2007 Roi Mag-ma Frameset Update

[carbonguru]

I promised a review of this frame when I finally received it and built it up. It took 2.5 weeks to receive it from Italy. I ordered the bike from www.roibikeusa.com directly and received really great customer service. They took the time to listen to me to make sure I was getting the right frame for what I wanted to accomplish in 2007.

Well, I have 850 miles on the new frame. I built it with 2007 Campy Record and I put on a new set of Topolino AC29's with Maxxis Courchevels. The bike is STUNNING to look at. As for the ride, why don't more companies make Magnesium Carbon Frames? I think ROI hit a home run with this frame. I live in a very hilly section of NC. I am very particular about 2 things -- how a bike climbs -- and how a bike decends. It's really all I do when I'm training. I have to say that this frame really lived up to all the hype I saw at Eurobike. I am amazed how a frame like this can possess the amazing ride quality of a steel Colnago Frame and then still only weigh 16 lbs built up with Speedplay Zero Pedals and 2 Zefiro Carbon Water Bottle Cages.

One thing that I really like is the RAKE of the ROI Fork. It smoothes out the rough road surfaces in conjunction with the frame geometry and tubing materials. The Topolino AC29's have a lot to do with this too. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE WHEELSET!!! It is the best wheelset I have ever ridden aside from my American Classic Mag 300's [which I absolutely swear by]. As for descending the bike does not wobble up front like my Giant TCR 0 does. It is absolutely still and quiet at speeds in excess of 40 MPH. I actually got the bike up to 51 MPH last Saturday and it was a total rush!!! The Mag-Ma did better in both these departments than I ever thought it could.

I just bought a Cervelo Soloist Carbon Frameset from eBay and can't wait to build it up to compare it to this frame. In short, I think that Magnesium Carbon Frames are the real deal. It is light, stiff, and superb in the mountains. I hope this helps you all who were responding to the Magnesium Carbon Tubing String I started a while back. Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck on your quest for the perfect frame material. I think I found mine.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

thanks for the report.

i have the same terrain here. it's up or it's down (for the most part) in the appalachian foothills.

 

[mrklein]

I promised a review of this frame when I finally received it and built it up. It took 2.5 weeks to receive it from Italy. I ordered the bike from www.roibikeusa.com directly and received really great customer service. They took the time to listen to me to make sure I was getting the right frame for what I wanted to accomplish in 2007.

Well, I have 850 miles on the new frame. I built it with 2007 Campy Record and I put on a new set of Topolino AC29's with Maxxis Courchevels. The bike is STUNNING to look at. As for the ride, why don't more companies make Magnesium Carbon Frames? I think ROI hit a home run with this frame. I live in a very hilly section of NC. I am very particular about 2 things -- how a bike climbs -- and how a bike decends. It's really all I do when I'm training. I have to say that this frame really lived up to all the hype I saw at Eurobike. I am amazed how a frame like this can possess the amazing ride quality of a steel Colnago Frame and then still only weigh 16 lbs built up with Speedplay Zero Pedals and 2 Zefiro Carbon Water Bottle Cages.

One thing that I really like is the RAKE of the ROI Fork. It smoothes out the rough road surfaces in conjunction with the frame geometry and tubing materials. The Topolino AC29's have a lot to do with this too. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE WHEELSET!!! It is the best wheelset I have ever ridden aside from my American Classic Mag 300's [which I absolutely swear by]. As for descending the bike does not wobble up front like my Giant TCR 0 does. It is absolutely still and quiet at speeds in excess of 40 MPH. I actually got the bike up to 51 MPH last Saturday and it was a total rush!!! The Mag-Ma did better in both these departments than I ever thought it could.

I just bought a Cervelo Soloist Carbon Frameset from eBay and can't wait to build it up to compare it to this frame. In short, I think that Magnesium Carbon Frames are the real deal. It is light, stiff, and superb in the mountains. I hope this helps you all who were responding to the Magnesium Carbon Tubing String I started a while back. Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck on your quest for the perfect frame material. I think I found mine.

I am very excited to hear you got the Roi bike and at last a real road test! I have been looking at the Roi bikes for a while and just love their unique look and distinctly Italian style. Can you post a few pics? Any other info you can share on this and the other Roi bikes it really appreciated. These are super cool looking rigs but until now something of an unknown brand. Keep those cranks spinning Carbonguru!

 

[Phill P]

I'm interested in this frame from a technical point of view only (geometry doesn't suit me)

How is the frame actually built? The catalogue say "Tubes wrapped deda". I'm assuming its a Deda mag front triangle with deda carbon rear triangle. Is the front welded or carbon wrapped??

How does the stiffness and damping compared to other frames you've had?

