CC Upgrades and options.

[Gionnirocket]

Seriously contemplating a CC for arrival next spring and was wondering what upgrades and options owners felt were worth doing.
I guess at the top of my list is the suspension.
Also thinking an 8 or 9 spd if possible as my rides are not in the extreme at either end and my current 7sp (13t-28t) is more than sufficient with a 63lb bike and the BBS02B. Downside of that I guess is proper fit and possible issues if not designed as such or done before.
Frey seems pretty open minded about any suggestions not currently offered... So what changes did you make or wish you had...
Thanks in advance.....

 

[Taylor57]

Seriously contemplating a CC for arrival next spring and was wondering what upgrades and options owners felt were worth doing.
I guess at the top of my list is the suspension.
Also thinking an 8 or 9 spd if possible as my rides are not in the extreme at either end and my current 7sp (13t-28t) is more than sufficient with a 63lb bike and the BBS02B. Downside of that I guess is proper fit and possible issues if not designed as such or done before.
Frey seems pretty open minded about any suggestions not currently offered... So what changes did you make or wish you had...
Thanks in advance.....

Hey Rocket, if you are ever in Palm Springs, you are welcome to take my CC out for a ride. With that said, I think the current 11 speed model is overkill for how I ride mostly streets, bike paths etc. My Espin Sport has 8 gears and that is plenty for me.
Also, not so sure I needed the dropper seat post, as I think I would rather have a nice Suntour suspension seat post. I also added the shift sensor which I guess is probably a good thing. Last night just to be safe, I contacted Frey and ordered 2 backup derailleurs and an extra chain and they responded right away. Order placed-now we will see how long it takes to get to USA. I also ordered the programming cable although I haven't used it yet and if I do, it would probably be to get throttle from a dead stop. Right now, I need to turn the pedal a quarter turn or so before throttle kicks in. I tried to explain to Frey to do it before they shipped it, but that must have been lost in translation. All in all though, the order experience from Frey was painless other than the wait. They were very good at returning emails in a timely manner and answering all of my questions. It's also my opinion that they are very open to a customers suggestions and requests in regards to bike components and even the color you would like it painted. As far as your #1 concern suspension, I need to get back to you on that after I let out a little air of my rear suspension shock-I added air recently and it feels a little stiff. The front Rock Shox seem very good. I am also adding a Redshift suspension stem for max comfort...

 

[Gionnirocket]

Thanks Taylor.. I'd love to see before purchasing but being on the east coast I don't think it possible.
I have contacted Frey and they have been very responsive, but as you said... Things get lost in translation.. I asked if the bike was being built now with the new CANBUS controller and they said yes. I asked for the 860c display and plainly said no, the bike comes with the DPC-18 UART. So I replied that the communication protocol for the controller and display must match and which is it, and I got another equally vague answer again. Since I don't plan on ordering till the fall I didn't push it as it could be different by then.
On the drivetrain I got lucky as they are all being built now with SRAM X5 9_Speed because of supply chain delays.
I asked about tires (other Schwalbe) and other options, and was told no.... I guess the supply chain is really limiting their flexibility.
My last question to them was when I should order for delivery in April 2022 and how much time to allow for the holidays in both countries and was told to order now I thought my Chinglish was pretty good dealing with Aliexpress, but I sometimes wonder how much is lost in translation deliberately.
Final note, the price has increased to $3,420

 

[AHicks]

It's not up to Frey regarding the CANBUS. That's coming right from Bafang. Pretty much old news. That's something I'm watching closely. The CANBUS is a done deal (starting with motors delivered the first of the year or so?), and there is still an issue regarding end users having the flexibility to set parameters that we have now with the UART BUS.

If you haven't seen it yet, I think this is about the latest thinking (for Linux programmers only, and then only on a limited basis)

Bafang M620/G510 (and all other Bafang motors) now on CAN-BUS (2021+) rather than UART (2018-2020)?

