Pro-Lite Cuneo

Who are you (no off-topic talk please)

Moderators: MrCurrieinahurry, maxim809, Moderator Team

FilmAt11
Posts: 315
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 2:35 am

by FilmAt11

Thanks for the compliment and yes, weight has gone up. I'm experimenting with components and fit. The entire cockpit has slid back a bit. The Merek saddle, though comfy, didn't permit enough setback with those short rails. The crankset is 100g heavier. I'd been riding my cross bike as a commuter with old LOOK Keo pedals and I was surprised how solid they felt after riding SPs for 2 years, so I decided on Keo2 Max for this update. Also, the Rival brakes went back on with new pads to compare against the KCNC C7 brakes. 3T seatpost is fairly heavy, but the two-bolt arrangement works really well for me. KCNC Ti cassette lasted almost 2 years, updated with an Ultegra 12-25T for now.

by Weenie


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francescodisarro
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:30 pm

by francescodisarro

Hello FilmAt11,
I'm about to biuld my pro-lite cuneo bike (my configuration is similar to yours). I just received the frame.
I would like to know your impressions after 2 years riding a pro lite cuneo frame.

francescodisarro
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:30 pm

by francescodisarro

Cuneo frame weight with front derailleur clamp and hanger
Attachments
here a pic of my new alu frame
here a pic of my new alu frame
Last edited by francescodisarro on Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:33 am, edited 2 times in total.

whydobearsxplod
Posts: 158
Joined: Tue May 08, 2012 3:10 am
Location: Santa Barbara

by whydobearsxplod

I love this bike, provided some inspiration for my FTW alloy beast.

FilmAt11
Posts: 315
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 2:35 am

by FilmAt11

Francesco - I look forward to riding again this weekend and comparing against the carbon frame I'd been riding recently. In my memory, it was stiff, responsive, and noisy - the tubes seemed to amplify noises..."bright" describes this frame :)

whydobearsxplod - Thanks man! Looking forward to the FTW!

francescodisarro
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:30 pm

by francescodisarro

FilmAt11,
since I bought the same size of the cuneo frame you have (and I have also a planet x nanolight frame size 53, yours fm-102 is 51), may I know how tall are you (in order to understand if this frame is too small for me?
Thank you
FDS

FilmAt11
Posts: 315
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 2:35 am

by FilmAt11

FDS:

Inseam: 78.5 cm
Total body height: 171 cm
Elbow to middle finger tip: 46.5 cm

I used jvanv8's biomechanical fit spreadsheet as the starting point.

francescodisarro
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:30 pm

by francescodisarro

FilmAt11 wrote:Francesco - I look forward to riding again this weekend and comparing against the carbon frame I'd been riding recently. In my memory, it was stiff, responsive, and noisy - the tubes seemed to amplify noises..."bright" describes this frame :)

whydobearsxplod - Thanks man! Looking forward to the FTW!



Hello FilmAt11,
I'm still waiting for some part to complete my Cuneo bike.
Did you have a chance to ride your Cuneo? What was your feeling??
Ciao
Francesco

FilmAt11
Posts: 315
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 2:35 am

by FilmAt11

First ride was ~70km, but the fit wasn't perfect yet. In particular my cleats needed to move backward a bit. I think my impressions won't be entirely accurate until I take another ride, but here are my initial thoughts:

- Compared to the FM-102, there is much less vibration dampening
- Entire bike feels less solid as a "platform"
- Requires lighter touch in handling
- Felt less responsive to accelerations/sprint

So, as of today, the FM-102 wins for vibration dampening, responsiveness, weight, and overall ride quality...

landdnl
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2014 2:59 pm

by landdnl

FilmAt11 wrote:First ride was ~70km, but the fit wasn't perfect yet. In particular my cleats needed to move backward a bit. I think my impressions won't be entirely accurate until I take another ride, but here are my initial thoughts:

- Compared to the FM-102, there is much less vibration dampening
- Entire bike feels less solid as a "platform"
- Requires lighter touch in handling
- Felt less responsive to accelerations/sprint

So, as of today, the FM-102 wins for vibration dampening, responsiveness, weight, and overall ride quality...


