Chinabomb Disc Brake Road Bike Build
 

I had a few people express interest in my build up of a Hongfu FM-079-F flat mount road disc frameset (settled upon during this thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...ike-build.html) so here's a thread about it....

What?! No pics? So, I ordered the frameset and a pair of 40mm tall, 25mm wide tubular rims on August 29. I have been told that my items will ship this week :rolleyes: I'm a pretty patient guy but I will admit that this wait has been painful. The price is pretty spectacular ($950 shipped for everything) so I guess I shouldn't complain.

A wait that will also be painful but one that is entirely my own doing is for the centerlock disc brake hubs. I really, really wanted white hubs for this build and unless I was willing to compromise on both cost and centerlock (by using Tune hub$, and while money isn't a huge issue, centerlock is) I knew the road was going to be long. I inquired at several local finishers to take my disassembled hubs, strip them, and powdercoat, or e-coat, or ceramic coat them but no one was interested. I had also inquired at both the US and UK distributor for the hubs to see if either could somehow manage to source a pair in white for me. And lucky me, David Hunt at DCR Wheels (owner of Bitex Hubs - The obvious choice) stepped up to the plate. For little more than the cost of the hubs in the US, after a ~5 week wait (starting October 3-ish) I should have a front and rear thru axle, centerlock disc hubset in glossy white. Fingers crossed.

Thanks to all of this waiting it was no problem to sort out the mistake from Ribble wherein they sent me a 53/39 crank instead of the 50/34 that I ordered with my groupset. Silver lining.

So here's the build plan for those curious enough to keep reading:

frame/fork: Hongfu FM-079-F w/ BB30
rims: Hongfu 40mm carbon tubular, 25mm wide, no brake track
tires: Vittoria Corsa G+ Isotech tubular, 25mm
tire tape: Tufo Tub Tape
Brakes: TRP Spyre SLC Flat Mount
Rotors: Shimano ICE tech Freeza 160 front, 140 rear
front hub: Bitex BX106F centerlock 24H, 15mm thru, white!
rear hub: Bitex BX106R Centerlock 28H 12mm thru, Campy, white!
Spokes: Sapim CX-Ray, black
Nipples: Sapim 12mm internal (need to confirm)
Groupset: Campy Chorus, 50/34 crank, 12/29 cassette
Pedals: Shimano Ultegra 6800
Saddle: Fizik Arione R1, white
Seatpost: Ritchey Superlogic UD Carbon
Handlebars: Ritchey WCS Streem II, 40cm
Stem: Ritchey WCS C260 110mm
Bar Tape: Fizik Classic, white

I only have the groupset at this point and it is as pretty in person as it is online. I was surprised at the force required to go through the clicks on the shifters and thought at one point that they jammed but that just goes to show how unfamiliar I am with Campy. I am highly looking forward to the thumb buttons and non-pivoting brake levers, though, after years of Shimano.

Pics will come as soon as the meat of this build arrives.

We are watching you .....

Wait, what? Bitex hubs of Taiwan, one of the largest hub manufacturers in the world, is owned by a small custom wheel builder in Sussex, England? A guy who says on his website that he maybe can't answer the phone, because he is busy truing a wheel? Are you sure about that? Honestly I don't have any information to the contrary, but that just doesn't make any sense.

Did you check with one of the largest importers and both wholesale and retail sellers of Bitex hubs in the US, Bike Hub Store, just down the road from you in Richmond, VA? He has the black. To my knowledge he doesn't do special order colors, but I could well be wrong.

Sorry for the confusion. David Hunt owns that website I posted, which is NOT Bitex's own website (found here: http://www.bitexhubs.com/htm/index.php). He is the UK distributor for Bitex hubs. I'm not sure how busy he is but he answered several emails promptly to get my special order sorted out. He also negotiated Bitex down from a minimum order of 25 pieces to one, all for a very reasonable price (as part of a restocking order for his business, lucky timing for me).

