Winspace SLC5 Review: Something Is Missing

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Not so way back, I reviewed the Winspace T1600. Now, I’m completely happy to announce that I additionally examined the SLC5, just some months after I firstly noticed it at Eurobike. So, is it definitely worth the $2900 price ticket? Under, I share every little thing I realized about it, in addition to the way it compares to Winspace Agile, T1600, and YOELEO R12.

NOTE: I invested roughly $2100 and my time on this bike construct. I acquired the body, handlebar, and wheels for this evaluation, however as all the time, I can be 100% sincere with you and share each the nice and the dangerous.

Winspace SLC5 Construct Abstract

Under, I checklist the technical specs of my SLC5 construct.

Winspace SLC5 Execs and Cons

Unboxing

Winspace upped its packaging sport. The SLC5 was delivered in a black, branded field, not the unappealing brown one just like the early batches of the T1600. It was lined with protecting foam, and the unboxing gave me a extra premium impression.

The field included the body, fork, cockpit, and equipment. It will even be good if it included a Jagwire cable (or its various), like YOELEO does, so I might wrap the hydraulic cables with it to keep away from cable rattling.

For the load weenies on the market, listed here are the photographs of the true weights. Because the body doesn’t stand on the dimensions by itself, I needed to maintain it, which led to weight fluctuations (I want to purchase a dangling scale). Nonetheless, the load of the body in measurement L, together with bolts and hangers, was round 852g.

The Construct Course of

That is my 4th bike construct. I constructed the Winspace Agile, YOELEO G21 Altera, and Winspace T1600. I had nearly determined to go along with Dura-Ace Di2 this time, however I selected Ultegra Di2 as a result of I couldn’t justify the Dura-Ace value and the minimal weight financial savings, and I had to purchase the brand new Garmin Edge 550 and Edge 850 for a evaluation. Nonetheless, I mixed the elements, as I acquired the Elilee X310 cranks and the EK01 energy meter. I additionally opted for a Dura-Ace cassette and ChaserSports discs for the load financial savings. However let’s dive into the construct course of itself.

At first, I believed Winspace had forgotten to drill a gap for the entrance derailleur wire, however then I appeared extra intently and located it. It’s hidden beneath the entrance derailleur hanger, which has a drilled groove. That is intelligent and makes the complete body look a bit cleaner.

The issue was that the fork didn’t have an inside groove, so once I pushed the hose by the fork, it popped out on the finish of the fork as an alternative of by the outlet the place it was imagined to go. This began a battle lasting at the very least fifteen minutes to tug it out by that gap. It was troublesome as a result of one wall of the fork was urgent towards the hose, inflicting it to push towards the internal wall of the fork (i.e., precisely the other way than wanted). These of you who’ve assembled bikes know that brake hoses are much less versatile than Di2 wires, so this was actually a troublesome nut to crack. Ultimately, I used a skinny wire to hook the disc hose and pliers to tug the wire out.

I don’t know if all SLC5 forks have this inside design, but when so, it’s an issue. For instance, within the T1600 fork, the hose is neatly guided into that gap, so putting in the entrance brake is actually a matter of seconds. I offered Winspace with suggestions, and so they advised me the brand new batches of the SLC5 ought to have the inner groove for simpler set up. That is nice, however once more, this could have been prevented within the first place.

Then, I encountered one other drawback. And that is once I began to change into fairly aggravated by Winspace’s negligence. They put the unsuitable compression plug within the packaging. They included the one for the Winspace ZERO SL handlebar, not for the HYPER handlebar. So, what’s the distinction between them? The one for the HYPER cockpit contains a crimson bolt with threads for the cap bolt, permitting the HYPER high cap to be tightened. This cover has a teardrop-like form and isn’t rounded just like the one for ZERO SL. What can I say? This isn’t the primary time Winspace has made a mistake with the package deal contents. It’s one thing that would have been simply prevented by having a listing of components which can be imagined to be included. Fortunately, Winspace despatched the fitting one the subsequent day through FedEx, and I acquired it inside every week.