I'd like to see somebody do custom carbon mag frames!!

 

[carbonguru]

Phil -- your in luck!!! The ROI Mag-Ma Frame can be made CUSTOM.

My frame was built CUSTOM for me using a fit kit I had completed at my local pro shop. My Mag-Ma Frame is totally Monocoque. You can't see any joints or lugs. It is totally smooth. From what I learned at Eurobike the Magnesium Tubing is wrapped in very thin carbon sheaths giving it added stiffness and providing an anti-corrosion barrier that many previous Magnesium Frames have lacked. The Tubes are then bonded together at the junctions with more carbon. The process is done by hand and I can tell that they took great care in the two critical areas of my frame -- the Bottom Bracket Area and the Head Tube Junction. Superb craftsmanship from what I can tell.

To answer your question the frame has the stiffness and snap of a Scott CR1 SL [my last season bike which I totally loved] but has the comfort of my Colnago Steel Frame [which I have never been able to duplicate on any other frame until now]. That really says a lot right there to me. The interesting thing is the the road feel is not muted in any way. I still feel 110% connected to the road. It is truly a "Road Experience" like they advertise. I have never had a frame like this in all the years I have been riding. It is a true work of art.

You should check them out to see if they can build you a CUSTOM FRAME. My Sales guy that helped thru the whole process was Mike. He was very helpful and I even have received 2 follow-up calls after I have received the bike to check up on the frame and the ride quality. I have never had this done by any other previous custom built frame I have had made for me. Not even Calfee did this after dropping $4000 on a custom built carbon frame [which snapped in half after only 2700 miles].

Let me know if you need any more insight. I will do my best to answer your questions.

I'm interested in this frame from a technical point of view only (geometry doesn't suit me)

How is the frame actually built? The catalogue say "Tubes wrapped deda". I'm assuming its a Deda mag front triangle with deda carbon rear triangle. Is the front welded or carbon wrapped??

How does the stiffness and damping compared to other frames you've had?

I'd like to see somebody do custom carbon mag frames!!

 

[carbonguru]

MrKlein...to be 100% honest the 1st time I saw an ROI bike was 4 years ago at Interbike at the American Classic Booth in Vegas. Bill Shook had all his hot AMC wheels mounted to these gorgeous Italian Frames that were virtually unheard of in America. It was kind of funny because everyone in the booth was paying more attention to the ROI Frames than the new wheels he was displaying.

I too scouwered the Internet and any Magazines for reviews. The only reviews I found were written in languages I did not speak. Seeing them in person at Eurobike this year just blew me away. The owner Luca Spadoni was so gracious to me and really took the time to explain his frames in his broken English. All I could tell was that he really took pride in his work. After that one hour session in their booth I was sold on the ROI Brand.

This Mag-Ma build was so amazing that I am thinking of trying the Carbon Monster and Aluminum Air 7.9 Frames they have available. I just need to save up some money to afford them.

I hope my personal review of this frame helped you out a bit. I will try and post some pictures. I have not tried doing this yet in the forum. I will need to figure it out. Let me know if there is anything I can answer for you. I will do my best to help you out.

I am very excited to hear you got the Roi bike and at last a real road test! I have been looking at the Roi bikes for a while and just love their unique look and distinctly Italian style. Can you post a few pics? Any other info you can share on this and the other Roi bikes it really appreciated. These are super cool looking rigs but until now something of an unknown brand. Keep those cranks spinning Carbonguru!

 

[Phill P]

I'm looking forward to those pics!

How much did your custom frame cost? I'm betting its more than I can afford

wonder if they have an Australian distributor....lots of good brands out there that don't come to Oz....roi could be one of them

 

[Phill P]

$4995USD standard I can't even afford to spend that much in AUD for an entire bike!!!!

Where was my thread on how much peole have been spending on cycling again.....?

 

[Powerful Pete]

Congrats carbonguru. Please do post some pics for us mere mortals!

 

[carbonguru]

Phil..ROI charged me $3000 for the Custom Frame, Fork, Headset and Seatpost + the shipping from Italy which came out to $99 USD. It was worth it to me because I got the exact fit I needed. Like I said previously, the bike is very well built. I just rode this morning on a 85 mile club ride loop and the frame continues to amaze me. It is so darn comfortable. The guys in our club have all ordered one type of frame from ROI from just taking a spin on my bike. They are all excited to race these frames next season. Our local Tri-Club just ordered their Custom Time-Machine Frames. They all got fancy and have their names on the Top Tubes of their frames [why didn't I think of that?]. Anyway, this custom frame stuff is not cheap by any standard. I need to win a couple more court cases to pay for my next Cervelo Soloist Carbon Build. Wish me luck!

I'm looking forward to those pics!

