Winspace Agile Review: The First (Super)Bike I Ever Built!

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If you follow me on Instagram and Strava, you know I replaced my YOELEO R12 with a Winspace Agile a few months ago. While this is only my second carbon bike, I believe this review provides useful information to help you decide if the Agile is worth it.

NOTE: I invested about $2000 and my time into this bike build. I received the frame, handlebar, and wheels for this review, but as always, I will be 100% honest with you and share both the good and the bad.
NOTE 2: I will also update this review after longer-term use (once I ride over 10000 km).

Winspace Agile Build Summary

Below, I list the main specifications of this build.

Winspace Agile Pros and Cons

The Build Process

I’ve been working on a cycling website for over three years, but I only recently built my first bike. At first, I was wondering which groupset to choose: Shimano Ultegra Di2 or SRAM Force? In the end, I decided on the Ultegra for one reason: I love its programmable hidden buttons on the top of the shifters. I couldn’t imagine riding without them.

Before the frame arrived, I prepared and gathered the necessary parts and tools, such as the groupset, bottom bracket, handlebar tape, etc. I already had the Lún MEGA wheels at home from a previous review. Ironically, the biggest problem was getting a tool for the T47 BB from Praxis. All the Praxis wrenches were sold out, but luckily, I was able to get one from Park Tool.

Once I had everything I needed, I started building Agile with the help of YouTube tutorials. I enjoyed the whole process because I learned something new and was creating something tangible. I call it a Lego for grown-ups.

All in all, the whole build took me about a full day. I made sure to check all the steps 3 times so I wouldn’t mess anything up. I took extra care when shortening the fork and the brake cables. I also wrapped the Bowdens with Jagwire to avoid cable rattling inside the frame. I can spoil it by saying that it works well and nothing rattles. However, I could cut the fork 2mm shorter to allow the end plug to better tighten the entire headset. I had to use a spacer instead.

I also want to comment on the bottom bracket. The one I bought has very narrow flanges, so there is a risk of damage when tightening and loosening. You need to be very careful.

By the way, here are a few pictures from inside the Agile frame. The bottom bracket area was clean and smooth. Everything else except one part in the seat tube (which was pretty rough) looked ok.

My Experience with Winspace Agile

Let’s dive a bit more into my background. I have ridden an aluminum Canyon Endurance bike for over 5 years. I loved the bike, but I knew there was a lot of room for improvement. Then, I bought YOELEO R12 (my first carbon road bike) and rode it for almost 20,000 km. When I rode it for the first time, I was struck by its stiffness. I also found it more comfortable than the aluminum bike. But it was not without flaws. You can learn more in my review.

I didn’t expect the Agile to make as much of a difference as going from aluminum to carbon. I was right, but the difference was bigger than I expected. The Agile feels more alive and comfortable than the R12 (with the same wheels, tires, and tire pressure). My Agile build is about 300g lighter than R12.

When I rode the Lún MEGA on the R12, I found them so stiff that I didn’t recommend them for endurance riding. On the Agile, however, I’m able to ride for 4-5 hours and not feel that much fatigue. The ride comfort was logically even better when I tried the Agile with softer wheels (mostly steel-spoked).

However, the ability to ride longer and not be so tired also has to do with a slightly different riding position. The Agile is more aggressive, but it still feels good. A side effect is that I engage my hamstrings better when pedaling and don’t overload my quadriceps.

I must warn you that the geometries between the different sizes look a bit inconsistent, especially with the M size, which has, e.g., a lower BB height, shorter chainstay length, and relatively short head tube length compared to the other sizes.

Another change I decided to make after watching Cam Nicholls and Neil Stanbury’s video was to swap the 175mm cranks for 165mm. And it was the right decision. I feel less strain on my knees, and my average cadence has increased by about 5 RPM (learn more about the pros and cons of short vs. long cranks).

Stability in crosswinds seems to me to depend more on the wheels I’m using. Since I’m relatively light (68 kg), the wind throws me around more than heavier riders. However, I don’t notice a difference between the Agile and the R12 in this regard.

The ride in descent and the ability to pick up speed when crossing the horizon are excellent. The only thing that limits me here is the gear ratios. I deliberately chose easy gears (11-34T, 50/34) because I love riding in the mountains. That is to say, at speeds around 60 km/h, I already have to spin my legs quickly (cadence over 100 RPM) to accelerate. This doesn’t bother me since I do not need to break speed records. On the other hand, I can still maintain a relatively high cadence on steep climbs.

My Verdict

After switching from an aluminum to a carbon bike two years ago, I thought I would never experience such a leap forward with a bike again. Although I was right, I was surprised at the difference I felt when I switched from the YOELEO R12 to the Winspace Agile. The bike feels more alive, especially when accelerating. Still, it is more comfortable than the R12.

Due to the slightly different geometry, I also notice that my hamstrings engage better when pedaling. As a result, I can ride higher power outputs for much longer. I also can’t praise enough the decision to go from 175mm cranks to 165mm. I feel less strain on my knees, and my average cadence has increased by about 5 RPM.

So far, I can’t find many flaws in Agile besides the BB standard, which has narrow flanges. Thigntening and untightening the T47 BB has to be done carefully to avoid damage. I also have a minor complaint about the green color, which doesn’t make sense to me in this color scheme.

In the future, I would like to compare Agile to Western brands’ frames to see if it is comparable or if Winspace is lagging behind them. One of the most common arguments people make is that Chinese high-end frames are still not comparable in quality and ride characteristics to Western ones. If we consider the price of a frameset, Winspace Agile is already slowly getting to the level of cheaper Western brands. A less informed customer will likely reach for a Western brand rather than a Chinese alternative. But will they get a comparable product? What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.

The product for this review was kindly provided by the manufacturer. This did not influence my overall verdict or my opinion about the product. You can learn more about how I approach reviews here.