I just got done registering on this forum. That is one impressive build for a budget. I'm curious, did you decide to go stealth after deciding on the Enve fork? I myself had an extra Pro Stealth EVO seatpost and Cinelli Ram Ltd. full carbon saddle. So I went searching for a frame that looked good with those components. My buildup is almost complete. Just waiting on my Tune MAG170 rear hub and still have to buy brakes(TRP970sl). I'm looking at 6 K-grams(13.25lbs) for a final weight. I compromised a lot in weight savings to ensure a durable bike build that looks nice. At first I was going to do a total weight weenie build with this frame that theoretically would be at 5.78 K-grams(12.75lbs.) with Dura Ace clinchers, but even though I would like to have a build below the 'teens', I decided on a bike I would be comfortable on and would look great, plus there would be a good chance it would still weigh 13+ lbs. I wish I could've done my buildup with your budget plan!

I've had my Pro-Lite Bella frame since November, 2013. I temporarily built it up with my 105 drivetrain & Ultegra shifters I robbed from my other bike. I put 600 kilometers on it between Dec. 24 thru Dec. 31. I wanted to get an idea how much I wanted to invest in this frame. It was perfect. Not near as twitchy as my Cinelli Xperience, but very responsive in a good way. No issue with crosswinds unlike my other bike. Your frame & my frame have the same geometry and weight even though mine has carbon seat stays. I have no issues like the ones you stated above. I used a Shimano Pro carbon fork with a 45mm rake. I think the Enve 1.0 fork has a rake of 43mm. That might have something to do with the handling. Pro-Lite website uses 45mm fork rakes on their Cuneo framesets, which again has the same geometry as mine. Components and fit might make the difference in acceleration response, vibration dampening, and how solid the frame seems. I agree with you on the Speedplay pedals. They're not a solid platform for your feet. Having said that, I do like them for clicking out. The Shimanos even on the lowest tension are a bit of a pain. Plus, for me clipping in is easier also. But to each his own.

Here is a picture in mid-December last year of my temporary partial bike buildup:

Image

FilmAt11
Posts: 315
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 2:35 am

by FilmAt11

I had the EDGE fork from an earlier project. It's actually has a 45mm rake - printed on the steering tube. A 43mm rake would produce more trail, thus producing more stable handling. I had the Cuneo blasted and powdercoated to match the fork.

I don't think the handling issues are related to the fork. I've come to realize that the frame geometry isn't correct for me in a few areas: reach and saddle setback.

Compared to the FM-102, the Cuneo has a reach that is almost 1cm longer and the setback is almost 1cm shorter. I can't get enough setback (for proper pedaling mechanics) in a position that allows me to still reach the bars, even with a 90mm stem. So the fit was a compromise.

There's nothing inherently wrong with the frame - just incorrect geometry for me!
Last edited by FilmAt11 on Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.

landdnl
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2014 2:59 pm

by landdnl

Yeah, my bad on the fork rake. Every outlet that stocked them just had the 45's. I just looked on the Enve website and there's 4 options listed for rake. I was thinking the same thing when I was typing my previous post about trail that it should have the opposite effect as to what you're experiencing, that is if you did have a 43mm which you don't. My frame is 52cm top tube with 90mm Pro Stealth EVO bars. This would be a reach for me also if it wasn't for the saddle's long rails. Less than 90mm is hard to come by on stems or bar/stem combos. If I didn't insist on a setback seatpost the problem would go away, but I like the extra cushion a carbon setback post gives me. Short arms suck!

How much did you pay for your frame? I got mine from chain reaction for $330 on a 2012 version closeout. Yours is probably cheaper since you don't have the carbon seat stays. On the newer framesets it looks like you don't have the option to just buy the frame. Yeah, when possibly your most expensive component is your fork, you work around that to get things to match.

FilmAt11
Posts: 315
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 2:35 am

by FilmAt11

The frame + shipping was a little bit cheaper than US$300 on eBay from a seller in Taiwan. I learned quite a bit during this build/rebuild process and look forward to future builds. Of course, I'll start those builds in a much better position given what I've learned :)

I think a setback seatpost is a necessity on small road frames - particularly those with a steep seat tube angle.

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