Dengfu R01: Review with CT Analysis of Lightweight Road Frame
dbike
May 29, 2022
The Dengfu R01 is a lightweight road bike frame, optimized for climbing. Ready for rim breaks with a BB30 bottom bracket and supporting full internal cable routing, it is an ideal frame if you want a featherweight bike. The frame weighs below 900 g for a 58 cm (XL!) size and only costs 550 US$, thus outvalues frames from other brands such as Specialized, Trek, Canyon, Cannondale, BMC and Giant easily. Despite a corroded bolt for the water bottle cage, I never had any problems with this frame after well above 25k kilometers. The CT scan analysis revealed some voids at the mating regions where the tubes are connected to each other. From a structural point of view, there should not be any problem with that. The only downside are the voids in the bottom bracket area, which probably reduce the stiffness of the most important area of the bike significantly.
Disclaimer:
I bought all presented products with my own money and I did not get any compensation. This allows me to share my honest opinion.
#dengfu #carbonframe
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
01:11 Logo
01:22 Order process
01:36 Total cost
02:27 Frame specs
03:13 Complications
04:27 Bottom bracket
05:53 Frame & fork weight
08:21 CT analysis
31:07 Summary & Outro
Parts Mentioned
FrameDengfu R01 ULTRALIGHT FRAME
Created: April 08, 2026The reviewer shares his 4-5 year experience with the Dengfu R01 Ultralight frame, covering the ordering process, a detailed physical inspection, weight measurement, and a CT scan analysis of the carbon layup and potential voids.
AI-Summary
Pros
- Good price ($550 for frame set, $619 total with shipping/fees)
- Flawless and fast email communication with the seller
- Quick shipping (about 1.5 weeks to Europe)
- Frame was well-packaged and protected
- Frame fits the reviewer perfectly (58cm for 193cm height)
- No major complications over 25,000 km of use
- Never had any creaking issues with the bottom bracket
- Frame weight is roughly below 1000g for an XL size with some components still attached, close to the claimed 850g ±50g
Cons
- Bottle cage nut corroded and became stuck in the frame, a minor complication
- Bottom bracket is BB30, which requires adapters for Shimano's 24mm axle, which the reviewer finds not ideal and would prefer BB86
- The reviewer states the stiffness is 'not that great' due to the BB30 design
- Maximum tire clearance is 25mm (28mm does not fit)
- CT scan reveals voids in critical mating areas: significant voids in the lower part of the bottom bracket area, some voids in the chain stay/bottom bracket junction, and larger voids in the seat stay merger region
- The bottom bracket area is described as 'not optimal,' 'not very well made,' with 'lots of voids' that decrease stiffness
- Some voids are present in the drive-side chain stay (a normal tube area where they shouldn't be)
- Internal cable routing through the chain stay can be tough due to folded carbon layers
Where to Buy
Complete BikeDengfu R01
Created: February 03, 2026The reviewer shares his 4-5 year experience with the Dengfu R01 frame, having ridden it for roughly 25,000 kilometers. He discusses the ordering process, frame features, and performs a detailed CT scan analysis to examine the carbon layup and voids. Overall, he reports no major complications during use but notes some quality concerns in the CT scan, particularly in the bottom bracket area.
AI-Summary
Pros
- Good price ($550 for frame set, $619 total with shipping/fees)
- Flawless communication with the company via email
- Fast shipping (about 1.5 weeks to Europe)
- Well-protected packaging
- Frame fits perfectly for his 193 cm height with 58 cm size
- No major complications during use
- No creaking issues with the bottom bracket
- High tolerances/accuracy in bottom bracket due to molded aluminum shell
Cons
- Bottle cage nut corroded and became stuck in the frame
- BB30 bottom bracket requires adapters for Shimano (24mm axle), which is not ideal
- Bottom bracket stiffness is not great
- CT scan reveals voids in critical areas: lower part of bottom bracket (not optimal, decreases stiffness), seat stays merging area (large voids), chain stays mating area (voids), and some voids in drive side chain stay
- Maximum tire clearance is 25mm (28mm does not work)
Where to Buy