How much did your custom frame cost? I'm betting its more than I can afford

wonder if they have an Australian distributor....lots of good brands out there that don't come to Oz....roi could be one of them

 

[carbonguru]

Powerful Pete...I'm working on those pics. My youngest daughter dropped our digital camera in the toilet last week. So I have a new HP Camera coming in shortly. I'm glad I bought that accidental insurance. Lord knows we need it.

For now I attached the stock photo. It is soooo much better in person.

Congrats carbonguru. Please do post some pics for us mere mortals!

 

[100miles]

I promised a review of this frame when I finally received it and built it up. It took 2.5 weeks to receive it from Italy. I ordered the bike from www.roibikeusa.com directly and received really great customer service. They took the time to listen to me to make sure I was getting the right frame for what I wanted to accomplish in 2007.

Well, I have 850 miles on the new frame

I've been interested in these as well. I've been shopping for a used Orbea and they come up on ebay under Orbea for some odd reason. But have only seen them for sale on ebay. Don't know if there is any connection with Orbea...

I've been following your thread though and think its amazing that you have 850 miles on the frame already! Especially since you only ordered it a couple weeks ago. Snaps to you!

I think I'll look into the bike a little more, now having more information. And since it only takes two and a half weeks to ship from Italy there will still be some time to get in some good rides this year.

 

[carbonguru]

100miles...I have not seen them on eBay, but then again I have not been searching for them specifically either on eBay since I now know where to find them here in America.

I have pretty much ridden the bike an avg. of 70 miles each time I have been on it a min of 6 days a week. I also have ridden it exclusively in ALL TYPES of conditions so I could write a fair review of the ROI Frame. I actually just rode it today in some wet weather to see if the frame will rust [a common known problem with Magnesium Frames] I think it will be OK though since the Magnesium Tubing is wrapped in a thin layer of carbn. But I want to be 100% sure. Heck, all ROI Frames have a 3 year warranty so I guess I have 36 months to abuse the hud out of this frame.

I invite you to check them out. I have total confidence in the ROI brand now that I have personally riddden and tested their stuff for myself. www.roibikeusa.com is a great place to start your research. I'm sure a phone call to them will help you out even more with your buying decision. I know it did for me.

I've been interested in these as well. I've been shopping for a used Orbea and they come up on ebay under Orbea for some odd reason. But have only seen them for sale on ebay. Don't know if there is any connection with Orbea...

I've been following your thread though and think its amazing that you have 850 miles on the frame already! Especially since you only ordered it a couple weeks ago. Snaps to you!

I think I'll look into the bike a little more, now having more information. And since it only takes two and a half weeks to ship from Italy there will still be some time to get in some good rides this year.

 

[Phill P]

Mg doesn't rust...it oxidises (but thats being picky!). The outside shouldn't be a problem due to the carbon cover, but watch out at the BB shell. The internals should be surface treated but I've been told by some guys in the industry (got to love email) that Mg has galvantic problems with other materials. Steel is the worst but the Al BB cups could be the spot to watch for any deteriation. It won't look like red rust on steel, maybe more like a bit of pitting or binding of the threads.

I doubt oxidation of Mg is a problem any more with top name Italian brands using the material. They design thier bikes for 50,000km of abuse in all weather and rough roads, so the frames should last long enough to get bored of them! If your riding like carbon guru that 50000km is only 2 years though.....if you ride like me thats 10 years

 

[100miles]

100miles...I have not seen them on eBay, but then again I have not been searching for them specifically either on eBay since I now know where to find them here in America.

I have pretty much ridden the bike an avg. of 70 miles each time I have been on it a min of 6 days a week. I also have ridden it exclusively in ALL TYPES of conditions so I could write a fair review of the ROI Frame. I actually just rode it today in some wet weather to see if the frame will rust [a common known problem with Magnesium Frames] I think it will be OK though since the Magnesium Tubing is wrapped in a thin layer of carbn. But I want to be 100% sure. Heck, all ROI Frames have a 3 year warranty so I guess I have 36 months to abuse the hud out of this frame.

I invite you to check them out. I have total confidence in the ROI brand now that I have personally riddden and tested their stuff for myself. www.roibikeusa.com is a great place to start your research. I'm sure a phone call to them will help you out even more with your buying decision. I know it did for me.

Sounds great. Sounds like they should be giving you a big fat commission! You're a great spokesman Especially since your whole club bought them! I can't imagine any of our local riding clubs all riding the same frame. They are so competitive and eager to have something that no one else has.

