Worth the extra cost? My MOST EXPENSIVE AliExpress bike build

[@tabletaccount9282]

Congrats on going pro, Luke! You're doing everything right to make this a big success.

[@KamikazeCommie501]

I wish all content creators had this much charisma. 90% of the people making videos on KZbin have no flair.

[@EJD200]

Really look forward to more trace velo videos en the future❤

[@simonchaddock3694]

Your cool luke and very friendly and funny natured in other words youve got what it takes kid all the best for the future

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks so much Tablet!!! I'm honestly super nervous thinking about it, but I'm gonna give it my absolute best and try and make it work 😬😬😬

[@tomahoks]

I built a bike for my teenager and posted a pic to our bikesite,and got &hit load of &hit in my face from trusted folks. Fuc them, I say.

[@ryanw8987]

You're one of the only KZbinrs I follow where I get excited when I see a 30-40+ minute video released, cuz I know it'll be interesting all the way through.

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Ryan, what a wicked comment! 😄

[@mcndjxlefnd]

There's so much demand for content similar to yours, but for mountain and gravel bikes. I can't believe you're the only KZbinr who's really exploring the Ali Express product world. There is a dearth of this kind of content for all the goods offered on the site.

[@dylan-5287]

The carbon Chinese stuff is great for road bikes but I'd be hesitant on mtbs. Maybe if you're not planning on jumping and drops but I wouldn't want to be the first to test it. Drive train and wheels maybe but a solid frame is essential for mtb.

[@Twistandgouk]

Seen a few posts about mtb forks and from what iv seen avoid mtb bits at all costs OK for a commuter but not something odd trust on even a basic trial

[@Not_Sure_]

@6:50 Genius. Who ever sent you that message (vello) is simply a genius. I've been holding out on cutting my bar because I don't want the cut to go wrong, and look like a complete mess.

[@tommurphy5133]

Congrats mate! Not a lot of folks who are out here putting stuff out aimed at normal cyclists and there budget's. Can't wait to see what this brings!

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Tom, really appreciate it! With the cost of an off the shelf bike just going up and up recently, hopefully I can show there are some other options out there 😁

[@curtis6861]

@@TraceVelo was looking at getting an e-mtb but with their prices at the moment I may aswell just buy a superbike lol

[@PanaehaliTut]

My friend uses OG-EVKIN MTB hardtail frame for 3 or even 4 years now. He's a bigger guy with 90+ kg weight and long legs. Managed to crack his Сube alloy frame in his first competitive season. Took a risk with OG-EVKIN Carbon. Very happy with it. A bit on a heavier side, but reliability is excellent.

[@klcbsoft]

Fist things first: Good luck on your future YT-endeavors. Also best of luck on your OG-EVKIN build. Bought the V-Brake frame and one of their carbon handle bars last year, and gave it a good 9000km without any troubles ... and I'm, 6'4 @ 116kg, so the frame had to deliver, and it did. As a religious follower of your content who buys everything you mention, be it L-TWOO to SIROKO, I'm amazed I once had something before you had it :)

[@hsujay0616]

You're the only one YTer that I'll see a single video w/ 30+ minutes! Congrats on going pro and having a nice bike!

[@noikha]

I've been riding the CF-025 frame with rim brakes for over a year now and I'm really happy with it. I find it to be very comfortable and the frame overall feels like good quality. Only issue I've had was the little plastic cover under the bottom bracket which does the cable routing broke on mine. Good thing was, I could order the replacement part from their store, although it was severely overpriced, but I think its great to be able to order spare parts for this relatively cheap frame. I've paired it with Sensah Empire 11spd and an entry level Fulcrum aluminium wheelset, added a carbon saddle and bars plus Prowheel crank / 105 rim brakes and paid in total a little over 1000€ for a very light and comfortable bike. I'm still enjoying every ride with it!

[@mpvsystems9302]

Luke, to cut the steerer without wrecking two stems - as I mentioned in a comment last year - just purchase two steel "clamping collars" aka "shaft collars". They are cheap! Don't forget to put a wooden plug inside the steering tube to prevent tearing the fibres on the inside of the steering tube. If you do this, the result will be much better than using an expensive "cutoff jig" that is intended for use with metal tubing. Use a hacksaw blade with 32 TPI, not 24 or less....

