Anyone ever heard of a Velorazzo frame?

[wunbusyguy]

My buddy got this frame off of ebay for next to nothing. It has all of the specs of all the name brand bikes as far as component size requirements and is made of 7005 aluminum (the same as most of the good bikes I have seen). The frame itself weighs 3.9 lbs and is 18.5". He decided to go a different way, so he said I could have it. The frame is brand new and seems alright to me. It has quality welds and it looks pretty good to.
I have already acquired an xtr front and rear derailer, a Manitou Black Super fork and Truvativ Holzfeller cranks and bottom bracket. Should I go ahead and build this frame (it will get me riding a heck of a lot sooner), or pass it up and wait alot longer to get a big name frame?
One more question. The above mentioned derailers are both mega 9 compatible. Does this mean they are 9/27 speed components only, or can they also function as 8/24 speed? The reason I ask is I have been hearing that the 8 spd components are much more durable. Same thing for the sfifters, which I haven't purchased yet. I had planned on getting xtr rapid shifters, do the 9 spd units also work on 8 spd components?
I am new to the sport, but will ride hard. I ride motocross and used to ride BMX, so I know I am going to abuse my equipment. I am 24, 5' 11" and 185 pounds.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thnx

 

[wunbusyguy]

bump

 

[Raymo853]

I have never seen one of these frames except for the photos on eBay. I am planning on buying one to make myself a super cheap single speed with a singulator. the frames look pretty darn good.

Regarding shifters, if you have not yet bough any more things, I beg you not to buy shimano shifters. Buy yourself either SRAM x.9 or x.0 shifters and derailuers. They shift so much better and will cause you so much less frustration. Yes that means you will have to sell that rear XTR derail, but you will not regret it.

 

[Juba]

You can use your 27 speed derailleurs if you buy the rest of the components in the 24 speed (shifters, cassette, chain, cranks, chainrings) and end up with a 24 speed bike.

You could not use 9 speed shifter on a 8 speed cassette, or vice versa. You need a 9 speed chain to work with a 9 speed cassette, though you could probably get away with using a 9 speed chain on an 8 speed cassette.

There are some pieces that can function in both environments, but, at the end of the day it really is better to stick with a complete system and not try to mix and match unless you really know what to look for in terms of what the potential problems might be.

In terms of a 9 speed lasting longer then an 8 speed?

The main argument is the 9 speed chain is thinner then the 8 speed chain, so it does wear out a tad quicker. It is not like an 8 speed chain lasts twice a long as a 9 speed one, say like 10% longer. Not really the end of the world. The chain rings and cogs on the rear cassette are esentially the same in a 9 speed or an 8 speed system, just that they are closer together in a 9 speed system. Not like they are going to wear down faster because they are closer together.

The other thing you will find is that because everything is closer together with a 9 speed system, you can start to see sloppy shifting slightly faster if you do not maintain your drivetrain. Keep your cables, chain, derailleurs, cassette and chain rings clean and lubed as required, and your 9 speed will be just as crisp as an 8 speed months/years down the road.

And in response to the above poster, he is really over dramatizing the difference between Sram and Shimano. If you are a fanatic about maintenance, or have a personal mechanic, Sram might keep crisper shifting. For the 95% of the riders, who tune up their ride now and again, there is simply no one that can question Shimano's consistent reliability.

Remember a lot of people hate Shimano products for the sake of hating Shimano rather then hating them for how they perform.

Cheers,
Juba