Found this fascinating video on the tubes, a full carbon (except the handlebars, wise choice?) road bike incl pedals with a Tiagra groupset for under £730. Think it’s safe?

Parts:
Chinese Carbon Frame (eBay.co.uk) – £266
Shimano Tiagra GroupSet (eBay.co.uk) – £235
Vision Team 30 Wheelset (merlincycles.co.uk) – £130
Shimano SPD-SL Pedals (wiggle.co.uk) – £25
2x 700x25c Road Tyres (wiggle.co.uk) – £18
Gel Road Saddle (wiggle.co.uk) – £15
Aluminium handlebars (eBay.co.uk) – £14
Aluminium Stem (eBay.co.uk) – £9
Gel Bar Tape (wiggle.co.uk) – £5
2x Inner Tubes (wiggle.co.uk) – £6
In Line Cable Adjust (eBay.co.uk) – £4
Headset Spacers (eBay.co.uk) – £1

Chinese Carbon Frame (eBay.co.uk) – £266

From a reputable source, with UK based distribution and knowing it would be tested to meet CEN? No problem. (I bought a PX pro carbon a few years back for £950 with tyre upgrade and bottle cages etc. Cheap wheels, had the odd broken spoke but they’re not going to collapse or anything. 8.2kg inc pedals. You could go cheaper off the peg if you keep your eyes open, possibly with heavier spec.)

From some random teenager on ebay importing from China via his parents’ bedroom?/direct from a factory, possible seconds/rejects? Nope. I’d just worry too much. It’s a nice exercise in low costing but my teeth are too valuable.

You could just get this from crc for 750.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-zenium-carbon-disc-road-bike-tiagra-2019/rp-prod172936

Whoa, yeah the Vitus seems like a clearly better option.

yeah get the vitus

Funny, that he spent all that time and research (I presume, can’t be arsed to watch video) to make something not as good as you can just get online fully built.. made me laugh anyway.

You could just get this from crc for 750.

More than £20 extra though lol.

(and to be fair, the discs probably add a fair chunk of weight at that price point, so is Carbon really worthwhile?)

Well, at least his comes without the Vitus logo lol, that has to be worth something.

I’d go for the Chinese build myself, not interested in the cheap cable discs and I bet the vitus weighs a ton !!!

Well, at least his comes without the Vitus logo lol, that has to be worth something.

Anyone over the age of 12 though probably associates Vitus with sone seriously cool bonded aluminium road bikes.

I’d go for the Chinese build myself, not interested in the cheap cable discs and I bet the vitus weighs a ton !!!

Id not be adverse to a chinese road frame, i keep looking at them the realising im slower than my current bike justifies!

But Spyres are a pretty good brake if setup with decent cables and pads. And hard to see what you could realistically swap on that Vitus without pushing the price up. The next model up has hydraulic 105’s but is £1250.

I bet the vitus weighs a ton
Few ounces out: 21lb

But I’d have cheap cable discs over 1990s style calipers anyday. 😉

Pity the video didn’t mention the build weight, despite being heavy myself I like a light, lively feeling bike. 2-3lbs lighter would be my guess.

Anyone over the age of 12 though probably associates Vitus with sone seriously cool bonded aluminium road bikes.

If you add 20 years perhaps, in any case, just generally think huge logos on bikes are garish – not got anything against Vitus, they seem great value.

yohandsome

just generally think huge logos on bikes are garish

It’s not got especially huge logos or a garish look, I’d have thought. Seems like great value.

It’s not got especially huge logos or a garish look, I’d have thought. Seems like great value.

Argh, that garish black on grey colourscheme is hurting my delicate eyes!

LOL. Yes, it’s literally screaming! OK I take everything back, just keep in mind this is what I’m coming from (pending a BTR update once funding allows).

Pity the video didn’t mention the build weight, despite being heavy myself I like a light, lively feeling bike. 2-3lbs lighter would be my guess.

I’d be willing to bet they’re near identical.

Defining a frame as being made from “carbon” is the same as saying it’s made from “metal”. There are a LOT of grades of carbon, and the placement and layup are what allow for lightness. A uniform T700 frame and fork with 1-5mm layup all over won’t be much (if at all) lighter than hydroformed aluminium.

I’d be willing to bet they’re near identical.

Defining a frame as being made from “carbon” is the same as saying it’s made from “metal”. There are a LOT of grades of carbon, and the placement and layup are what allow for lightness. A uniform T700 frame and fork with 1-5mm layup all over won’t be much (if at all) lighter than hydroformed aluminium.

I get your point, but even if the Chinese bike was the same weight as an alu frame, I would be pretty confident the full build would be lighter.

The frame really isn’t much of the overall weight, so obsessing over it being carbon is silly, but my last road bike had a cheap alu frame, cost 400 quid rrp and was pretty close to the weight of that vitus.

The frame really isn’t much of the overall weight, so obsessing over it being carbon is silly, but my last road bike had a cheap alu frame, cost 400 quid rrp and was pretty close to the weight of that vitus.

Most carbon bikes are a good lb or two heavier for the same price as £/g frames are expensive but not really much lighter untill you get to the really top end stuff. And the vitus does have disks.

Youtuber is saying his bike is “nearly 2kg” lighter..so around 7.9kg, Vitus is listed at 9.7kg and measured to 9.62kg. https://www.wiggle.co.uk/vitus-zenium-carbon-disc-road-bike-tiagra-2019/

Shimano wheelset 2100g VS Vision Team 30 1929g = 171g
Trp spyre 160 mm rotors 600g VS Tiagra 350g = 250g
Zaffiro 28c 370g VS 25c probably 220g = 340g
Alloy seatpost 300g? VS Carbon seatpost 200g = 100g

861 grams difference, something doesn’t add up.