Winspace T1500 Review: Surprisingly Good Aero Frame!

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The T1500 frameset is one of the few road bike framesets from Winspace. You probably ask yourself if it’s worth it or not if you consider its purchase.

In this Winspace T1500 review, you learn whether this frameset can compete with mainstream brands, its strengths, weaknesses, etc.

I contacted an owner of Winspace T1500, who also has riding experience with plenty of other bike brands, to find out. He will provide you with his valuable insights.

Spoiler alert: T1500 belongs among the best Chinese aero road bike frames.

Additionally, you get a 10% discount on the winspace.cc website.

These are enough good reasons to continue reading. What do you think?

Let’s dive in.

About Mel

I’m a casual rider in my 30s. I’ve been riding just shy of two years. I mostly ride road bikes and occasionally MTB with my kids.

You could say I’m a typical cyclist who does about 100-200 km a week and tries to do at least 2-4 rides with a busy work schedule.

I’m of moderate fitness, don’t take part in any competitive racing, but I try to push myself a bit in some group rides to keep up with younger, faster folks but end up getting dropped.

Winspace T1500 Build Summary

Winspace T1500 is an aero road bike frameset with geometry similar to other aero bikes like Giant Propel, Merida Reacto, Cannondale SystemSix (small differences could be found), etc.

It is a nice-looking aero frameset with two unique features. First, the asymmetric chainstays should, according to Winspace, improve the stiffness and provide better energy transfer.

Second, the T-Tail design should reduce drag by separating the airflow around the rear wheel, improving your speed.

Below is a summary of the main specifications and features of Mel’s build.

NOTE: Winspace sizing logic is a little bit different from other manufacturers. Their sizes go by seat tube instead of top tube length. So, for example, the M size has a ’47 cm seat tube, but the top tube is 53cm.

Winspace T1500 Pros & Cons

Below, we summarized the pros and cons of the T1500 frameset. 

Winspace T1500 Build Experience

Mel hired a professional mechanic for his build. Therefore, we won’t talk about the built process in depth. Instead, I asked him just one question:

Did your mechanic experience any issues when building your bike on the T1500 frameset?

No significant issues to note. The only feedback he gave was that it could’ve been a better consumer experience if the frameset included some carbon paste for the seatpost etc., in the packaging. Still, it’s expected that most bike builders should have this on hand. 

Winspace T1500 Riding Experience

Below, you learn more about Mel’s riding experience with T1500 and how he compares this frameset with other bikes he owned.

Mel, you have plenty of riding experience with other bikes. Can you quickly summarize what road bikes you have used?

Fortunately, I’ve been privileged enough to own and ride an array of bikes ranging from Giant TCR or Propel to Cannondale Systemsix, Avanti Corsa DR, S Works Venge, Tarmac SL7, and Merida Reacto.

T1500 is an aero frameset. Does it feel and ride like a proper, high-end aero road bike?

It’s not too different from any of the mainstream aero bikes. They all feel very similar. I can’t tell any noticeable drawback or advantage vs. most other bikes at 2-4 times the price of the T1500. 

Aero bikes are known for their high stiffness. Does the T1500 meet these criteria? 

Yes, it’s just as stiff as my previous Systemsix and Propel. However, the differences are not noticeable and very similar in acceleration and other areas. It is what you’d expect from any typical good-quality aero bike. I found my Systemsix to be quite sluggish uphill, whereas the Propel and T1500 did not feel too dissimilar to the Giant TCR.

What about the riding comfort? You use 28mm tires with HYPER wheels known for their stiffness. How does the frame handle harsh roads?

I’ve always used 28mm tubeless tires (usually go for GP5000TL) for the best balance of comfort and performance, though I tried some 26mm for this build to see if it was any better. My Wahoo ELMNT is the basic old one where the GPS navigation does not re-route when you go off course, and I’ve been tricked into some off-road excursions. The T1500 and HYPER wheelset handle that just fine, and I have no complaint about comfort. 

What are your overall impressions from riding Winspace T1500? What surprised you the most about this frameset?

It is definitely an excellent frameset, and given the quality of the wheelsets, I wouldn’t say that’s surprising at all. Bear in mind that Winspace has been manufacturing for other more prominent brands over the last decade and more. When I clipped into my pedals to ride the T1500, I expected great things and can say those expectations were met. The defining characteristic for me was that although I’d used the same Lún HYPER 50mm Disc wheelset with my previous aero bikes, I found that the T1500 was much more stable on the downhill descent than any other bike I’ve ridden. 

Winspace T1500 Alternatives

Winspace has just a few road framesets on their offer. Most notably, T1300, T1500, and SLC 2.0. T1300 and T1500 are aero framesets, and the SLC 2.0 is a lightweight frameset.

If you are looking for more established brands at a similar (or higher) budget, you can consider Giant Propel, Merida Reacto, Canyon Aeroad, etc.

Winspace Products FAQ

Summary

Mel, would you recommend the Winspace T1500 frameset? Is it worth its price?

As a frameset, absolutely. Remember that no Winspace bike is the same, and every single build is a unique custom build, as the company does not sell them as complete bikes. The value will be subjective, and in some markets, custom building a bike of any frameset may not be as cheap as buying a completely new bike from your LBS, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone in the market for a high-quality stiff aero bike.

What are the overall costs of your build?

I went all out for this build, so the equivalent of $10,500 USD, but you can easily build one up with a great performance for a fraction of that cost depending on where and how you source groupset in your market.

Did you like this Winspace T1500 review? Let me know in the comments.