CF Racer1 Road Delivered Today

[Cuz Vinny]

First impressions of the CF Racer





Got the bike today! Everything was packed nice and neat with no damage to the bike. The bike was thoroughly wrapped and protected. Having watched the assembly video multiple times putting it together was super simple. The tool kit and supplies was a nice touch and meant I didn’t have to go searching through my bike stash to find what I needed. Very nice R1P.



Now the bike itself. I have no idea how R1P is selling these for less than $2300 and making a profit. First like I said, the fit and finish was flawless. Not a scratch on the bike that I could tell. It’s raining today so I put the bike together in my garage with less than ideal lighting. I’ll have to see if this hold true once I get the bike in the sun. The color is stunning. Even in the bad lighting I could see it changing hues as I walked around the bike. Definitely getting paint protection for it. The bike needed very minor adjustments needed for the shifting or brakes. The bike was dialed in from the factory which is impressive. I’ve had bikes that cost twice what this does and need complete tuning.



I’ve made a few changes from how the bike came from R1P. Added my own set of pedals and went with two different saddles. First I tried my Brooks and then settled on a Bontrager Montrose Elite. The big mods come tomorrow with the SRAM NX 12 speed cassette, derailleur and chain. I’ll be using the Archer D1X electric shifting system to control the shifting. This change will be give a huge improvement in climbing ability as I’m going from a 11-36 to 11-50 cassette. One of the pics shows how I have the shifter buttons mounted. It’s not exactly optimal but I can shift using just two fingers from the hood position. Shifting isn’t possible from the drops.



The big negative to this bike is it only comes in two sizes, a 50cm and 56cm. Also the integrated stem and handlebars offer zero adjustment capability. I lucked out and the 56cm is perfect for me. I’m 6’1 with a 34 inseam.



I know others are concerned the bike has a cadence sensor and not a torque sensor. I personally could care less. You are getting a lot of bike for your money here.



It looks like I won’t be able to ride the bike for at least four or five days due to our wonderful weather forecast for this week. Once I get some seat time I’ll post about my ride impressions. For now color me very impressed R1P, very impressed.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Is the front wheel a 12x100 thru axle?
I was thinking of ordering one of these sometime in the future, but looking at your bike has got me thinking about reaching for my credit card.
I have an inexpensive Giant Escape that I'm in the (slow) process of turning it into a kinda Frankenstein e-road bike. The thing is it will probably end up costing me as much as purchasing a Racer1 road.
I was disappointed with the limited sizes offered, but after looking at the 50cm frame dimensions there not far off my Giant Defy's (54cm regular road bike) dimensions.
I prefer the black paint over the grey. The grey looks dull. I like a frame to shine.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Is the front wheel a 12x100 thru axle?
I was thinking of ordering one of these sometime in the future, but looking at your bike has got me thinking about reaching for my credit card.
I have an inexpensive Giant Escape that I'm in the (slow) process of turning it into a kinda Frankenstein e-road bike. The thing is it will probably end up costing me as much as purchasing a Racer1 road.
I was disappointed with the limited sizes offered, but after looking at the 50cm frame dimensions there not far off my Giant Defy's (54cm regular road bike) dimensions.
I prefer the black paint over the grey. The grey looks dull. I like a frame to shine.

I believe it is. Let me tell you, this is a very nice bike for the money. I don’t know how in the hell R1P is selling these at under $2300.00 and making any profit. Sure it could have had a torque sensor, wouldn’t have raised the price much and would have been the icing on the cake. I was going to build a diy bike myself but there is no way it would have come out as nice as this. I haven’t ridden the bike yet due to weather so I can’t comment on its performance as far as the Ebike part of it goes. I’m making a few modifications to the drivetrain for better climbing ability and installing Schwalbe Super Moto tires 700X38 as the 700X32 that come on the bike are just too thin for my pot hole ridden streets. R1P is very good about answering any questions and even gave me tips on what mods would work and what wouldn’t.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Considering converting this bike to flat bars. I’ve been researching if it can be done and it looks like it can. I’d lose the total cable concealment as the brake lines would be exposed at the bar but that doesn‘t bother me. Need to get some good seat time with the current drop bar setup before I make my decision.

 

[Deacon Blues]

The one piece stem/bar with hidden cables looks nice, but I'd prefer a separate stem and handlebar setup, so I could swap out the stem or handlebar, or both. Also doing work on a bike with hidden cables is a bitch.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

The one piece stem/bar with hidden cables looks nice, but I'd prefer a separate stem and handlebar setup, so I could swap out the stem or handlebar, or both. Also doing work on a bike with hidden cables is a bitch.

Precisely why I want to do the swap. Zero adjustment with the current setup. I’d be using FSA KFX MTB handlebars, FSA ACR headset, and FSA SMR 100mm stem. Brakes would be Magura MT4 flat mount. I also need a new 31.8 holder for the display. I’m trying to source that. I already checked with RIDE1UP and they said it can be done but it’s not easy.

 

[xc rider]

seriously wondering how the stem attaches to the steer tube

 

[Cuz Vinny]

seriously wondering how the stem attaches to the steer tube

 

[xc rider]

Holy crikey, so those two holes in the back of the stem are for set screws, and the two spacer rotates with the bars?

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Holy crikey, so those two holes in the back of the stem are for set screws, and the two spacer rotates with the bars?

Yes. The two set screws in the back of the stem and the top cap screw is what holds the bars on. The whole assembly turns when you turn the bars. Once torqued down the assembly isn’t going anywhere. I’m just not a fan of the drop bars so I want to swap them out for a FSA SMR ACR stem and Race Face carbon MTB bars. I’ll lose the hidden cables but gain adjustability and comfort.