Sadly, the issues didn’t finish right here. When putting in shifters, I struggled with the left shifter as a result of I couldn’t pull it to a better place, even after fully loosening the mounting bolt. Then I bought an thought to measure the diameter of the drops on each side. The left aspect was 1mm wider than the fitting aspect, which prevented me from inserting the left shifter any greater. It is a critical challenge that shouldn’t occur, as the very best attainable place of the levers is kind of aggressive. So if I wished it to be much less aggressive, I might in all probability must sand down the anti-slip coating and a number of the paint.

And at last, the seat publish bolt was screwed within the unsuitable path. Fortuitously, this time it had a head (in contrast to my expertise when constructing the T1600), so all I needed to do was unscrew it, flip it round, and screw it again in. Once more, a small element that may catch some much less skilled folks off guard.

There are a couple of extra particulars value mentioning:

The field didn’t embody an instruction guide.

The highest and backside headset bearings are the identical measurement, in order that they can’t be blended up.

The brake mounts have been flat and didn’t require further changes.

There isn’t a built-in battery holder like on the T1600

Listed below are a couple of footage from contained in the SLC5 body. The body appeared clear and clean, apart from the chainstay space, the place the connection between the rear and entrance items of the body was seen.

In the event you learn the specs of my construct, you seen that I used the Elilee X310 cranks with the Elilee EK01 energy meter. These cranks, with Ultegra 50×34T chainrings and an influence meter, weighed 554g. This helped me save ~200g in comparison with Shimano cranks (with no energy meter).

Nonetheless, needless to say the Elilee packing doesn’t embody the 4 chainring bolts, so you’ll need to purchase them individually when you solely purchase Shimano chainrings, fairly than the entire crankset.

Moreover, a particular instrument is required for tightening the ability meter. It’s the Park Instrument BBT-22, or you should buy a less expensive Tremendous B TB-1455, which additionally contains a deal with. I needed to go to an area store as a result of I didn’t anticipate further instruments. This additional delayed my construct.

I additionally encountered two disagreeable particulars. The primary is that you simply can not modify the entrance seat bolt except you’ve got a seat with a gap. The bolt is tightened on the high, which can’t be accessed with no seat with a gap. This limits the vary of saddles you need to use and makes adjusting the saddle place much less handy.

The second element is that you may solely steer 90° earlier than the fork hits the body (that’s why there are the clear protecting stickers on the fork). It is perhaps simpler to wreck the body or fork if the bike is dealt with improperly or in case of a crash. The T1600 has a special body and fork design, permitting you to steer over 90°.

Lastly, I wish to touch upon the Mirage paint job. It’s stunning because it modifications coloration primarily based on the angle (see the next gallery). Winspace actually stepped up their designs in 2025, and so they proceed to pump out new ones. I hope this received’t trigger order delays, as a result of the quantity of inventory they must manufacture to maintain every little thing in inventory is rising massively.

My Expertise with Winspace SLC5

That is by far the lightest bike I’ve ever constructed. I managed to squeeze it beneath 7 kg (pedals and bottle cages included), whereas all my different builds have been round 7.8 kg. So, naturally, I couldn’t wait to start out driving it and really feel the variations from the Agile or the T1600. After I rode the T1600 after Agile, I felt an enormous step ahead, particularly at greater speeds. With the SLC5, the distinction didn’t really feel as important.

Nonetheless, I need to stress that it was already autumn right here in Czechia, so I rode in a long-sleeved jersey, which is way slower than my summer season equipment. You is perhaps pondering, what the hell is Petr speaking about? Effectively, clothes makes an enormous distinction, and I wouldn’t be stunned if my autumn equipment is 20W slower than my summer season jersey.

As anticipated, the very first thing I seen was the agility and responsiveness. Saving nearly a kilogram on a motorcycle is important, so this weight discount had a constructive impression. I lastly understood the distinction between a heavier however stiff bike and a light-weight and less-stiff bike. You merely don’t must struggle the bike as a lot (particularly when paired with carbon-spoked wheels, such because the Lún HYPER 5).

In the event you learn my Winspace Agile evaluation, you already know that I praised its trip consolation. Its tube shaping and dropped seatstays make sure that the body absorbs highway vibrations that aren’t additional transferred into your physique. The SLC5 feels equally snug. I might charge Agile and SLC5 5/5. By the way in which, the geometry of those two frames is nearly equivalent.

Talking of geometry, it’s much like the SL8. I’m certain some folks will complain in regards to the low stack, however I feel this space is fairly subjective. I’m not that skilled with totally different geometries, so it actually depends upon what fits you.

I returned to the 165mm cranks after the 160mm experiment. I couldn’t attain as excessive a most energy with the brief ones, and I needed to shift extra usually when attacking. Additionally, they didn’t really feel fairly proper. I acquired the Elilee X310 cranks for this construct. They primarily helped me with the load financial savings and look. I don’t really feel greater stiffness in comparison with Shimano Ultegra cranks. Additionally, make sure you tighten the cranks to the really helpful torques. Mine got here free through the first 2 rides as a result of I used to be afraid of tightening them an excessive amount of.

By the way in which, I’m additionally contemplating switching to 52×36T chainrings as a result of they’re extra appropriate for our terrain. They permit me to trip quicker in descents. The 50×34T are extra appropriate for lengthy, steep climbs within the Alps. However I’m not absolutely determined but.

I’ve been driving the SLC5 body with totally different wheelsets. I began with the HYPER 5, however I additionally tried it with Nepest Nova wheels. However since these two wheelsets are nearly the identical, the trip traits remained unchanged. I’ve to attempt the SLC5 with steel-spoked wheels, such because the YOELEO NxT SL2. Naturally, steel-spoked wheels are extra snug than the carbon-spoked ones, so the driving consolation may very well be even higher.

What dissatisfied me a bit was the stiffness. I did a number of back-to-back rides with the T1600, SLC5, and Agile, and with the T1600, I felt prefer it transferred all the ability into the ahead motion. With the SLC5, it felt like a sure proportion of the ability was misplaced. That is undoubtedly one thing I didn’t anticipate, and I feel it’s the one factor that stops me from concluding that the SLC5 is ideal. Sadly, it’s not, regardless of the usage of military-grade and T1100 carbon fibers in chosen areas.

I’m a lighter rider (weighing round 70 kg) who infrequently surpasses 1000W. However regardless of that, I can really feel the totally different body stiffness, particularly when accelerating and driving out of the saddle. I might not dare to say that the SLC5 is a smooth bike, however as described earlier, I anticipated a bit greater stiffness. It will be attention-grabbing to match it to another light-weight frames, such because the Evolve Cima, Fast Professional AR:One, or Intropy Speedster SSR.

The SLC5 was examined in two wind tunnels. Within the UK’s Silverstone Sports activities Engineering Hub and in Japan’s Kozo Keikaku. It was in contrast immediately with the SLC3 and in addition with a “main aero bike”. I feel it’s protected to imagine that this was the SL8, as this was additionally the benchmark for Winspace, and there’s a observe for “Specialised bike” beneath the chart. Cool, simply let’s not name the SL8 an aero bike, though it’s a comparatively quick body in response to Tour Journal. So, what have been the outcomes?

The SLC5 reduces the CdA by 0.011 in comparison with the SLC3 and will save over 13 watts at 48 km/h. That seems like lots, however don’t overlook that the SLC3 was not aero-optimized. The comparability with the SL8 is extra attention-grabbing, in my view. The next chart exhibits the CdA at totally different speeds for 2 runs at 0° yaw angle (head-on wind) with a rider on the bike. Decrease values imply higher aerodynamics.

