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Product Tested:
Sette Razzo

Sette Razzo 29er frame in size Large (20″)

Website’s MSRP:
$199.98

Specs:
Material Full 7005 Alloy, Double Butted Main Triangle
Welding Tig Welding
Recommended Suspension Fork Travel 80-100mm
Headset 1-1/8″ Standard
Front Derailleur 31.8mm Clamp Type, Top Pull/Top Swing
Bottom Bracket 68mm, English
Rear Hub Spacing 135mm
Max Rear Tire Clearance 2.3″
Seatpost Size 27.2mm
Seat Clamp Size 31.8mm
Brake Mount IS 51mm Standard Disc
Available Sizes Small (17″/43cm), Medium (19″/48cm), Large (21″/53cm)
Color(s) Polished Aluminum
Weight 3.2lbs/1.5kg (Medium Size Avg.)
Warranty 5 Years

About Me:
6’1” 210lbs, 29 year old male. I’m a mountain biking enthusiast who enjoys XC riding.

Climbing on the Sette Razzo at Sycamore Canyon in Riverside.

Testing Grounds:
Marshall Canyon, Sycamore Canyon, Fullerton Loop, Bonelli … and many other trails in Southern California.

First Impressions:
The frame was light. The Large version came in at a pretty light 3.5 lbs which is comparable to frames 2 to 3 times the price. The polished look is nice and the graphics are understated. The welds are not pretty resembling toothpaste being squeezed out than the clean stack of dimes look. But for this price you can’t have everything and the bike provides most everything else in spades.

Even with a non-bling build (bb5, low end fsa cranks), the weight of the complete bike came out to 22ish lbs

Strengths:
The frame is light. Light enough to race. Light enough to be considered a light frame out there in 29er land. This means that even if you’re throwing heavy parts on it, which I most assuredly did, you’ll still end up with a relatively light bike. My SS build, other than the carbon fork and 200 gram saddle, was not an exercise in weight weenism and the bike still came out to a very decent 22ish pounds. I’m not a gram counter, but this bike is definitely the lightest non road bike I’ve ridden. Other then the fork and saddle, the whole build could lose a LOT more weight easily.

For a 7005 series aluminum frame, the ride is really pretty good. It is definitely not harsh like some other frames I’ve ridden before. Now, don’t get me wrong, you will not be mistaking this for steel, but it’s quite comfortable as long as you keep in mind that it is an aluminum bike. In one particular instance from this past weekend, I remember riding down a skinny singletrack trail with babyhead sized rocks. Immediately after that, the singletrack widened into doubletrack but went up through more rocks that were bigger. Both coming down and going up that part of the trail was, I wouldn’t say comfortable but, do-able. I didn’t feel totally beat up because of the rocks going down or up.

Sette Razzo enjoying the fun singletrack at Bonelli.

The Razzo has held up very well under me. I’m 210lbs but geared up with a full camelbak I go about 220-225 and this frame has been very good. I had no issues with flex which I would definitely have noticed since I have only run this frame as a rigid singelspeed. Climbing and descending would have definitely shown me some flex issues in this particular setup.

I also did not have any issues with the welds even as I’ve ridden it through some fun Southern California terrain. On a side note, riding rigid singlespeed has really been a revelation to me in the simplicity of a rigid, ss, mechanical disc brake bike. With less complexity, the bike really has less of a chance of having any issues. Just lube up the chain, check the tire pressure and I’m off.

Toptube plate… not sure what it is there for… maybe it lends more strength to the toptube/seattube junction.

The price is very competitive if not an absolute steal. Some people have bemoaned the fact that the Razzo costs so little compared to other 29er frames out there. I don’t. I’m all for more options and at this price the Sette Razzo really gives you a lot of options. This bike can be run in so many different ways from ultra light & fast race bike with really good weight weenie parts to a total beater with parts bin components used. The sturdy, comfortable hardtail frame can easily go high or low end or something else in between without feeling as if the frame didn’t match the purpose.

Weakness:
A frame at this price will have its cons. The first one most people don’t notice unless they look very closely is that the welds are not pretty. The welds are functional but they won’t be winning any beauty pageants nor will they be getting any nicknames like Ventana’s Electric Sex welds. Weld beauty, though, is way down the list of important factors when it comes to a bike frame purchase. As long as the welds hold and it has under the testing from this clyde over the last 4 months, I’m ok with it.

Rear tire clearance at the chainstays are a little tight with a 2.1″ Miaxxis Ignitor

The rear tire clearance is not 2.3”. I mounted up a 2.1” Maxxis Ignitor and it fits fine, but I’m not going to be able clear much mud at the chainstays. The seatstays had plenty of clearance for bigger rubber though. No problem for me as I don’t really want to run anything bigger than that on this bike but for those looking to build the Razzo into a burlier trail bike would want to consider this issue. Your milage may vary as I’ve seen some people run 2.25” rubber back there without issues.

Summary:
Simple, light, comfortable, stiff and priced very well, the Sette Razzo really has a lot going for it. These traits could also be one of the reasons why the Razzo is the #1 selling Sette frame. Small issues like beauty of the weld and rear tire clearance are really outweighed by the many pros of this excellent 29er frame. Get one while they’re still available.

For more info on the Sette Razzo, click here.

Popularity: 16% [?]

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Goodie but oldie, should I get it used or brand new?

As I gather parts for my frame build up I continually have to address the question: should I buy used or should I buy new? Unless you have an unlimited budget I’m sure you’ve probably asked yourself the same question.

Much of this answer will be determined by how much your build budget will allow and what level, or weight, you’re hoping to achieve. In my situation the bike I’m building up is a full suspension 29er and my budget is “really small” while also shooting for durable, weight conscious (not weight weenie) bike.

Sounds like an oxymoron right? Finding parts that are durable and weight conscious but are light on the budget are typically not compatible features in bike parts. But, I think it can be done or maybe I just hope it can be done. To help along this process, I had to consider buying used equipment. But what should I buy used and what should I buy new?

Durable and weight conscious, too bad it’s not cheap

For some advice on this, I turned to a friend who enjoys shopping for bike parts and asked for his thoughts. His rule for his bikes, of which he has many, is that drivetrain stuff like cranks/cassette/chain should be purchased new as to avoid weird wear patterns from prior usage. Control stuff like handlebars, stems, saddle, seatpost, can be bought used as long as they’re not too used.

Practical advice. Another piece of advice that I’ve learned is to be patient. A major factor I have on my side is time. I am not in a rush to build this bike up because I have access to other bikes. This gives me the option to wait for great deals to come along or to search the classifieds.

Score! Time permitted me to wait and I was able to nab this for cheap!

Having time allowed me to score a great deal on some gently used Easton Monkey Lite XC bars. Initially I had set my sites on any brand’s high end aluminum handlebars as this fit my “durable and weight conscious but also wallet friendly” budget. I figured that a manufacturer’s top of the line aluminum bars would be light weight and durable but not as expensive as carbon fiber bars. However, since I had time I was also keeping my eyes peeled on the used market which turned out pretty well, if I say so myself.

In the case of these bars I was able to achieve all of the parameters previously outlined for the build. Will this happen for all the bike parts? Probably not. But a man can hope, right?

Popularity: 11% [?]

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