[@markwalker9147]

Luke, watched loads of your videos love them. It’s nice to be able to give something back….. think you should know you can tighten the shifter clamp by running the Allen key in from the front of the rubber hood. You don’t have to peel it back and it easily stretches around the tool. You don’t need to see the bolt head as it will register if you get it in the zone. It’s a lot easier that whatever you were trying to do. 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖

[@ruudboek]

I have 2 of those OG-EVKIN seat posts, they are terrific. I have the one with the 15mm setback and it flexes a bit, which makes the ride super comfortable. That seat post is one of the best ways to make your ride much more comfortable and get the weight down for very little money. It deserves a review of its own.

[@romanpramuka2703]

Great video Luke. Little note to geometry, you can't measure handlebar height from the ground, but from the BB. I have this frame, it has pretty low BB drop (which I really like), at around 5 to 10 mm lower than others. So, you should use 5 to 10 mm less of spacers under the stem.

[@JPLTF373]

No wonder it feels comfortable, with that chimney on it

[@TraceVelo]

So Roman I read this comment, and last night before my ride I spent some time in the garage fiddling around with my setup. I ended up dropping the seat post another 5mm, and dropping the handlebars 1cm, and WOW what a difference!!! Has honestly made the bike much more comfortable. I was comparing the geometry to the bike on the wall, and you are right the BB drop is pretty different. Anyway, thankyou for the tip, it's made a massive difference!!!!

[@bumppo2781]

@@TraceVelo Hi, Luke. What is your height that you ride L-size frame?

[@grigorisamvrazis5126]

Great episode Luke. I have just finished my build inspired by you. It was much cheaper thow. Tantan aero frame: 700 € SRAM Force1x: 650 € Ican Aero 55: 600€ Force crank 175€ Same saddle for 82€ SRAM force chain 20€ ZTTO alu cassette 50€ Pedals from spare bin So around 2200€ you can build a superbike with elektronik shifting and a weight of 7.3 kg without pedals. After all you've been the inspiration. Thanks 👍👍👍

[@not-a-raccoon]

You deserve all the success you've gotten, my guy!! Been with you since the first video, and I've loved every single one!

[@TraceVelo]

NOT-A-RACCOON!!! My dude! Thankyou so much, I really hope I can make it all work! And ultimately it's down to people like you watching my stuff that made it all possbile 😄

[@ethan8865]

Just found your channel randomly on YT (good sign for you that they're pushing your content), and I'm impressed with your energy, creativity, and attention to detail! Great idea for a video, and in general the AliExpress stuff is cool, since that really is the best price/performance source for a lot of velo-related stuff given how the western markets aggressively target wealthy enthusiasts. Looking forward to an update on this build in a few months.

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Ethan! It's great to see new people finding my stuff, so welcome aboard. But yeah with this build in partciular i wanted to see what throwing a few more quid at a build would get me, and i've been really impressed. The frame and the groupset especially, VERY impressive! Ill be doing an update soon, so stay tuned! And thanks for the comment!!!!

[@arcysantiago4782]

Outstanding job on this build Luke! The details you have gone thru, even telling us that you've invested around a week to make this. Awesome!

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks a ton Arcy! Yeah in total this episode probably took around 2 weeks. The build only took around 1.5 days with fiming, but between sourcing the parts, writing the script, getting the B-Roll, doing the edit, and making the thumbnail, yeah around 2 weeks I think. Anyway gald you liked it, and thanks for the comment!

[@andor_yoko]

Tip when cutting the brake hose: you should use a knife and try to cut it as square to the hose as possible. The cutters you used don't leave this nice square edge for the barb to sit on. 🥖

[@galenkehler]

Congrats on the move to online, you've been doing great here for years, that should allow you to do even more which is great news for us! 🍾

[@boowiebear]

This video made me grateful for my bike. It was expensive but it just works. Nothing has broken and the only money I spend is wear parts like pads, chains and tires. It would be stressful to have my bike not be reliable. Important thing you are often paying for.

[@afonic]

Congrats!! Your content is some of the best in KZbin and you're an inspiration for many inspiring bike builders! Would love to see more detailed videos of parts of the build you usually skip, I'm pretty sure they'll be better than what's already online.

