850]

the Avian Falcon II Integrated Handlebar , is suitable for light gravel ( fast hard pack paths)?

[@ChinaCycling]

I just asked Avian, they said no problem.

[@abelvillanueva723]

Could the position of the bottle cage on the seat tube be to make room for the front derailleur?

[@ChinaCycling]

Maaaaybe... so I think they should put 3 holes in there, so if you're 1x (like lots of gravel folks will be) you can put it down a bit. Anyway, they say its only a problem with the size "S" - Short people problems I guess.

[@maxgrass8134]

Nice bike!

[@wheatonrunner69]

How does the seatpost compare to a standard post? Did you notice a more compliant ride with the included seatpost? I've been trying to find one similar to this and the old canyon one that is now discontinued. Mostly looking for a low weight way to add compliance to the back of the bike. Thanks!

[@Sloppyshizzlegg]

I have this seatpost on my allroad bike for one year now. Bought it for the looks and compliance. It is not that compliant but i am just 65kg. It is very good quality.

[@ChinaCycling]

Good question. I tried to do some field testing with accelerometers, but the data was too noisy, need to revisit that. But testing them back to back during the testing, it *felt* better than a standard post. But was it placebo? Who knows. But just pushing on the saddle you can see it flexes more than a standard post, so... yeah... more data needed.

[@osp1999]

Roval Terra Clx are 1250

[@ChinaCycling]

I googled "Roval Gravel Wheels" and the first 4 results were the CL, didn't even know there was a CLX version, oops! But yeah, the CLX are $2500 for a pair? Would. be interested to do a comparison.

[@osp1999]

@@ChinaCyclingTerra clx also have ceramic bearings(like dt180) whereas cl, c have steel (like dt350) But your bike does look awesome, and really enjoy your content. Came across your channel from Grant @ GC Performance…

[@MooreMatt]

Was hoping it could fit 2.0 29er tires.

[@ChinaCycling]

3mm short :(

[@KingdomOfJah]

I know my comment is unrelated to this video, but I see Magene is promoting their soon to be released C606 Smart GPS head unit. At first glance it is marketed to have some pretty good spec's along with a color touch screen...all for $160 USD. I would be really curios to hear your feedback on this product given your history with the company. Cheers!

[@ChinaCycling]

That marketing video you saw was shot by me. (The other side of Panda Podium is a media company.) So, during the shooting I got to play around with the unit a bit. Looks promising! Had a few small bugs (mostly related to English) but it was pre-release firmware.

[@KingdomOfJah]

@@ChinaCycling Thank you for the reply! I'll look forward to seeing a dedicated review video:)

[@maddoc68]

only small frame sizes with a race geometry...

[@collinsph5113]

can you review the new wheeltop eds electric groupset? it's been in the Chinese market for at least a month now.

[@ChinaCycling]

I have one... rear mech great, front mech... just so-so

[@collinsph5113]

@@ChinaCycling thank you for replying, will you be releasing a review on wheeltop eds?

[@yuumbaalam]

What's the actual complete bike weight?

[@ChinaCycling]

6.9kg without pedals, can't remember what else was on the bike (bottle cages, GPS mount, etc.)

[@TwoTroutCreations]

Would love to hear more about the bars! Are they for sale on Panda Podium?

[@ChinaCycling]

Nope. :( The shipping cost of bars is pretty prohibitive for lower end stuff. :(

[@TwoTroutCreations]

@@ChinaCycling ah damn.

[@billyjo1148]

rocking the xpedo pedals ?

[@ChinaCycling]

Ja!

[@hddd1502]

what are the handlebars

[@ChinaCycling]

An unbranded bar from a local factory. Not allowed to sell overseas tho :(

[@ESKantzi]

For this price I prefer crux r10

[@MiserereMei]

What Star Wars helmet are you wearing, Joe? I feel like you should be riding a Speeder Bike 😊

[@ChinaCycling]

Hahaha, I've had this helmet for so long now, it's so past it's best before date, but it's become a part of my VI at this point. It's by a brand called RANKING.

[@MiserereMei]

​@@ChinaCyclingI'll have to check that brand out. May the Force be with you, Joe.

[@go_jeff_go]

I'm sorry but the logo looks pretty much like a copy of the show "The Voice". Can't unsee it.

