Planet X EC 130, anyone got one?

tilemachos

thank you very much diamonddog. i am very pleased that my bike has no issues and that i don't have to change the chainset or wheels.
ipete , i have to say that the frame is of very high quality. even the paint is flawless and the matt dark knight colour doesn't get scratched easily. something i didn't mention is that it is a semi-internal cable routing frame not full.

fenix

Tilemachos - this bike is different to your other bike - theres nothing wrong in itself with any of those points.

When you're getting chain slap - what gears are you in ? If you're on the big ring the chain will be further away from the chainstay.

And you can get chainstay protectors ?

There's no way that a chain will 'break' your frame.

fenix

And Q factor is the width that your feet are apart. Nothing to do with crank length.

170mm is standard crank length - did you spec 172.5 for your small frame ? That would be a bit odd.

tilemachos

yes, you are right. it only comes with 172.5 crank length. and the chain hits the frame in every gear. that's why i pedal continuously , because only then it doesn't do that. i've put two layers of insulating tape over the frame part that gets hit and it isn't even noticeable , because of the exact same colour. hope that it will protect the frame from scratches.
i read an article which explains why smaller frames should use 650c wheels.this is it. http://www.rodbikes.com/articles/toeoverlap.html
maybe someday i 'll make the switch.

tilemachos

sorry mates. i've made a false post up there. the chain doesn't hit the frame in every gear. for example when in the big gear at the rear and no matter in the front, it does not hit the frame. but then again these seeds are only for climbing. , so slow speeds - low momentum. but in high gears than it is a total different story.

fenix

Erm yeah - you can't just bung 650 wheels on a bike that's set up for 700.

If you're on the big ring at the front and riding along the flat - you'd not be in one of the small sprockets - probably half way up the block at the back ? And if your're actually pedalling you won't get chain slap.

Are you freewheeling through them.

tilemachos

well i'll have to make 2 modification if i choose to go 650c.One is long reach brakes and second , shorter crank length.
big ring at the front and small gear rear , is how i usually ride. the small front ring only comes in use when climbing 15% or more.
anyway, after diamonddog's posts and all of yours , i really am not that concerned any more.
may we all have happy and safe rides.
i like to ride rather aggressively and i try to compete with triathletes out there, so pedaling continuously is my current option. the ''hits'' to the frame i reported earlier, happen only on stiff descents ,where sometimes i am freewheeling. note that none of my fellow riders can ride softly and in a ''civilized'' manner. so up until now , no quiet , calm rides for me.

rickeverett

The Aero bars seen in the reveal a few months ago are now on the way. Will look awesome with thus frame.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CoSiZI4WEAAz8d3.jpg

mamba80

the Canyon Aeroad we ve got in 2XS has no toe overlap, comes with 165 cranks, as befitting a small frame, 172's is stupid, and the chain doesnt hit the chain stays and it also rides like a dream.

i looked at the ec130 for my daughter and for the above reasons, didnt buy one.

i guess you cannot compensate on design and spec.

danox82

Well I've had an EC-130 (with SRAM Force groupset) since February and I can say that I am extremely impressed with it. I got it with a free upgrade to the Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLS wheelset and also a FSA K-Force Light crankset, so it was a very good deal at the time even though there has been reductions on this particular bike in recent months.

It is very responsive when you put in a hard acceleration, handles well in both the dry and wet...and climbs very well to say it is classed as an Aero bike. The bike is also extremely light when compared to similar Aero bikes, which no doubt helps its climbing ability and I'm no mountain goat when it comes to the hilly stuff.

So would I recommend it to someone else?...yes, yes I would!

P.s. I have seen some of Mike Brews negative comments (often without any reason to back them up) and to me it seems he is one of the same snobs who scoffed when Boardman Bikes first came on the scene. Just because bikes are getting cheaper it doesn't mean they are any less decent than those from the establish brands such as Giant, Pinarello, Felt, Canyon, etc. as it has been pointed out that a lot of brands share similar frames and components nowadays anyway, so in some cases its only the paint job that can distinguish one bike from the next.

ravey1981

rickeverett wrote:

cantaloupe wrote:

Defects in carbon frames can happen on any bike, even from the top names like Giant and Canyon.

