The HB017 is a carbon fiber aero frame and fork. The lines and design of the frame and seatpost are clean; there are no awkward bends or curves. It is what one might think a straight-forward modern aero frame would be. As with other modern aero framesets, the assembly is fully integrated, meaning the cables are all hidden inside the frame and this can easily lead to assembly issues, particularly when building a non-brand bike.
With internally routed aero bikes, the cables from the levers run inside the frame as do the cables from the derailleurs. The one-piece handlebar and stem component that is compatible with the frame was purchased separately. However, it did not fit my geometry nor was it at an aesthetically pleasing angle. The angle of the stem was 6 degrees, and I was going for a zero degree stem. The aftermarket for building integrated bikes is limited. Bike companies like specialized, Willier, Cannondale, and any other commercial brands have their own designs that are not cross-compatible. There are after-market options but these are often hundreds of dollars, far more than I was willing to spend.
With the limited availability of compatible parts, I decided that the BMC integrated stem would work, as it is available in different sizes and for a reasonable price. The details of this build are described below.
The Frameset
The frameset was purchased from Aliexpress. The geometry was acceptable. The frameset included all parts, including seatpost, stem, and handlebars.
Aero Cockpit
I intended to build an aero bike with the fully integrated handlebars and ordered the handlebars that were compatible with the frame.
The stem angle of these bars was higher than I wanted. Something visually unpleasing and less aero. Due to the nature of the internal routing through the headset, using a different stem is simplified if the headset hardware, including the spacers could still be reused. Fortunately, I found out the BMC stem has a similar cross section at the steerer as the existing headset. The BMC stem also has a better stem angle, 12.5 degrees. This matches the slope of the top tube which is aesthetically pleasing.
There are additional benefits of having a separate stem and handlebar: handlebar mounting accessories for round cross-sections, adjustable handlebar pitch, and the option of changing the stem. I used a generic carbon road handlebar and routed the cables from the outside of the bar, under the stem, and through the spacers, into the frame.
The Complete Bike
Zacksunsang 