Products

SPEEDCO – VELOX CARBON RACE FRAME – REVIEW

A closer look at the Velox Carbon Race Frame by SpeedCo

The brainchild of Derek Betcher (ex US Pro and current Vet Pro), the SpeedCo brand was brought back to life with a bang. Fresh frames, sleek designs, and colourful but subtle graphics were all introduced as staples of the SpeedCo range. Not long ago they introduced a carbon frame to their ever expanding range of products and in some riders opinions the new Velox Carbon BMX race frame changed the game.

Holding the frame in the flesh, it’s a close call as to whether you build it up to ride or hang it on a wall as a piece of art. Obviously we chose to ride our one and put it through its paces and the feedback from our ‘Test Pilot’ was that it rides just as good, if not better, than it looks.

“The down-tube is 53mm wide at the head tube junction, and it tapers to 73mm at the bottom bracket, which is wider than the shell of most frames on the market.”

Lightweight, strong, and rigid, the Pro XL frame weighs in at only 2.65lbs, making it the lightest frame on the market of its size. It’s also made of Toray T700 carbon fiber, which is the strongest carbon available. The rigidity and responsiveness of the Velox carbon is unmatched. The down-tube is 53mm wide at the head tube junction, and it tapers to 73mm at the bottom bracket, which is wider than the shell of most frames on the market. The asymmetrical chainstay is 73mm behind the BB, and the combination of the two are the main ingredients in a responsive frame built to holeshot.

BB86 – The Velox carbon uses a BB86 which is a 86mm BB shell and press-fit bearings that equal 4mm added to the 86mm shell (92mm total) while using a 24mm spindle. The advantage to our BB is the wider down-tube and chainstay described above. Rigidity is key for first straight pull and accelerating out of turns, while a flimsy frame will just get you cut off out of the gate.

10/15mm dropout – The dropout on the Velox is all about efficiency. With an integrated chain tensioner through the front of the dropout, the need to over-tighten your wheel has been eliminated. Each dropout uses two flex-free 4mm adapters to insure your wheel isn’t gonna move regardless of how many horses you’re putting down first pedal.

Tapered head tube – The new standard for high-end race frames is a tapered head tube. A tapered head tube uses a 1-1/8” top bearing and a 1.5” bottom bearing and allows us to use a fork both lighter and stronger than ever before.

Internal cable – We have an internally routed brake cable for an extra clean look, but have also used a small tube through the top-tube so you don’t have to fish your cable through the frame. You won’t need to split your cable either, just slide it in with the full housing and you’re good to go.

Pro Size Specs