If it's just one bike that you've heard of going bad then I would'nt let that worry you.

Planet X bikes do nothing for me, they don't excite me and look cheap, for 2k that means a lot. for 2k they're many great bikes out there rather than the Chinese ones, but that's maybe the way it's going now.

They're all 'Chinese' .. infact most R&D occurs in Asia in factories selling frames and creating frames for the most know brands in the world. All this European heritage "carbon frame made by an Italian farmer" crap is just fantasy. In all honesty if it rides good, it doesn't matter what it says on the tube anymore.

The Viner minus frame they have is great, I'm currently tootling around on the RT90 one. It's open moulded but brands can specify the carbon material and layup, hence why planetx/Viner have two versions. So far I have been very very happy with the frame. It does everything you ask of a good carbon frame. Stiff, comfortable, compliant all at 900g.

Looks like the EC130 however isn't open mould or atleast isn't a public available one as it's just not around.on any outlets over there. Believe it or not, planet x do have a r&d and design team. !?

I just don't think some people like knowing thethereframes and bikes out there equally if not better than their big name ride.

The rt90/viner and rt80 are stock hong-fu's painted up. rt90 is the fm066sl and the rt80 is the fm066. Carbon layup etc is exactly the same. Not that there is anything wrong with that, the frames have been around for a few years now with not many reported problems. I was going to get a hong-fu shipped direct but plumped for an rt80 as I got it extremely cheap in a one day sale. Its a cracking frame that has built up into a great bike. Poor value as a frameset only from PX at the usual price (circa £500) as you can bring one in for 300 ish. As a full bike build they are great value though, a grand gets you a very decent bike.

iPete

Poor value? They aren't going to goto the effort of painting them and being accountable for warranty issues for nothing. Thought it was quite good, not the biggest mark up although I'm not a fan of the Viner paint jobs, so balls, take that back. They don't sell the orange/blue frameset either, just have loads of pictures of it. :?

ravey1981

iPete wrote:

Poor value? They aren't going to goto the effort of painting them and being accountable for warranty issues for nothing. Thought it was quite good, not the biggest mark up although I'm not a fan of the Viner paint jobs, so balls, take that back. They don't sell the orange/blue frameset either, just have loads of pictures of it. :?

If you are in the market for a cheap frameset, which lets be honest is what they are, then why pay the extra for the PX over the hong-fu? They will paint it in any colour scheme you want (within reason I assume) for £60 if thats what you want. I even did the maths on importing a load of them and setting up my own brand but the margins weren't big enough to bother at the scale I could compete at. Also If I remember rightly the hong-fus come with a headset and seat clamp included so that saves another £50 or so. So I stand by what I said, as a frameset only I don't think the PX's are great value. But with PX's buying power on components they can build them up into very, very competitive bikes which I would recommend.

theraggyone

ravey1981 wrote:

iPete wrote:

Poor value? They aren't going to goto the effort of painting them and being accountable for warranty issues for nothing. Thought it was quite good, not the biggest mark up although I'm not a fan of the Viner paint jobs, so balls, take that back. They don't sell the orange/blue frameset either, just have loads of pictures of it. :?

If you are in the market for a cheap frameset, which lets be honest is what they are, then why pay the extra for the PX over the hong-fu? They will paint it in any colour scheme you want (within reason I assume) for £60 if thats what you want. I even did the maths on importing a load of them and setting up my own brand but the margins weren't big enough to bother at the scale I could compete at. Also If I remember rightly the hong-fus come with a headset and seat clamp included so that saves another £50 or so. So I stand by what I said, as a frameset only I don't think the PX's are great value. But with PX's buying power on components they can build them up into very, very competitive bikes which I would recommend.

i disagree, at £500 they are a good value frame set, due to uk quality control and uk warranty support . the headset and seat clamp hong-fu supply will be cheap tat worthy only of the bin so dont come into it.i for one would not like to have to return a frame direct to hong-fu if it was defective.... at the original price tags the frames are very over priced though against their complete bikes.

they are amazing value as fully built bikes when planet x reduce them.

daniel_b

ravey1981 wrote:

rickeverett wrote:

cantaloupe wrote:

Defects in carbon frames can happen on any bike, even from the top names like Giant and Canyon.

