Already a post on this. I am sure the replica frames are not the same for obvious reasons. Totally different factories and really imitating a frame on its own is fraudulent. Not all frames are the same I own a Road frame I bought direct from the MANUFACTURER not a replica. Rides AWESOME, very stiff. No alloy cups in the headtube really well made. This generally falls under the category of open mould or catalogue frame. I have had it for about 18 months and almost all my miles are logged on it. My TT bike is an Illicito.

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"Base training is bull shit" - desertdude

I have been saying for about 5 years that people should not buy frames or wheels direct from China.

The usual response is, "You know where all the top brand's frames are made don't you - they are from the same factory". Then I get accused of being anti Chinese.

Fact is, you don't know what you are buying. The only possible reason is cheapness.

Another point is I get really annoyed when people boast about how they avoided import duty because the nice kind manufacturer said it only cost $50 on the paperwork.

Furthermore, if something goes wrong you have come back with proper brands and retailers.

I half expected ST to reply:
They're using a United machine and contact extensometer rather than an Instrom and strain gages, noobs. Should have just tested with bags of concrete piled on top.
Is their load frame even aligned; did they use an appropriate number of universal joints? Results are trash.
Their tensile test coupons have curvature which results in bending (because we know the B-matrix isn't zero based on the micrographs).
Composites are critical for compression, not tension. May have well just tested shot-beam shear
A band saw magnifies coupon edge effects, the results are garbage until they use a liquid cooled diamond saw.
Tested one sample per frame tube, rather than a statistically-sized population. The data is not representative
Only tested one frame to represent the total frame population.
Compared against a S-works, which specifically is stiffer than other Specialized frames, for more shocking data.
Not questioning the 40 Msi figure, despite showing a micrograph with angle plies.
Questioning the appropriateness of a laminate which only uses 0° uni and 0/90° woven, yet markets the bike as laterally stiff and vertically compliant.
Calling out the appearance of voids in the laminate.
Were these samples even tested to ASTM D3039, hacks!


a la power meter and negligible aero debates with which we'll slowly solve the world's problems