GC Performance vs Peak Torque: Two Takes on the Tavelo Arow

When two of the most outspoken voices in cycling YouTube go head-to-head on a new frame, you pay attention. The Tavelo Arow—an aggressive aero race bike from rising Chinese brand Tavelo—has been the subject of a heated debate between GC Performance and Peak Torque. One praises the ride quality and value. The other points out some pretty gnarly build issues. So… what’s the real story?

GC Performance: “I Thoroughly Enjoyed It”

Florida-based shop owner and YouTuber GC Performance (Grant) received his Tavelo Arow frame for review and didn’t hold back—in a good way. His take?

“I would have no issues if I had only this bicycle to ride compared to my Tarmac SL8.”

That’s a bold statement. GC rode the Arow for 80+ miles and, while he acknowledges the BB86 bottom bracket shell was slightly undersized, he had zero problems during the build or ride using a standard Shimano BB. The frame worked as expected, and the ride quality impressed him—especially given the aggressive race geometry and stiffness.

He even went so far as to say:

“It didn’t feel like anything was holding me back on this bike.”

For GC, the Tavelo Arow is an affordable aero weapon that stands tall next to Western brand flagships.

Peak Torque: “This Bike Needs Work”... That's where we come in

UK-based engineer and YouTuber Peak Torque had a different experience. He received two Arow frames and ran into several issues during the build:

• Undersized bottom bracket shell (confirmed via calipers)

• Rough seatpost tolerances

• Annoying headset preloading

• Internal cable routing that made home setup frustrating

• Brake hose rattle in the downtube

• No chainstay protector or cable grommets

But once the bike was finally built?

“It’s just like any other bike. It rides really well… but we shouldn’t have to fix this stuff.”

His frustration lies not in the frame design, but in the QC and consumer experience when buying direct. And that’s totally fair—if you’re not a pro mechanic, sorting these issues can be a real hassle.

So Who’s Right?

Both, actually.

GC’s frame worked great out of the box. Peak Torque’s didn’t. But here’s the key thing:

We build and ship the Tavelo Arow ready to ride.

That means:

• Any carbon surfaces that need facing (like brake mounts)? We do it.

• Threads are cleaned and chased.

• Headset and seatpost tolerances are checked and dialed.

• We handle internal routing, headset preload, BB fitment—all of it.

You don’t have to deal with the potential headaches that Peak Torque faced because we’ve already handled them. That’s the difference between buying a bare frame and getting a Catalog Cycles build.

Final Verdict

Whether you side with GC’s enthusiasm or Peak Torque’s caution, one thing’s clear: the Tavelo Arow is a serious contender in the aero bike world. It’s light, aggressive, fast—and when built properly, rides every bit as well as bikes twice the price.

So if you want the performance without the pain, we’ve got you covered.

GC Performance's Take:

Peak Torque's Take: