It’s been a while since I had a proper bike build series here so I think it’s time for a new one! Not that I really need a new bike, but at the Tour Down Under my lovely wife pointed out that I was the only one still riding a rim-brake bike and wondered why. Now she seems to think I need a disc-brake bike “for my safety.” Who am I to argue with her?

Introducing the Quick Pro ER:One!

I’ve been eyeing off a Quick Pro frameset for quite some time now. They’re a Chinese manufacturer, but not a cheap knock-off AliExpress brand. They test and develop their products and provide bikes to a World Tour team. I was originally considering their lightweight climbing frame, but when the aero-focused ER:One was announced that really got my attention! A fully UCI approved race-proven aero bike that holds it’s own against high-end brands on the road and in the wind tunnel? Yes, please!

Image Credit & Website Link: Panda Podium

The price is obviously a major draw to the Chinese brands. An equivalent aero road frameset from a Western brand will set you back three or four times the price. If I select the parts carefully and don’t go crazy, I should be able to build the entire bike for less than the price of a Cervelo S5 frameset.

A lot of people still believe Chinese goods are rubbish. While that may have been partly true 30 years ago, a lot has changed (for all products, not just bikes). Most of your brand name gear is likely made in the same Asian factories. Take Cervelo, while they may be “engineered and designed in Canada and the USA” all their frames are manufactured in Asia. Specialized bikes are manufactured primarily in Taiwan and China. As long as you choose wisely and avoid any obvious counterfeit products, you’re winning.

The frameset and integrated bars arrived very well packed from Panda Podium

This will be my first time building a fully integrated, internally routed, hydraulic disc equipped modern road bike, so I think it might be a steep learning curve. A little trickier than my old school Trek 5200 build that’s for sure. I’ve already had to order a couple of specific tools for the job. More parts are on the way from China too.

That’s it for now. I’ve got to go Google how to actually put this thing together. Stay tuned!