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks afonic, really appreicate it. Yeah good idea, i think for my next build, ill take a bit more time with the parts like bleeding the brakes that i usually skip! Anyway, thanks for the comment!!

[@Korkinator17]

I've been using pipe cutters for cutting down aluminium and carbon steerer tubes. When you only apply little pressure and let the rotation do the work, you'll get pretty nice and clean cuts without any dust. Those cutters come for ~10-20 Euros/pounds/dollars and are really worth the money. Whereever I fix two metallic surfaces like bolt and thread, cassette and free hub, breaking disc and its centerlock-center,... I just apply some grease. Works all the time, prevents corrosion well. And no, nothing has ever become loose.

[@zinssaw]

Well that's a sweet surprise after work! Congrats on going full time KZbin!! Hope it works out for you :)

[@lolbubs11111]

I would not torque the compression plug to some torque spec but instead just enough for it not to slip. The point is mostly to preload the headset before you clamp the stem down. Once the stem is clamped, it will hold the plug in place and the plug is not necessary for preload anymore. 8 Nm as mentioned in the video sounds, frankly, extremely high for that bolt.

[@jonathanblair4246]

Congrats on the full time! Your videos are far more entertaining than the majority of cycling content on KZbin, I’m confident you’ll do well with the added focus time!

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Jonathan! Yeah I really hope that with a bit more time and focus, i can crank out some great stuff. Could be an absolute failiure, but i have to try it for my own sanity more than anything 😅

[@ivopires5116]

I've been following since 2019. I've learned a little from you, I'm a Single Speed rider. I also like your sense of humor and I'm also a cheapskate buying bike tools. I hope you have lots of success with your new business.

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Ivo, appreciate you have watched me since 2019, thats awesome, im glad you find my videos useful!

[@nathanielkhoom6043]

Same as many people on here have already said, good luck with going full time on this! I think in terms of content, we'd all enjoy watching more of the build, maybe showing the parts you are selecting and why, then unboxing and then the build (spread the builds out over three or four weeks with maybe a video each week, hopefully allowing you to make more of a living at doing this.) Already subscribed and looking forward to future videos!!!!

[@chrisbowman2030]

Congratulations for becoming a pro KZbinr! The world needs your channel for us average Joe cyclists. I like to use low strength Loctite on brake mounts. It seals the threads and prevents corrosion this way and stops bolts from coming lose.

[@fierox88]

Nice video of the build and a great looking bike! Got my OG-Evkin from Ali in 2019 (incl wheels and handlebar) and its still going strong today. Went with a 105 on mine but its nice to see the Ali groupsets are improving as well.

[@TraceVelo]

Ok amazing! Good to hear you are getting on well with your OG-Evkin stuff!

[@mag9792]

Congrats dude, I’ve been watching you from the start and you’ve been a natural since the beginning.

[@boyacki]

Huge kudos! Your work is amazing, entertaining and informative so I have every piece(part or ... some measure of size) of belief that you will kill it in this space! Easily the most enjoyable to view with the funnies ever bettering! Editing is improving, very smooth and pleasing. Loving every second! Love the running cost total and the detective work on the rattle. I think ,if possible, maybe a timer tracker to guage how long you spent on each stage? You're very proficient and inspiring so it might help to invoke other DIYers to take action

[@TraceVelo]

So the idea of a time tracker is really good tbh... The only issue is that setting up the lights for each shot, and filming everything takes AGES, and without it the build woudl easily be twice as fast. Def something to explore in the future tho 🤔 Anyway, glad you like the videos, and thanks for the comment!!!

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Nathaniel! Yeah this is a great idea. I did sort of intend to do this with this build, but my full time job ALWAYS gets in the way. I feel like I'm trying to snatch a few hours here and there to work on my Trace Velo stuff right now, so hopefully when i go full time, i will have the luxury of time to invest in content like this! Anyway, thanks for the comment, really apprecate it! 😄

[@boyacki]

@@TraceVelo it out pleasure as the viewer! Even if it was like a horizontal bar across the screen that's comprised of the blocks of time spent, totalling up at the end, it would be a good rough indicator. We'll probably be slower as a majority anyway another animation or guage would look good. Also, would you be able to track how the chain performs? Im thinking similar to the original fizik Vs fake but maybe YBN lower range Vs top end to see if, as probably the highest frequency consumable, is it worth it? I'm due for a change so weighing up options but hard to get a view on that is worth it

[@migs5492]

Great video! Ive had this frame for a couple years now and have over 4k miles on it and this thing still feels great. The only issue I have ever really had was the seat clamp, it was difficult to loosen and adjust after about 6 months so I ended up replacing the seat tube with another one. I started with a 2x11 cheap groupset with cable actuated disc brakes and upgraded to Shimano 105 front and rear derailleur. Recently i converted to hydraulic disc brakes with new shifters and this is probably my final upgrades. I built another bike for my girlfriend using another Chinese frame and I am still surprised how well the OG evkin feels and how easy it was to install everything.

[@Purosistematic]

As always, Luke, a great build and a lot of useful things to learn when building a bike. Have you ever considered building a full internal cable bike? Would be an explosion of clicks :p

[@TraceVelo]

Yeah I have thought about it, but with mechanical cable actuated gears, i think it would end up being a MASSIVE pain to ensure the cables feed though the bars and stem smoothly. Could be worth a try tho...

[@deekfinite1655]

@@TraceVelo full internal cabling is not a massive pain its way worse than that and in my humble opinion not worth the blood sweat and tears lol this from a full time mechanic

[@RaveniusSFRJ]

@@TraceVelo I have chinese pinarello and I had to to this by myself, pretty much took me whole day, especially since i never did it before, it's a painful thing to do...

[@montanajones8393]

GC Performance has already done this on his channel & as a full time bike shop owner/mechanic....he said he had to step away quite a few times to do the serenity now mantra or else 🙏🙏🙏 and a number of hacks that would probably void the warranty to get things to work. You'll run into this problem on any internally routed bike with mechanical shifting though.

[@TraceVelo]

@deek finite - I absolutely believe you, but tbh this kind of makes me want to try it more 🤣 I can't say no to a challenge, and could be an interesting episode...

[@maxritter7868]

I'd suggest using a different grease than copper grease. It used to be very common in the automotive world but since a lot of the brake calipers are now aluminium we have moved on to other types of grease. The copper content will protect the steel, but will accelerate the galvanic corrosion on the aluminium. There's a ton of greases made specifically for brakes that will also withstand water better. Most of those greases are also a lot cleaner to work with; copper grease tends to get everywhere...

[@jasonjaeger7383]

Proud of you, it takes courage to take a step like that! I hope it works out

[@TraceVelo]

Aw thanks Jason!! To be honest, it's really great to see comments like this. I am honestly fucking terrified at the thought of going full time with this, but i have to give it a go!

[@chris1275cc]

🥖🥖 I have the 11 speed version of the brakes/shifters setting them up I found the standard Shimano easy/quick bleed method is not the best for these, the Shimano ones have a bleed nipple so you can seal the caliper before you remove the syringe the best way I found was to go through the procedure as you did then remove the funnel and fit the syringe about 1/4 full (degassed) to the lever, then pull and push on the syringe a few times to get all the air out, far less lever throw afterwards and no need to turn the pre-stroke adjuster in so far. Next time I bleed them I will probably try the old 2 syringe method as I suspect that will improve things further. Another thing I noticed is that my 11 speed levers are basically just "gimped" versions of the 12 speed levers (the 12th notch is still there but you can't shift into it) I suspect that the cable spool is just slightly larger so each shift pulls slightly more cable. IF that is the case and they share the same pull ratio as either Shimano or Sram Derailleurs It might be possible to use 11 speed Shimano or Sram derailleurs with the 12 speed shifters (and get all 12 gears). That would be interesting to see but I have no way to test it.

[@jamesbarber6375]

Congratulations, you're really good at this stuff and I'm sure you can make it pay off.

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks James!!! Yeah I really hope it works out 😬😬😬

[@Timberius]

Cutting steerer tubes: 1, never cut before you've ridden it for a while. 2, I'm glad you mentioned about the cf dust. Better, wear an even better mask, and cut outdoors.

[@byrondixon4648]

Excellent Luke! The moral of the story for me is stick with a Shimano group set. Tiagra hydraulic with an upgraded crank (Tiagra cranks are a bit heavy) would solve all the issues. Ultegra group set would be sensational on that build.