I did check with Bike Hub Store, and when I didn't hear back within a week I went looking elsewhere. They did eventually respond but told me that they would need to buy 50 pieces to get a custom color. I'm not knocking them at all, but David went above and beyond hence my praise. Of course, I still have a long wait to receive those hubs and something could go wrong in the interim.

Sorry, I just didn't understand.

qft

I think they're in Chapel Hill, NC. Haven't seen a brick 'n mortar for those guys around here.

Sure. I meant Raleigh, NC, not Richmond, VA. My bad. Could be Chappel Hill. Only a few miles away. He has one brick and mortar store in the home town, but I don't know how long he will keep it open. Mail order and now wholesale is his real business.

And they did. I got a tracking number last night and should see my goods in about 3-5 days I'd guess (Priority Mail Express shipment).

For the frame? If so I wouldn't hold my breath. Sometimes they create the shipping label and still takes like 2 weeks. I would wait for the EMS tracking to show that they have the item in custody, from there it should arrive in like 3-5 days.

You may be right, but I sure hope you are wrong. This shipment should be frameset and wheels. Not that a 2 week delay would really matter. I am still 4 weeks (at best) from having hubs to build my wheels. And I have a new kid arriving any day now so I'll be too tired to build and/or ride anyway.

Let's hope so. Also any reason you went with TRP Sypre instead of the hydraulic version of it?

I haven't actually purchased calipers yet (or anything else on my list besides the frameset, rims, hubs, and groupset) so I may still change my mind but...

1. Campy groupset was a must
2. There is no hydraulic Campy groupset yet
3. I also picked a flat mount disc caliper frame
4. There is no flat mount, hybrid hydraulic caliper option right now (HY/RD is post mount-only), but TRP did just introduce the slightly lighter Spyre SLC flat mount caliper that I plan to use
5. I'm being a bit of a weight weenie (see above comment), so even if there was a hybrid hydraulic, or even full hydraulic option, I'd likely still stick with the full mechanical setup. It's worked well enough for me for years (Avid BB7 front only on my commuter/cross bike) so with front and rear discs, a lighter overall bike, and no commuting load, I believe I'll be perfectly satisfied with the braking.

Time will tell, of course, and if next year there is some amazing full-hydro, lightweight (and not ugly as sin as most hydro levers are these days) Campy option available, I might just have to suck it up and upgrade my bike to it. Shame :D

Breathe no longer being held. Status has been showing as "Origin Post is Preparing Shipment" for the past 5 days :(

I don't understand the fascination with the thumb part of campy shifters. Shimano Tiagra and below used to all be like that as well. But what do I know, I'm a SRAM guy myself. I love the double tap system.
You stuff needs to hurry up so we can have pictures!

To be honest, I started on a Sora-equipped bike and while the shifting action is smoother and a little quicker on the Ultegra 9 and 10 and 105 11 speed bikes I've had since, I've always preferred the thumb button rather than the inner paddle, aside from not being able to easily reach it from the drops.

First and foremost, it is impossible to hit the wrong lever or both levers at the same time which is especially apparent when wearing winter gloves, or worse, mittens. I've never used SRAM but I doubt I'd have enough tactile feedback with cold hands and thick gloves to manage accurate shifts with their system but maybe I'd be surprised. From holding the Campy levers in my hands and talking with others who use them in the cold, they seem perfect.

Second, I shift while standing a lot, both climbing and accelerating from a stop. I've always preferred the Sora thumb button for up-shifting in that scenario. I can keep a tighter grip on the handlebars, supporting my weight on my palms and just rocking my thumb rather than trying to loosen one of my main handlebar-gripping fingers to shift. Hopefully the Campy levers provide the same positive experience as the Sora thumb buttons, and I don't see why they won't.

Third, the non-pivoting Campy brake lever seems like a no-brainer for having better braking feel.

