Interested to get some feedback on it.[/quote]
Yep, 1,100km logged in the last 8 weeks. 90% tarmac, 10% gravel. Rides great on road, And on smooth dirt. I'm currently running Bon Jon Pass 35mm tyres, and it rides smooth, fast, and comfortably.
I averaged 28km/h on a 100km road ride last week. It's fun passing guys on 23mm tyres, they can't work out what my bike is or how it can possibly be faster than them
Yes, smallest measured clearance is 65mm at the chainstays. 50mm tyres would leave plenty of clearance for mud.Is it really 50 mm tire clearance for 700c wheels?
This is my first Chinese frame, so I can only compare to previous Giant and Specialized frames. The frame quality and tolerances are spot on. My LBS built it for me, and were impressed with it, and their mechanic has worked on all the big brands and plenty of exotic frames.Frame build quality
Ride quality
etc
I had an Alloy Focus Mares previously, with the same tyres, and the geometry is similar. This frame is more comfortable than the alloy was. I feel like I could ride this on multi day bike packing trips, and plan to. 35mm tyres makes my Defy with 28mm tyres feel buzzy, the way my Defy made my old Tarmac feel when I bought it in 2015. It's mostly down to the tyre volume.
Based on discussions on the Riding Gravel forum the Carbonda QC is better than similar models from Workswell and Tideace.
Custom paint was only US$70 and looks superb. I've seen lots of great paint work on other CFR505's and CFR696's. Not sure how durable it is though. I have one small chip on the front already, just above the fork, and several paint chips where the chain has hit the underneath of the chainstay from chain slap or chain suck. The clearance with a 32/48 oval chainrings is a bit small. 50/34 would be better. I'm going to get an Ultegra RX800 RD with the Clutch to reduce chain slap.
I won't comment on offroad ride quality until I get some knobby tires fitted.