[@TraceVelo]

Yeah totally fair! This bike with Ultegra would be phenomenal. The more I ride the L-TWOO setup tho, the more I like it. I think there are a few tweaks to make on it, but once everything is set up correctly, it does perform VERY well.

[@byrondixon4648]

@@TraceVelo so L-Twoo could be as good as Campy.... Fiddly but works good after lots of fiddling 🙂

[@DilbertMuc]

@@TraceVelo Is it the 1st. generation of L-Twoo? Maybe by summer they have a revised group set that solved all the annoying issues that you figured out?

[@kobold2376]

@@TraceVelo can you compare L-TWOO against SHIMANO 105 or TIAGRA hydraulic shifters

[@rosomak8244]

You have build yourself almost exactly the same bike I did 3 years ago. The main difference is that I used sensah shifters - far better ergonomy and no minor kinks there. And of course - calipers instead of disc. Yes the frame is available in variants. The main thing that I can add is that the components hold up to thousands of miles.

[@Tarmaccyclocross]

It’s all Chinese or Taiwanese no matter what names on the bike

[@fa1coner]

Except for those that aren't like Time, Enve, and several others.

[@nigelw.9043]

one more tip on cutting carbon. wrap the tube with a short length of tape prior to cutting. This will prevent carbon fibres fraying and / or delaminating on the final bit of the cut when the very last bit of tube "breaks" off. Use a paper style tape as you use for paint jobs. And to prevent any future fraying, splintering run a very small amount of thin super glue along the cut.

[@manoz6194]

yes I put anti seize on the brake bolts, when I didn't before the bolts were difficult to take out when I needed to change the pads. Even once loosened they needed a lot of force to turn. Now it's super easy

[@christosandreev6392]

Hi Luke. What you mentioned with the back shifter getting stuck is also an issue in Campagnolo Chorus 12 speed. I've ridden the chorus for about 7000km and it has this exact same issue from time to time.

[@TraceVelo]

Interesting!!!! Thanks for the comment Christos, good to know even the big brands struggle sometimes 😅

[@isaiahmaricodilla8621]

dude you’re insanely smart for figuring out the source of the rattling on the shifters - and kind to us for making that section short and straightforward 😅

[@sepg5084]

An ordinary bike enthusiast like me have no plans on buying Colnago, Dura Ace, Di2, Campagnolo, Enve, etc. So thank you for reviewing affordable alternatives.

[@andyamos8594]

Luke, you are the World wide defacto go to reference for chinese bike parts reviews so I really hope your channel goes from strength to strength!!

[@WayneCouyon]

Would be a fun topic to explore second hand bikes at a similar price range. For example, in the past few months, I could buy: - A 2020 Cannondale SSEVO with Sram Force eTap, HG35 wheels and KNOT bars for 2900 pounds - A Giant TCR Advanced Pro in chameleon galaxy colour with Ultegra R8000, FSA SL-K bars and Fulcrum 4DB wheels for 2400 pounds - An absolutely stunning Airstreeem TT Road with Dura Ace Di2 and top Airstreeem carbon wheels for 2800 pounds - A 2021 Specialized Roubaix with Sram Force eTap and Roval CL38 wheels for 2800 pounds.

[@KermitOfWar]

Excellent bike build my friend! One can never go wrong with an all black/carbon build. An all black color scheme just makes everything look more refined.

[@Onyxaxe]

Carbon blades are to keep the fibers from delaminating over time after cuts. Spend the 10 bucks on one.

[@mikefreitas1331]

Congratulations Luke Chinawalker!!! Going full time means more videos and sooner wich is for us a huge thing. As we say here in Portugal... "La bella papaya!" or baguette... again Big Thanks and congrats...

[@TraceVelo]

Cheers Mike, really appreciate it!

[@richardharris8538]

Beautiful! That looks like one for the bike vault. I hope you enjoy riding it. And good luck with your new venture. With that cassette, you're gonna have to move back to Cornwall. You're right about the ease of the build with less cheap components. I built up an AliExpress all-Chinese 'broken wind' bike that set me back just $1800 CDN, (about UKP 1111 at today's exchange rate). I'm running it as one-by, and it weighs 7.69 kg. I used rim brakes on alloy wheels and a mechanical groupset, for ease of maintenance. It took me ages to put it all together in working order, but it rides well.