[@neilwheel]

Not keen on all those holes in the top tube...🤕

[@stuartdryer1352]

At least $600 too much. I own two Chinese road bikes, and I'm happy with them, but dealing with these companies is not without risk. Yoeleo has finally solved my problem and the bike is (now) really nice, but dealing with them after the sale was a bit painful. I'm willing to put up with it for the price I paid (even more so for my cheaper ICAN frame, which has been trouble free). Also, ICAN has better customer service. But if a frame is $2100 plus you have no local dealer? And to make the frame that light, there is zero margin forverror. Nope. Not going to do it.

[@ChinaCycling]

I agree with most of what you said. I will say though that 790g there is plenty of margin for error. I reckon his frame could be about 80-100g lighter and still pass ISO tests. It's built to take off-road abuse.

[@zhdite5]

$2,099??? :DDD

[@johnnyboy4711]

how much is frame?

[@ChinaCycling]

$2100 USD - not cheap! (Depending what you compare to...)

[@johnnyboy4711]

@@ChinaCycling not cheap anyway you look at it

[@Randy_Newman]

when is the feiyu giveaway?

[@ChinaCycling]

Sent messages to 3 winners (of 2 giveaways), still waiting for 1 to reply. If they don't reply by the end of the week I'll choose a new winner.

[@klein-concept]

Crazy weight for a gravel frame. Impressive 🤌

[@ChinaCycling]

🙌🙌🙌

[@qwertyazerty2137]

These white strands in the steerer tube are probably dyneema. At least that is what Time claims to be using in their prepregs. As for the bleeding of these ltwoo levers. If you haven't done it yet, better check the lever bleed ports because I had a problem with a stuck bleed port bolt in my GR9 groupset that would not budge and which I eventually stripped and had to return for a warranty claim and there's at least one more review on ali reporting the same problem with er9 levers..

[@ChinaCycling]

I think Dyneema / Kevlar / Spectra are all their respective brands product names. Which one this actually is, I'm also not sure...I thought it was Kevlar,, but i could be wrong.

[@huawei755]

What pedals is it?

[@ChinaCycling]

Xpeedo something something,...

[@huawei755]

@@ChinaCycling Thanx boss!

[@treyquattro]

@@ChinaCycling bit of an unfortunate name...

[@ChinaCycling]

@@treyquattro ... xpedo better than pedonow? hahahahah. But, ahem, yes... not the best, eh?

[@pmcmpc]

VFV make some interesting high quality stuff. Wish more bikes had kevlar braided steerer; it makes catastrophic failures so much less likely. But this suffers from the same problems as a bunch of other Chinese gravel bikes. The Yoeleo G21 PT reviewed recently too. The geometry is garbage in bigger sizes.

[@ChinaCycling]

As a 1,68m rider, I feel lucky, but hard for me to put myself in the shoes of the 'average' westerner.

[@pmcmpc]

@@ChinaCycling The wheelbase and front center are very short in all sizes. So take care sending it. But BB drop is good at least.

[@Hexsense]

@@pmcmpc Head tube angle is already good. Changing fork offset to 55mm would be a good start. Then increase reach later.

[@BoxCarBoy12]

This frame is $2100 dollars? I can easily get a quality frame from a reputable company at that price. For a Chinese carbon frame I fully expect to pay $600 or less. That, combined with the headset cable routing, make this one a no from me even though the geometry looks pretty nice.

[@Randy_Newman]

seriously- If you get a sram red axs groupset for $1900, plus bars, rims, stem, seatpost, saddle, pedals, you’re looking at like $5-6k, which you can get on a Checkpoint SL7 for the same price, with warranties and local support (depending on where you’re from). You could definitely get similar or better deals for the same spec 🙄

[@ChinaCycling]

People used to say the same about wheels. Would never pay more than $500 for Chinese wheels. Now >$1000 Chinese wheels are sold in the tens of thousands of units every year. Times are changing.The $600 stuff is still out there, so that's good. But no $600 gravel frame is gonna be 790g and have a kevlar steerer tube, included carbon seatpost and carbon stem, etc etc. Again, the $600 stuff is still out there though, so everyone just choose what works for them.

[@MrCfredrickson]

These will not sell well in europe or austialia with such small frame sizes. Must be focused for smaller Asian riders.

[@ChinaCycling]

Yup! defo designed for shorter riders. (or, at least, not tall riders...)

[@StartYourLegs]

Lol nobody is goint to spend 2000 on a chinese frame

[@taylarbikes8845]

No grown man size? Too bad!

[@thedownunderverse]

Avoid Chinese products at all cost!

[@dazza187]

Most bike frames and parts are made in China. Because this is a Chinese brand doesn't make it any worse than most Western brands... From what I see this bike seems to be quality with the package and paint finish.