The SL8 outperformed the SLC5 through the first run in any respect speeds. The SLC5 outperformed the SL8 solely at 46-47 km/h through the second run. General, we will conclude that the SLC5 is barely slower than the SL8.

The final function I wish to speak about is stability at excessive speeds and crosswinds. The SLC5 feels extra secure than Agile however much less secure than the T1600. The crusing impact additionally doesn’t really feel as highly effective as on the T1600. That’s the key sauce of aero bikes and their shaping. In case of the T1600, it higher retains its line and feels extra predictable.

Pricing

The SLC5 value raises eyebrows of many potential prospects, particularly those that knew Winspace costs from 5 years in the past. It prices $2800, which is lots for a Chinese language body. With my 10% low cost, you may get it for $2520, however that’s nonetheless greater than the T1600. So, why is the soar greater than the T1600? I’ve two attainable explanations.

The primary motive is the usage of premium, military-grade supplies, such because the M46 and M65. Primarily based on my info, they’re very exhausting to supply, even in China, and are costly. At the moment, there are only some frames that use M-grade carbon, such because the Pinarello Dogma F, Winspace SLC3, or SEKA Spear.

The second clarification may very well be that Winspace desires the SLC line to be extra premium and immediately compete with Western manufacturers. As a result of if one thing is “low-cost”, you received’t imagine it’s good. For comparability, different Chinese language frames, such because the Evolve Cima or the Intropy Speedster SS+, value $2299 and $2550, respectively, however the just lately launched Intropy Speedster SSR simply beats them. It prices $4,399! Nonetheless, none of those manufacturers sponsor an expert continental biking crew that will take part within the Grand Excursions, just like the Winspace Orange Seal did.

However, the value can be troublesome for some to just accept. One other drawback is the resale worth on the second-hand market. The depreciation of a Chinese language model body can be a lot greater than that of a Western model. However is the value actually so excessive? Effectively, not precisely.

Keep in mind that Winspace has began promoting full bikes. The SLC5, outfitted with a Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, an built-in HYPER cockpit, and HYPER 3 carbon wheels, prices $6699 with out low cost and $6029 after my 10% discount1. Present me one highway bike that provides an identical price-to-value ratio. If you’re contemplating any of the Winspace bikes, I might undoubtedly not hesitate, as a result of I might not be stunned if the costs have been adjusted later. They appear too low.

And what in regards to the import charges? Good query! Many of the merchandise I obtain from China despatched through gradual, free transport strategies undergo customs unnoticed. If the merchandise are despatched through premium supply strategies with corporations like DHL or FedEx, I all the time must pay for import charges right here in Czechia. So, earlier than you place the order, I like to recommend contacting Winspace for more information. However even when the import charges can be 20%, I imagine the value for the entire bike remains to be fairly good.

My Verdict

From the second I noticed the SLC5 on the Eurobike commerce honest, I used to be wanting ahead to it. I had excessive expectations for it, and in some respects it pleasantly stunned me, however I can’t shake the sensation that one thing is lacking. That one thing is bigger stifness whereas sustaining the identical excessive stage of driving consolation. Plainly extra emphasis was positioned on driving consolation than on efficiency. Though I’m not a racer, I will surely admire higher stiffness.

I imagine that Winspace is able to bringing the subsequent era of SLC a step nearer to perfection, as a result of there are a couple of minor points with SLC5 that spoil the general impression. It must be famous that a number of the issues I encountered through the construct might have been simply prevented with higher high quality management. Provided that the SLC5 is Winspace’s most costly body, they can’t afford these missteps.

Anyway, I hope you discover it useful, and when you determine to purchase the body or a whole bike, please think about using the code beneath. It’s one of the simplest ways to save cash and help my work. Thanks very a lot prematurely.

The product for this evaluation was kindly offered by the producer. This didn’t affect my total verdict or my opinion in regards to the product. You may study extra about how I method evaluations right here.