If it's just one bike that you've heard of going bad then I would'nt let that worry you.

Planet X bikes do nothing for me, they don't excite me and look cheap, for 2k that means a lot. for 2k they're many great bikes out there rather than the Chinese ones, but that's maybe the way it's going now.

They're all 'Chinese' .. infact most R&D occurs in Asia in factories selling frames and creating frames for the most know brands in the world. All this European heritage "carbon frame made by an Italian farmer" crap is just fantasy. In all honesty if it rides good, it doesn't matter what it says on the tube anymore.

The Viner minus frame they have is great, I'm currently tootling around on the RT90 one. It's open moulded but brands can specify the carbon material and layup, hence why planetx/Viner have two versions. So far I have been very very happy with the frame. It does everything you ask of a good carbon frame. Stiff, comfortable, compliant all at 900g.

Looks like the EC130 however isn't open mould or atleast isn't a public available one as it's just not around.on any outlets over there. Believe it or not, planet x do have a r&d and design team. !?

I just don't think some people like knowing thethereframes and bikes out there equally if not better than their big name ride.

The rt90/viner and rt80 are stock hong-fu's painted up. rt90 is the fm066sl and the rt80 is the fm066. Carbon layup etc is exactly the same. Not that there is anything wrong with that, the frames have been around for a few years now with not many reported problems. I was going to get a hong-fu shipped direct but plumped for an rt80 as I got it extremely cheap in a one day sale. Its a cracking frame that has built up into a great bike. Poor value as a frameset only from PX at the usual price (circa £500) as you can bring one in for 300 ish. As a full bike build they are great value though, a grand gets you a very decent bike.

So does the EC130 have a hong-fu equivalent?

rickeverett

Daniel B wrote:

ravey1981 wrote:

rickeverett wrote:

cantaloupe wrote:

Defects in carbon frames can happen on any bike, even from the top names like Giant and Canyon.

If it's just one bike that you've heard of going bad then I would'nt let that worry you.

Planet X bikes do nothing for me, they don't excite me and look cheap, for 2k that means a lot. for 2k they're many great bikes out there rather than the Chinese ones, but that's maybe the way it's going now.

They're all 'Chinese' .. infact most R&D occurs in Asia in factories selling frames and creating frames for the most know brands in the world. All this European heritage "carbon frame made by an Italian farmer" crap is just fantasy. In all honesty if it rides good, it doesn't matter what it says on the tube anymore.

The Viner minus frame they have is great, I'm currently tootling around on the RT90 one. It's open moulded but brands can specify the carbon material and layup, hence why planetx/Viner have two versions. So far I have been very very happy with the frame. It does everything you ask of a good carbon frame. Stiff, comfortable, compliant all at 900g.

Looks like the EC130 however isn't open mould or atleast isn't a public available one as it's just not around.on any outlets over there. Believe it or not, planet x do have a r&d and design team. !?

I just don't think some people like knowing thethereframes and bikes out there equally if not better than their big name ride.

The rt90/viner and rt80 are stock hong-fu's painted up. rt90 is the fm066sl and the rt80 is the fm066. Carbon layup etc is exactly the same. Not that there is anything wrong with that, the frames have been around for a few years now with not many reported problems. I was going to get a hong-fu shipped direct but plumped for an rt80 as I got it extremely cheap in a one day sale. Its a cracking frame that has built up into a great bike. Poor value as a frameset only from PX at the usual price (circa £500) as you can bring one in for 300 ish. As a full bike build they are great value though, a grand gets you a very decent bike.

So does the EC130 have a hong-fu equivalent?