[@James-on6iv]

Great build! Copper based anti seize can actually accelerate corrosion of aluminium and cold welding / seizing to steel. When aluminium & steel fasteners meet a nickel based anti seize compound is best.

[@Dezenaamisnietbeschikbaar]

Congrats on going fulltime on youtube! That Og-Evkin frame is great, I’ve been using it for a bit more than 3 years now and never had any problems with it. It started as a winter bike but after a few months I upgraded all the other parts to carbon and it became my main roadbike. Really awesome frameset!

[@geoffwatts7597]

I’ve had one of those ZTTO bottom brackets unthread when I was riding, and push the left crank arm off the spines - glad it didn’t happen while I was out of the saddle. Great video!

[@Technotranceism]

For the shifter clamps, I would recommend either some grip tape, or rubber tubing. Loosen the shifter clamps as much as possible without separation, place either tape or rubber tubing with adhesive. Replace shifters and tighten up. 🥖

[@joshbaxeleven]

Excited to see you go YT pro! I’d love to see a different kind of AliExpress bike build. Maybe a steel or alloy town bike or single speed? Or a mountain bike? I’m a road rider that recently got their first MTB since I was a teenager after loving my gravel bike for years. 🥖🥖🥖

[@valderja]

Great build Luke. It's really helpful that you're so thorough with everything and point out any issues to be addressed. I'm sure you've inspired many people to jump into projects like this now.

[@jedkoh]

Finally happy to see Luke you have gotten that set of hollowed out crankset. I have gotten mine exactly 5 days after you came out with your Aliexpress crankset video back in Mar 2020, then it was called Jian Kun crankset and cost me USD 60. So far have used it on 2 bike builds and have never regretted buying it. Turned a lot of heads especially the snobbish LBS mechanics 😂 I mean for a crankset which weights similarly to a R8000 ones but at a fraction of the cost, it is really good

[@aurtisanminer2827]

Anti seize is great for any metal parts that dont normally move, like bolt threads. The most common misuse of anti seize I commonly see is when people lubricate moving parts, like floating brake caliper pins, with it. It’s full of metal particles and the grease dries up so it makes s terrible lubricant. It looks like you used it properly so it wont hurt anything.

[@chriscross5689]

Thoroughly enjoyed the video. The OG-EVKIN bike looks stunning (similar to a certain Canyon model). On those brake Levers moving, maybe wrapping a single layer of plumbers tape (like on your bar tape finishing tape). Instead of carbon grip paste might be better and avoid possibly grinding or wearing away the finish on your bars.

[@GrahamB29]

Great stuff :-) I did the expensive option _ months ago, and I'm now doing the cheaper "bike for going shopping in town"... and yeah, filing, scraping. Plus now I'm in Australia, so everything takes longer 😞 Two things in one, with the Goldix crankset: - On a version I had for a standard 50/34 spider mount, it wore very fast. The anodising seemed to be more anecdotal. It could be different with yours. - Cranks with holes are a bit of a nightmare if you have any concern with twisting under load. Otherwise, for Siroko: after buying two long sleeve jerseys in L that were just a tiny bit short in the sleeves, I bought a medium... and the sleeves were just right. Go figure, as they say.

[@cyclingeveryday7346]

Congratulations on going full time. Love all your videos and love that you review the cheap stuff and now the more premium of the cheaper stuff. 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖would love to see you build a cheap titanium frame up on the a microshift group or similar. I feel like the titanium frame would give you a new opportunity to spread out to other groups such as my self who love steel and titanium bikes. I know it might sound crazy but I'm here more for the new goupsets and how they work out for you. The carbon frames lack luster for me but to each thier own. Bless you and again Congratulations on becoming a full time KZbin star

[@Stealthgate007]

Good Luck Luke! I order Siroko at least twice a season with your link, and have shared it with friends. I hope they are treating you right! Always, great video!

[@thomasalison6188]

Congratulations on go full time on KZbin Luke! I drilled holes in a couple of pieces of wood that matched the steerer tube diameter, then cut a slot in the wood so I could slide them over the tube, made sure they were perfectly perpendicular on it then clamped them in place then used a very fine tooth hacksaw and got a perfect cut on it! I wonder if using a very small O-ring pushed into the bore on the shaft of the brake piston would be a good fix for the rattle on the shifters?