Finally and most frivolously and nothing to do with the thumb button, I love the look of Campy stuff. As clean and purposeful as everything Shimano is, it has never had the same aesthetic appeal to me as Campy, especially the latest 11 speed groups. When I built my LOOK years ago, I almost went with Chorus over Ultegra but let a bit of extra money stop me and I have always regretted that decision. This won't be my last bike, but it definitely going to be the best I've ever had in several ways (weight, ergonomics, looks, and braking, of course).

I agree!

I agree that non pivoting brake levers are awesome (thanks SRAM for that as well!) Campy does look very nice. Personally I just find the thumb awkward. With double tap, and my extra large hands I can shift from anywhere but the tops of the bars.
I just find it interesting that Campy people love the thumb shift, and it tends to be on Shimanos lower end stuff - not that there is anything wrong with either. I've only used integrated Campy a small handful of times, and while it does always feel good and solid, I think I would need to ride it more to get used to it.
Of course, I live in a climate where I don't ever have need of mittens or bulky gloves. That helps.

And please don't think I was/am being critical on your decisions with Campy, I just don't have a lot of experience using thumb shifters. I do believe you can shift through multiple gears at a time with them though, correct? Anyway, I'm the weird one who loves SRAM.

I have always wondered if Shimano purposefully put that thumb button on their lower-end stuff as a way of subtly dissing Campy's approach.

Regardless, Campy's thumb button placement is actually reachable from the drops, unlike the Sora button (without a very awkward wrist contortion) which solves the major issue with the latter. I do wonder if the stiffness of the Campy button will allow me to reach over with my pinky and shift up while riding the tops like I always did with the Sora button. It is closer than a paddle by the brake lever so it should be quicker even if it requires a little more hand movement.

You'd think I'd have preemptively checked all of these things by riding a Campy bike first! Combined with buying a frame and rims direct from China sight-unseen, I'm really winging it :D

I just got off the phone with TRP and it seems I may be getting the hydro version after all. As it turns out, they DO have a flat mount version of the HY/RD in stock, just not on their website. And, contrary to my initial ASSumption, the Spyre SLC or any Spyre brake is not an optimal match to a Campy 11 speed lever. TRP specifically says Shimano and SRAM levers and I just ASSumed that meant Campy, too. The pull ratios are different resulting in a 'mushy' lever (it'll work but the brake lever will nearly bottom out) and on the Spyre brakes there is no good way to correct that due to the cable pinch bolt arrangement.

On the HY/RD, however, there is a simple fix where an additional groove can be cut on the cable mount arm to make the pull ratio correction. Ugh, +$80, ~+140 grams, and needing to break out the Dremel to make it work. I'm seriously cringing at the thought but I'm not sure what else I can do at this point.

Suggestions? Just suck it up?

you can get by without cutting the arm by flipping the mounting bolt/washer and installing the cable on the other side.

I took a closer look at the caliper to try and understand what you are saying. If I follow you, all I need to do is attach the cable to the backside of the arm and that will provide enough of leverage difference to correct the Campy problem. Is that correct? Definitely seems like a cleaner approach than cutting a second slot on the front although without a slot I imagine the cable get crushed pretty badly under the bracket. With the bolt on the opposite side of the arm cable adjustments (while rare?) will be pretty annoying, too.

I always thought the rule was to never shift under load... I guess that only applies to shimano and specially SRAM front derailleurs.

I just googled campagnolo with spyre and the results were not very promising. You may consider whatever or not you can live with a hack before you mount the groupset. If it comes to worst after the readings you may return the groupset or try to sell as new.
From the workarounds that I've read, it is a pain to adjust and you have to go through it again as the pads wear or you take the wheel off for some reason.

EDIT:
the hacks/annoyance were for the standard mechanical disc, not the HY/RD, so I'm not sure if it still applies

It will smash the cable. Won't affect adjustments because those are done with the barrel adjuster. Only need to clamp once. I've run it both ways. I'd recommend doing this first to see if the reduced throw is enough for you and then hacksaw the arm for a more secure attachment

It's for hyrd for sure. Running old 9 speed shimano levers with hyrd successfully using the hacksaw method