Nope. It's not a open mould on market.
Planet X are working with a far east factory as the new TT race bike seems to be developed in conjunction with planetx and whatever manufacturer they are using. Ribble and a lot of other brands do the same.

iPete

So there I was thinking about the Viner Mitus frameset, when along came the Maxima RS 4.0.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/road ... axima-rs40

Is this an ope mold/Hong-Fu model or something unique to PX like the EC130? The paint job IMO is much better than the Mitus schemes but there doesn't appear to be a frameset only option (yet?).

MikeBrew

danox82 wrote:

P.s. I have seen some of Mike Brews negative comments (often without any reason to back them up) and to me it seems he is one of the same snobs who scoffed when Boardman Bikes first came on the scene. Just because bikes are getting cheaper it doesn't mean they are any less decent than those from the establish brands such as Giant, Pinarello,

To be fair, I am a big advocate of Boardman and have defended them against said brand snobs as you will see else where on the site should you care to take a look.
There's a big obsession with shills on this forum. I personally am not of that mindset, despite your first post on this forum reading more than a little like a PX press release.

Ps. good luck with finding a Giant, BMC, Cannondale, Specialized or the like that has a re badged PX frame.

bondurant

But you being a shill for superstar is absolutely fine Mike, correct?

MikeBrew

Bondurant wrote:

But you being a shill for superstar is absolutely fine Mike, correct?

And just like magic, my point about the paranoid, shill obssession is ably illustrated..Bless him

bondurant

I see it as my public duty to make sure people know that you are mainly on here for two reasons:

To unethically promote Superstar Components, the UK's foremost supplier of craply assembled wheels.

And to have a go at the competition.

I do hope you don't mind.

MikeBrew

Bondurant wrote:

I see it as my public duty to make sure people know that you are mainly on here for two reasons:

.

Phew fella, that's a relief..... For a moment there I was beginning to fear it might be something personal ! 8)

bondurant

The irony of you pretending you aren't a shill was just too much to resist.

MikeBrew

Bondurant wrote:

The irony of you pretending you aren't a shill was just too much to resist.

You should really get out more. :roll: I'm just back from a horribly windy 30 miler, yes on a bike! What's the weather like in LaLa land ?

bondurant

Congratulations on riding your bike Mike! Do you trust your own Superstar wheels enough to ride them personally btw? Is it simply a case of getting used to the wobble?

danox82

MikeBrew wrote:

There's a big obsession with shills on this forum. I personally am not of that mindset, despite your first post on this forum reading more than a little like a PX press release.

I have no affiliation with PX whatsoever, in fact the EC-130 was the first PX bike I've bought from them. If you've ridden the EC-130, then maybe I'd take your comments more seriously...but you haven't, so whatever you say about it is taken with a pinch of salt.

My first road bike was a 2012 Boardman Road Comp, which I love and still have. Its seen me complete the Coast 2 Coast (Morecambe to Bridlington), London to Paris and the Stage 1 of the 2014 TdF route (ridden outside of the TdF of course ) and has never failed me once getting over the long distances and the lumps in between.

step83

Bondurant wrote:

Congratulations on riding your bike Mike! Do you trust your own Superstar wheels enough to ride them personally btw? Is it simply a case of getting used to the wobble?

Done nearly 1000 miles on mine this year without issue, checked the tensions when I got them they were a little off nothing mega so a quick tweak was needed. only thing I've done is replace the rather thick rimtape they come with.
For £75 I got a 1.5Kg wheelset with decent hubs and that needed a slight tune, wouldn't call that a bad deal myself.

Re the EC-130 to echo what Ravey said, its a custom mould they've done I've been looking at options for a new frame for me couldn't find a match from Deng Fu, Hong Fu, Velobuild an Workswell. Not to say its not an open mould but its not popped up anywhere.

super_davo

Got an email that it's down to £1000 with Rival and Vision wheels.
Decent price now, but if anyone actually bought one at £2000 or £1500 they'd be gutted.
I doubt they will go any lower now, though I'm sure the spec will change.

luv2ride

Looks brilliant at that price. Cash flow won't allow me to push the button though. Shame...

supermurph09

Imagine if you'd paid over £2k for this a few months ago!