Hi, I just ordered a Bafang Ultra (aka M620 aka G510) and was surprised when Bafang specified on the invoice that the display would be a CAN-BUS version as opposed to being a UART version. They confirmed this morning to me that they have changed the manufacturing and that they are NOT producing...

endless-sphere.com

I think an interesting question for Frey might be regarding the "Smooth" programming? Is it available, and is that what the new bikes are shipping with? If you could get a bike with that programming installed, you could ride it as-is until some whiz brain makes a program that guys like us might be able to run in a Windows environment. Pretty sure we'll see one eventually.

EDIT: Oh, and regarding Bafang displays? Maybe look for the 500 and 600 stuff, as they've been CANBUS for a while now? My thought anyway, -Al

 

[Gionnirocket]

It's not up to Frey regarding the CANBUS. That's coming right from Bafang. Pretty much old news. That's something I'm watching closely. The CANBUS is a done deal (starting with motors delivered the first of the year or so?), and there is still an issue regarding end users having the flexibility to set parameters that we have now with the UART BUS.

Yes Al I understand that... But I wanted to verify with Frey as Bafang has no way of knowing what Frey is currently building with. Maybe Frey had a few UART in stock or got a really good deal on the last of them so they still have a few more to go before switching to CANBUS.

From what I gather from my Chinglish conversation, they still are delivering UART at this time.
From Frey... Second answer to the same question reads to me that she is still contradicting herself, but now the display is CANBUS???
"sorry It's DP C18.CANBUS.Just received the notice, the current order is still UTRA motor"
Is "UTRA" a dyslexic UART???
It'll probably be CANBUS by the time I order... So I just let it go for now.
And on the display, the 860c has been available in both CANBUS and UART for some time now.

productdetail

Smoothy is free HTML5 one-page template for multi-purpose that is based on responsive bootstrap framework.

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[AHicks]

Still think the question regarding the "Smooth" programming would be a good one....

 

[Gionnirocket]

Still think the question regarding the "Smooth" programming would be a good one....

I concur
I just felt it would be pissing in the wind at this point since I'm not ready to order.

 

[Taylor57]

Thanks Taylor.. I'd love to see before purchasing but being on the east coast I don't think it possible.
I have contacted Frey and they have been very responsive, but as you said... Things get lost in translation.. I asked if the bike was being built now with the new CANBUS controller and they said yes. I asked for the 860c display and plainly said no, the bike comes with the DPC-18 UART. So I replied that the communication protocol for the controller and display must match and which is it, and I got another equally vague answer again. Since I don't plan on ordering till the fall I didn't push it as it could be different by then.
On the drivetrain I got lucky as they are all being built now with SRAM X5 9_Speed because of supply chain delays.
I asked about tires (other Schwalbe) and other options, and was told no.... I guess the supply chain is really limiting their flexibility.
My last question to them was when I should order for delivery in April 2022 and how much time to allow for the holidays in both countries and was told to order now I thought my Chinglish was pretty good dealing with Aliexpress, but I sometimes wonder how much is lost in translation deliberately.
Final note, the price has increased to $3,420

3420 sounds about right. I think my CC was 3800 once shipping and my add on's were included...

 

[Gionnirocket]

3420 sounds about right. I think my CC was 3800 once shipping and my add on's were included...

Yeah I expected a slight increase with all the shortages. I think it's up about $160 with no options selected

 

[Taylor57]

Yeah I expected a slight increase with all the shortages. I think it's up about $160 with no options selected

I got a response from Frey today after I placed my order for the new chain and 2 back up derailleurs:

Hi Taylor,
Now we are in the Dragon Boat Festival holiday,I will arrange your package next week.

Best Regards,
Grace

 

[Gionnirocket]

I got a response from Frey today after I placed my order for the new chain and 2 back up derailleurs:

Hi Taylor,
Now we are in the Dragon Boat Festival holiday,I will arrange your package next week.