[@jaafarkargi3381]

YEAH BABY!! Thankyou Luke ,been waiting for this build & especially the Ltwoo hydraulic set. Impressed how you settle all the annoying issues. Already received mine ,now I know what to look for when assembling the hydraulic set's. Again thankyou for the very in-depth and informative video ,given me confidence for my build.🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖

[@luukrutten1295]

I have never seen this groupset before but suggested that bolt may be too tight last time. You are welcome. This build is actually looking quite good.

[@sidneyroyongkingco7951]

Congrats on going full time! Great job on all the videos! Cheers from the philippines 🇵🇭

[@drcobayo1]

Also can use 2 metal clamps, I don’t know the name in English but I’m talking about that ones that’s been used to hold hoses in cars. Are cheaper and easy to fit as and remove later

[@almatyexpatrider1379]

Nearly the same bike as I'm going to build. Differences with mine are: 105 crankset, handlebar with round tube to mount aero bar, electronic transmission(ltwoo too) and maybe wheels

[@rayF4rio]

Campy mechanical also has that same shifting issue, but very infrequently. Usually remedied by some cleaning/lubing.

[@mrwhiteshorts]

Luke you HAVE to do a hill climb bike for the British Hill Climb champs, either race yourself or employ someone do race it for you. All of your fav parts but rim brake, single ring etc etc.. see how light you can make it! Enjoy.

[@mwp6662]

I use these videos for learning about building bikes , carbon or not - they are soo clear!!

[@lm2906]

Congrats for your brand new bike, Luke! You should work at R&D or Quality Control of these Chinese bike parts brands lol. I'd like to build a carbon chinese gravel bike. You are our inspiration! Thks for your great videos!

[@dosetti]

I am not specifically into road biking but like bike building, have built couple mtbs for myself and like to watch building videos and this was great one. Inserts were bit annoying but luckily they were very short ones so not so bad. Good job sir.

[@chaosrides3079]

I grease everything....If its from the water bottle mount and lower on the frame, I use the copper stuff. You don't have to use copper because its for high heat but its what I have from working on Harleys.

[@mrbuddha5263]

Love the videos, this seems really expensive for what you built. You should do another video trying to buy used components from various markets to build a super bike. I Built a 6.32kg caad12 with 82mm rear and 60mm front, a ton of goodies like Sram red22 mechanical, 3t bars, carbon-ti chainrings ect. Aliexpress and your videos were a life saver to figure out if some parts were worth picking up. I ended up getting sroad 11-28, carbon saddle, cages, seatpost. All in it cost me less than 2300AUD (after reselling the 105 groupset from the caad12) Recently I've been on the hunt for a nice carbon frame to build up so I enjoy seeing that there are some budget framesets that might be floating around on aliexpress worth picking up.

[@stefanohbellote9948]

First and foremost, congrats Luke! I've been here since close to the beginning, and always appreciated the work and the evolution, is really good to see getting big enough to go 'pro'! Good also to see you're diverting more, into some more 'expensive' parts, I like the approach. Now about Og-Evkin, my whole cockpit is from them (stem, bar, computer mount) and gotta say the finishing amazed me at first, and the durability is really good! 1,5y close to 12kkm, and even some big potholes and gravel riding without any issues. I recommend the brand everytime I can lol I'm looking into this frame for more than 2y (still my carbon bike dream is still being postponed haha), I know some guy in reddit who has it and did like 20kkm and a bunch of 12h+ rides on it and loves it, so is good to have another perspective

[@AndyJoyce]

Love the video Luke. Congratulations on going pro!

[@dangray583]

Yup. Copper Grease. Used it for years exactly like you do. Cheap (a pot would last me a lifetime), effective in preventing binding.

[@ldt8492]

Great to know that this will be your ful time!! I have a big brand new bike, I would like to see a series on how to lose some weight of the bike without going crazy with thm or darimo stuff!!

[@guandasin3099]

God dayum being able to fix that rattle, reverse engineer that shifter to figure out the problem. Bloody amazing Luke!! You are the man!!

[@cvnikal]

Great video! Excited to see you doing KZbin full-time. Wish you all the luck!

[@jonathankirwan5757]

This is awesome! Congrats Luke. Loving the content as always!

