A lengthy update on my 21"
Tideace FM-XC181 from AliExpress.
I have now gone on two 50km rides on my new build and must say I am impressed with the frame's performance. I weigh 88kg (194lbs) with my kit and have really tried to put some stress on the frame - for as far as that's possible on the relatively flat Dutch trails.
I am running the frame with a Fox 34 130mm fork, resulting in this old/ new geo:
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Manual measurements seem to correspond quite well with those numbers.
I think the long 14cm headtube and the amount of material there enables the longer fork to work without risk of frame damage. The seller, Derek, said 130mm is the maximum permitted anyway.
Before I talk about other points, let me share some pictures of the build!
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I took a risk and ordered the 27.5+ boost frame option to fit my 29" wheels - no problem! I am running 30mm internal rims with Bonty 2.2 XR1/ 2.3 XR3 Team Issue tires. The XR1 has heaps of clearance left, I reckon a 2.4 will fit well with sufficient clearance.
The entire build comes in at around 11.9kg, which I am happy with. I find the suspension design works well for me in combination with the Manitou Mcleod shock with 140psi. Love the feeling of it, still getting used to the out-of-saddle sprinting with a FS bike...
Of course, there are some issues.
Firstly, use the outer cable along the whole frame - I cut it into parts, but the included plastic cable stops are not strong. Shifting gears resulted in the cable pulling through the weak cable stop, thus I had to use the outer cable along the whole inner cable.
This does result in internal cable rattling during riding :nono:. I am still thinking of a solution.
Secondly, there is some play in the rear suspension linkage despite tightening the screws down well. See the following two videos:
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2:
However, this is not at all noticeable during riding - the linkage movement does not involve this lateral movement.
Thirdly, I cannot remove the screw through the largest bearing (see image below). I disassembled every part to grease the bearings, but this one I could not get out with any force.
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Finally, the 'cup' design under the shock is plain stupid
Any gunk collects there and forms a little pool.
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The downtube also doesn't have a hole to let water inside the frame out. You can see the internal cable stops are not at the bottom of the frame, and you can see I used electrical tape to limit the amount of cable inside the frame. But the rattling was still there.
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At the moment I am very happy with the bike :thumbsup:
Main specs are:
FM-XC181 21" frame, boost, color 11
Fox 34 130mm Performance fork
Manitou Mcleod 165 x 38mm shock
DT Swiss 29" XM481 rims with Wheel-Tec hubs and Bonty XR1/ XR3 tires
Sram X0 carbon cranks, Absoluteblack 34T oval
Shimano XT 180/160 brakes
XT shifter and derailleur
Sram XG1150 10-42 cassette
740mm handlebar, 70mm stem, seatpost all carbon from Aliexpress
Falcon Pro carbon saddle
Sorry about the lengthy post, I wanted to share as much information as possible with all of you. Hope it is useful!