 

[mschwett]

it’s a nice looking road bike, especially for the price. it will not be with some ill-fitting stem and MTB bars. and, of course the geometry will be very wierd. I have to imagine they offer a couple different sizes of the integrated bar to get the fit right?

 

[Cuz Vinny]

it’s a nice looking road bike, especially for the price. it will not be with some ill-fitting stem and MTB bars. and, of course the geometry will be very wierd. I have to imagine they offer a couple different sizes of the integrated bar to get the fit right?

Nope, only available in 50mm and 56mm. I just happened to luck out and a 56mm fits me perfectly. If I do the swap the stem and bars I’ll be using will look nice. They are semi integrated. Only the brake hoses will be visible at the bars end.

 

[mschwett]

Nope, only available in 50mm and 56mm. I just happened to luck out and a 56mm fits me perfectly. If I do the swap the stem and bars I’ll be using will look nice. They are semi integrated. Only the brake hoses will be visible at the bars end.

i meant the bar, not the frame - every other one piece stem/bar cockpit i’ve seen for a road bike comes in like 8 sizes!

 

[BikerG]

Yeah, that’s one thing with most of these internally wired headset covers and spacers. I also wonder about these “plastic” headset upper parts, compressing and holding together the entire head tube assembly. My Canyon head tube with its massive 62mm wide upper head tube uses the same bits. Acros top covers and spacers are usually spec’d with a lot of e-bikes.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Ok, got a little seat time. Enough to give a first ride impression. First off, this is a sweet bike Ebike parts aside. At 27lbs is light enough that you can easily ride it with zero assistance. The SRAM Rival 1 groupset is really nice and works perfectly. Shifts were quick and the brakes are strong. The bike has a 250w motor which makes 42nm torque so anyone expecting this bike to perform like a 750w 85nm torque motor is going to be very disappointed. It’s not going to catapult you up steep hills with little or no effort from yourself like big power motor bikes will. It’s a shame you can’t test ride before buying because I can see people having buyer’s remorse when the bike fails to meet their expectations.

If you understand the purpose of the bike then you will really like it. You RIDE this bike, you’re not just along for the ride. You have to give some effort yourself. You can’t just rely solely on the motor. For myself I was looking for a light weight bike that is easy to transport. I wanted to be able to ride the bike with zero assistance from the motor only using the assist when needed. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money but wanted a quality bicycle. The CF Racer meets all of those requirements and then some. For the price of $2295.00 this thing is a steal IMO.

Some planned upgrades I have in mind are SRAM GX/NX AXS group set. Thats the NX 12 speed cassette, GX 12 speed derailleur, GX chain, GX Carbon Crankset (this is the one area R1P went cheap), and the AXS upgrade kit. The AXS upgrade kit gives me wireless electric shifting using a MTB style shifter. I’ll attempt to use that with the drop bars but the kit is also compatible with the Rival 1 AXS drop bar levers/shifters. This isn‘t cheap but I want the better 11-50 gearing vs 11-36 for climbing hills. You can also do this cheaper by getting a ratio kit for the Rival levers that come on the bike. It converts them from 11 speed to 12 so no need for new levers or the AXS electric stuff. I usually over spend on upgrades, it’s a bad habit of mine.

So first impressions based on what I was looking for out of a bike I give it five stars. As long as the person understands the purpose of this bike I can’t see how they wouldn’t like it especially for the price. The killer rainbow flip flop black paint job is just the icing on the cake.

 

[BlackHand]

Thanks Cuz, looking forward to updates once you have a better feel for range and fit.

Your seatpost height gives me some pause. I'm about 31.5+" inseam which looks awfully close to the min saddle height based on your 34" inseam.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Thanks Cuz, looking forward to updates once you have a better feel for range and fit.

Your seatpost height gives me some pause. I'm about 31.5+" inseam which looks awfully close to the min saddle height based on your 34" inseam.

I actually raised it after that photo. It was too low but I didn’t have any tools with me on the ride to adjust it. I have it a little higher than the stem now.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Gonna keep this post short. Did a real ride today, 12 miles round trip. For 8 of the 12 the bike wasn’t even powered on. It’s that easy to ride. Really enjoyed my ride today. Going for a longer ride tomorrow. My conclusion, this bike is a keeper. You simply cannot buy anything like this for the money.

 

[PSm]

View attachment 173498

Gonna keep this post short. Did a real ride today, 12 miles round trip. For 8 of the 12 the bike wasn’t even powered on. It’s that easy to ride. Really enjoyed my ride today. Going for a longer ride tomorrow. My conclusion, this bike is a keeper. You simply cannot buy anything like this for the money.

I got my CF Racer too, and agree with your conclusions, it’s a keeper for sure

Easy to ride, great fit and finish, and perfect for those that want to ride a bike and have experience with acoustic bikes. Love it!

And for me, keeping it likely stock, except for tires. Working out as-is, and 56 cm size is just right with (pants) inseam under 30 inches.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

I got my CF Racer too, and agree with your conclusions, it’s a keeper for sure

Easy to ride, great fit and finish, and perfect for those that want to ride a bike and have experience with acoustic bikes. Love it!

And for me, keeping it likely stock, except for tires. Working out as-is, and 56 cm size is just right with inseam under 30 inches.

I got new tires for mine but haven’t put them on yet. The tires on the bike are excellent and the rolling resistance is very low. It just rolls and rolls and rolls. Grip is excellent. They are skinny but I may just keep them on for now. Replace them once I need new tires.