[@mrvwbug4423]

That was a surprisingly easy build. So for the next build, how about a MTB. I know a few of the Chinese frame builders make MTB frames (ICAN makes both full suspension and hardtail MTB frames). Not sure there is any Chinese suspension that is safe, but that could just be a case of biting the bullet and putting on the typical Rockshox or Fox suspension. Geometry is also a bigger concern on MTBs, you certainly don't want a full sus enduro frame with a 67 or 68 degree head tube angle or ridiculously low stack height.

[@sebibebi7696]

🥖🥖🥖 Again an amazing video! Thanks for checking all these parts for us. I ruined once myself a pretty good stem with this cutting method, and than figured out, that you can use standard pipeclamps for that job. They're very cheap and comes in different sizes.

[@TraceVelo]

Pipe-clamps are a great shout tbh... Might have to give this a go next time!

[@youloveulises]

very good hack with the stems. I use two hose clamps myself, but the stem would probably help keep the fork from moving too much. I also don't use carbon blades...standard tiny hacksaw with 30ish tooth count will do.

[@johndef5075]

Just make sure its stems you dont care about. It will leave marks. I did this many years ago.

[@Cynyr]

As a lower budget option to the double stems, masking tape to mark the line for where you should cut. makes it easy to get it square as well. if the tape lines up without a wrinkle it's square.

[@levinfriedemann7476]

Thank you for taking all this time to work out all the details and tell us how you solved the problems encountered, this makes these videos very useful. Much Sucess to you!

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Levin, glad it helped!!!

[@matcourt7730]

Congrats on going pro, it's a great channel with a very good presenter. If you ever get to the point where you have too many bikes and need to make some space I would be up for buying one, I suspect many others would as well. Cheers, Mat

[@matthewavignonpetersen5893]

Amazing news, Luke! Chapeau to your incredible success on this channel.

[@willwaldron1130]

Thank you! You're pretty much propping up the 'experimental' eastern bike parts scene. I bought a group after watching your videos. Got me back into cycling :)

[@TraceVelo]

Glad I could help!

[@THSimagery]

Congratulations on the career change buddy! I recently picked up a rear derailer cage from L-twoo, I can’t wait to install it

[@mstvir]

I am riding an OG Evkin XC frame for the last 2.5-3 years, one of the best frames I have owned.

[@AverageReviewsYT]

As someone who cuts steerers. I just use 1 stem and cut on bike.. I always leave about 1 mm or so to go and then use a sandpaper utensil and sand it down to height.. because if you cut too far.. it’s all over. I don’t have a pro set up but a stem is a solid idea.. I don’t recommend you use a dremel wheel like I def do not use and would never use because I’m careful and it’s quicker and more accurate than jamming a saw blade all over eberything.. yeah.. I don’t use a dremel. But that’s that

[@jackn4853]

Good luck Luke with going full time on KZbin. Have you considered branching off into budget carbon mountain bike builds/parts reviews? There's a reasonable amount of crossover between MTB and gravel. Also, us older mtbers ( l'm 67) aren't really interested in the extreme high end stuff ( euphemism for expensive) nor are we keen on riding serious "gnar", "sending it" or even going "rad."

[@vongdong10]

I haven't had the issue with miss shifting. I'm using the same rotors and no touching either. Brake feel leaves a bit to be desired for me. I ended up swapping out the rear derailleur for a shimano grx 810 and it works perfectly. Shifting has been ultra smooth with an ultegra 12sp cassette. I too had the issue of overdoing the grub screw for the brake levers. 3x in fact haha

[@David-kf4pt]

Hey Luke! First of all, thanks for sharing this kind of stuff with all the bike enthusiasts around the world! I want to ask you a "simple" question: within your experience, what's: -the best carbon frame manufacturer; -the best price/quality carbon frame; -affordable carbon frame; I'm asking just for AliExpress, because I want to build a road bike with a good carbon aero frame without spending way too much! Thanks 🤘

[@mackiechang]

good luck on going pro! what a step to make. I'm hoping it lets you travel and go different places, show different kinds of bikes and experiences

[@Velo757]

Great work as always ol chap!!! CONGRATULATIONS 🎉!!! I've been here from the jump and I'll be here until Thursday.... Just kidding 😂! You have me as a fan for life!!! Cheers and congrats 🥖🥖🥖🥐🥐🥐🥖🥖🥖