Best Regards,
Grace

The Damned Dragon Boat Festival! I totally forgot about!
Makes me wonder about the delay as they said the current builds are 9sp due to parts scarcity
Curious... Did you price the parts locally or Aliexpress as these can be gotten anywhere.
I'd think the advantage of getting it from Frey would be diminished if not with your original bike order.

 

[Taylor57]

The Damned Dragon Boat Festival! I totally forgot about!
Makes me wonder about the delay as they said the current builds are 9sp due to parts scarcity
Curious... Did you price the parts locally or Aliexpress as these can be gotten anywhere.
I'd think the advantage of getting it from Frey would be diminished if not with your original bike order.

Nah, just ordered from Frey. So far they have been awesome. I just need the parts as back ups so no rush. Let the Dragon Boat Festival proceed!

 

[LGMTL]

Upgrade the chainring to a 46T and maybe more robust cassette as I found chain skipping after only a month.

SHIMANO 10-Speed Cassette Sprocket | SHIMANO BIKE-EU

The SHIMANO CS-5700 10-speed cassette provides stable shifting performance and feel thanks to HYPERGLIDE technology. To save weight, it features an aluminum sprocket carrier.

bike.shimano.com

130 BCD Gravel / CX / Road Chainrings

130 BCD 1x gravel cyclocross cx chainring sprocket wide narrow wolf tooth drop stop

www.wolftoothcomponents.com

 

[Gionnirocket]

Upgrade the chainring to a 46T and maybe more robust cassette as I found chain skipping after only a month.

SHIMANO 10-Speed Cassette Sprocket | SHIMANO BIKE-EU

The SHIMANO CS-5700 10-speed cassette provides stable shifting performance and feel thanks to HYPERGLIDE technology. To save weight, it features an aluminum sprocket carrier.

bike.shimano.com

130 BCD Gravel / CX / Road Chainrings

130 BCD 1x gravel cyclocross cx chainring sprocket wide narrow wolf tooth drop stop

www.wolftoothcomponents.com

Thanks... That's why I was leaning towards a 8 - 9sp

 

[Mike_V]

Oh, CC ! " UUpgraded " seat stay design.

 

[brake034]

Mike V, I think you should post the whole story behind this picture, the fact that it is a 3 year old frame that Frey is giving a free new replacement for?!

 

[ProphetZarquon]

Agreed with brake034 here: you seem to be posting this picture all over the place, it isn't even your pic or your bike, & you don't link to the post of the person whose bike it is, nor their later post mentioning that Frey followed up with them.

Bike frames from any manufacturer have a non-zero failure rate, & Frey appears to be responding in good faith; so what do you get out of disingenuously posting someone else's pic without context? Are you employed by a competitor or just opposed to buying goods from close to their source?

At first I thought you were just sharing a pic that caught your attention, but now it's starting to get weird like you have a vendetta for some reason...

 

[DavidRvR]

Still think the question regarding the "Smooth" programming would be a good one....

I was worried about it on my original CC order so I had them ship the programming cable with it... After I received the bike and rode it... it was very smooth and no issue at all.. wasted money on the cable as I think its perfect and throttle works from a stop so all in all it worked like I wanted it to.. So I ordered 2 more and waiting for them and the BEAST to get here maybe next month.

 

[TomD]

I think the cable is like $10 bucks, so a pretty trivial investment out of north of $10K in your case with three CCs. I might give smooth tune a try unless it already has it. I'm guessing you'll get more than $10 of benefit from your initial investment.

 

[DavidRvR]

I think the cable is like $10 bucks, so a pretty trivial investment out of north of $10K in your case with three CCs. I might give smooth tune a try unless it already has it. I'm guessing you'll get more than $10 of benefit from your initial investment.

Money isnt the point for me.... I have a cable I dont need .... I burn that money in my sleep for the most part... Im $20k in on my Frey bikes.. 3 CC and a BEAST .. Wasnt cheap but not taking the cash with me.