I've been looking at these for about a year online because they look so nice but I don't think I'll ever be able to make the leap to purchase something that I've never seen in any shops or anyone riding. Sounds like you have a garage full of high-end frames so it's probably no issue for you to try something new but for me, this purchase will be a once in every 15 years kind of deal. Everytime I ask anyone about them I get blank looks. I wish I could find at least one real bike shop that carry these. Doing a search for ROI bikes actually brought me to this thread so I'll keep checking for more info.

Thanks Carbonguru! I can't wait to see your new ride with 07 campy record. Will keep checking back on those pics.

 

[Powerful Pete]

Powerful Pete...I'm working on those pics. My youngest daughter dropped our digital camera in the toilet last week. So I have a new HP Camera coming in shortly. I'm glad I bought that accidental insurance. Lord knows we need it.

LOL, I have 2 and 7 year olds... I feel your pain!

 

[carbonguru]

100 miles...I need a new Rear Disk for my TT Bike. Maybe they will cut me a break for all the referrals. But I'm not holding my breath.

As for riding into the unkown...I have done it all my life. In my area, I was the 1st to ride a Denti, Orbea, Argon 18, Cyfac, CK4 and BH Frame before they were even popular. No shop carried any of them locally. I met them all these brands at trade shows I attended. [I LOVE TRADE SHOWS] All incredible rides!!! It's the risk taker side of me. I am glad that I have been able to afford to ride so many different bike brands from around the world. For this reason ROI frames blow me away. They ride like no other frame I have ever ridden. [And I have ridden over 62 different frames in 14 years of cycling] I guess for me, venturing off the wee-beaten path has opened my eyes to so many cool and interesting things this world has to offer. I only pray that I can continue to afford my craving for the new and unkown. The journey is what keeps cycling so new and fresh for me.

Sounds great. Sounds like they should be giving you a big fat commission! You're a great spokesman Especially since your whole club bought them! I can't imagine any of our local riding clubs all riding the same frame. They are so competitive and eager to have something that no one else has.

I've been looking at these for about a year online because they look so nice but I don't think I'll ever be able to make the leap to purchase something that I've never seen in any shops or anyone riding. Sounds like you have a garage full of high-end frames so it's probably no issue for you to try something new but for me, this purchase will be a once in every 15 years kind of deal. Everytime I ask anyone about them I get blank looks. I wish I could find at least one real bike shop that carry these. Doing a search for ROI bikes actually brought me to this thread so I'll keep checking for more info.

Thanks Carbonguru! I can't wait to see your new ride with 07 campy record. Will keep checking back on those pics.

 

[carbonguru]

Mr. Klein...I broke down and ordered a ROI MONSTER this morning. I ca't wait to get it. I will keep you posted. I'll let you know how it rides once I have a chance to build it up and test it.

I am very excited to hear you got the Roi bike and at last a real road test! I have been looking at the Roi bikes for a while and just love their unique look and distinctly Italian style. Can you post a few pics? Any other info you can share on this and the other Roi bikes it really appreciated. These are super cool looking rigs but until now something of an unknown brand. Keep those cranks spinning Carbonguru!

 

[100miles]

100miles...I have not seen them on eBay, but then again I have not been searching for them specifically either on eBay since I now know where to find them here in America.

I have pretty much ridden the bike an avg. of 70 miles each time I have been on it a min of 6 days a week. I also have ridden it exclusively in ALL TYPES of conditions so I could write a fair review of the ROI Frame. I actually just rode it today in some wet weather to see if the frame will rust [a common known problem with Magnesium Frames] I think it will be OK though since the Magnesium Tubing is wrapped in a thin layer of carbn. But I want to be 100% sure. Heck, all ROI Frames have a 3 year warranty so I guess I have 36 months to abuse the hud out of this frame.

I invite you to check them out. I have total confidence in the ROI brand now that I have personally riddden and tested their stuff for myself. www.roibikeusa.com is a great place to start your research. I'm sure a phone call to them will help you out even more with your buying decision. I know it did for me.

Yes, I spoke with them recently. I didn't talk to Mike though. The guys name was George Ama. He seemed nice enough, and knowledgeable. I think they're the same people who sell them on ebay. I'm just looking for more objective opinions.

 

[carbonguru]

George is the one who took my Monster Order this morning. I met him at Eurobike in the ROI Booth. Really nice guy. He is the one in charge of all the North American ROI Sales. He gave me some good insight to the ride quality of the Monster frame. I think this frame will be fast and pretty nice looking. I picked the custom paint option and will be getting the bike in a metallic silver with black and red accents. I can't wait to see how it turns out. I'll send you a picture when I have the frame and my new camera here with me.

Yes, I spoke with them recently. I didn't talk to Mike though. The guys name was George Ama. He seemed nice enough, and knowledgeable. I think they're the same people who sell them on ebay. I'm just looking for more objective opinions.