BIGROCK Sohtea. The "Chinese Aethos"? Half a year later...
China Cycling
October 03, 2024
https://www.pandapodium.cc/brand/bigrock/ - Check out my bigrock ;)
The BIGROCK Sohtea is a frameset that impressed me when I bought one to check out last winter. SInce then, I've now actually built three of these things up as complete bikes. My favourite (the lightest, ofc) is a 5.9kg hill-mashing beast. This is a great bike for climbers, or traditionalists who prefer round tubes and simple seatposts.
00:00 Intro
00:31 Montage
00:45 What is the BIGROCK Sohtea?
03:19 Build one: Superlight Climbing Build
08:03 Build two: Budget Build
09:03 Build three: E-Bike Build
10:08 How does it ride?
11:38 Build Quality
12:04 Buyer Beware
13:30 Q&A Session
17:00 Summary
Keywords: bigrock,big rock,chinese,china,aethos,frame,sohtea,sohteah,soteah,t800,t1100,china cycling,review,deep dive,install,l-twoo,erx,superlight
Parts Mentioned
Bigrock Sohtea
FrameBigrock Sohtea
Created: March 24, 2026The reviewer has extensive experience with the Bigrock Sohtea Superlight Carbon Road Bike Frameset, having built three bikes and ridden thousands of kilometers. He describes it as a traditional climbing bike with excellent stiffness, lightweight construction, and versatile build options. He particularly praises the team edition's 680g weight and overall build quality.
AI-Summary
Pros
- Very lightweight (team edition: 680g with paint and accessories, regular edition: ~780g)
- Excellent stiffness, especially when out of the saddle
- Traditional design with round tube profiles and 27.2mm seatpost allows versatile builds
- T47 bottom bracket makes home installation easier
- Good value for money (regular edition under $1,200, team edition around $1,700)
- High build quality with clean threads and proper facing
- Good tire clearance (can likely fit 32mm tires despite 30mm rating)
- Durable enough for travel (survived international flights in cardboard box)
Cons
- Not aerodynamic (noticeable lack of aero at speeds above 30-40km/h)
- Descending performance is average (not the best, not the worst)
- Smaller sizes have toe overlap (common with 700c wheels on small frames)
- With ultra-light wheels (900g), can feel twitchy/nimble in corners due to low gyroscopic effect
- Higher center of gravity compared to heavier bikes (though minimal difference)
- Team edition uses high modulus carbon fiber which may sacrifice some strength for stiffness
MyBikeParts
Bigrock Sohtea Superlight Carbon Road Bike Frameset
