Cyclami TPU tubes have been really good, ~ $5 each. Also aero water bottles, jerseys, gloves, various carbon accessories, etc.

my philosophy is that you only buy stuff on there that you're totally willing to roll the dice on. maybe it doesn't show up? or it does and it's totally pants? if you've only spent $5 on it and you don't need it urgently, then no harm done.

-clothing fits are often awkward, but once you find something that fits for you, you're good. i've done well getting trainer shorts there, and a few goofy jerseys. i still pay good money for quality long-ride kit
-really good for bits and bobs - i've bought multipacks of valve cores or bottle cage bolts or whatever, it's pennies on the dollar, and they work
-x2 on the aero water bottle. it's criminal what you pay for the name brand ones
-have bought a bunch of different coloured straps for my garmin watches
-ditto silicone cases for my garmin bike computers, plus mounts
-have bought a couple of carbon seatposts with mixed results (great on my trainer, unreliable on my MTB) and currently trying a saddle (OK so far)

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

Check out Trace Velo: https://www.youtube.com/@TraceVelo

He's a bit over the top, but buys lots of aliexpress stuff and documents what works and what has issues.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

hear hear - great resource!

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____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

I've bought a lot of jersey/bib sets from Cusroo Cycling Gear.
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1101238937

When I've planned cycling camps, everyone gets a set.

I also like Weimostar Jerseys, they have a good variety. The summer jerseys are my favorite. They cycling shorts/bibs have too much pad for me but they are pretty good quality for the price.
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1101238614

I've not used any of the triathlon gear from these two companies.

I want to get a few aero bottles, could you perhaps advise which would be the best to get please?

I bought a TL Revolver clone front trispoke from Elite Wheels. Light weight, spins true and still holding air since last used in 1/2 IM October. Great handling for windy conditions.

Stone Aero 1x Chainring
Carbon Aero roadbike handlebars
Tubeless valve stems
Valve stem extenders
Various titanium bolts/screws
Derailleur hangers
Portable chain link tool
Shift brake/cable parts
Brake cable cutter
Bottom Bracket press/removal kit

Just a few things off the top of my head. Definitely a good resource if you know what you're looking at or for.

I've bought all of these plus a digital torque wrench from a few different vendors with no issues. For smaller stuff I can't see any issue.

I buy a set carbon wheels there and am very happy with the quality and service. Aliexpress is no joke. If you are not happy with the product, you can submit a claim and they will take care of you. If it says free return, you can simply download the shipping label and ship to a warehouse in California. It looks like they collect all the return items to that warehouse and send them back to China or something. Aliexpress holds the fund until you are satisfied otherwise, they will give you money back once they allow return and item arrives in that warehouse. I think that's how they attract customers from all over the world. I've never had a bad experience with Aliexpress so feel free to buy stuff from there. One tip is check the reviews and see how many they sold. That will tell you what kind of seller they are.

These are what I got. Quite nice but to tell you the truth I find them a bit small so I've changed one of them to a "tool box" by cutting it down the middle:
ELITE KIT CRONO CX Original Road Bike Breaking Wind Riding Ultra Light Water Bottle Glass Fiber Water Bottle Frame Aerodynamic - AliExpress

I'm gonna be that guy. I have zero problem buying a lot of things from AliExpress. I don't even have a problem buying *some* clearly copied/reverse-engineered stuff. I do have a problem with stealing branding. Like those bottles that say "ELITE" in the same font as the real thing, but clearly aren't made by ELITE. That is brand theft.

Sanctimonious speech over. I'll see myself out.

Edit: Here's a nice one where they don't fake branding. And it's even got dimples!

If that's what this is then it definitely shouldn't happen, agreed.

I think it's legit though because the quality was excellent. I've seen knock offs before and you can see they're not up to par. These looked legit and turned out to be high quality.

I reckon it's overstock from the same factory. Elite probably makes their stuff in Asia.

Bought 2 bikes, a set of carbon clinchers, and a disc wheel from the seller SERAPH. All are spectacular products and still have superior rim brake products available. Would feel like a sucker paying full price for a frame which comes right down the street in Zongshen.

Microshift and Sensah shifters are more than adequate for beater bikes. I haven't tried their high-end stuff.

The Magene radar tail light (less of an issue since Garmin prices dropped) and speed sensors work fine for me.

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So I have never even visited an AliExpress page before, but they were oddly one of the first results to pop up when I was searching for some new gravel tires. I don't think I could take the chance and pull the trigger on tires from there, but they are about $13 vs $63 per tire.

What I wasn't expecting was for them to be using pictures with actual Maxxis labels and such. Is that typical for them?

High probability that they are fakes.

Note - often fakes are 'good enough', meaning you might not notice unless you're really stressing the item.

But they're often fakes. For example, you might buy a Shimaino chain on Aliexpress that costs 1/4th the actual Shimano chain, and the packaging and looks are identical. Rides great the moment you put it on too! Seems legit - until the roads are even slightly wet - and then your chain starts rusting immediately. Which doesn't happen on legit Shimano chains, at least after a lightly damp ride.

Yeah, that's what I figured. Just was shocked to see them straight up using Maxxis images, I suppose. I ride too far out into the middle of the nowhere that the peace of mind of having the real deal is worth the price alone.

I bought a set of carbon wheels equivalent to 404s for 300usd on wish in 2019 or 2020. Loved them. Alas got stolen on my road bike parked/locked at the gym in SF.

Sometimes fake but more often than not also overstock from the factory that makes the real brand. The factory is probably supposed to destroy them. Happens with clothes all the time, instead of burning the clothes or burying them they'll sell them in 'secondary' markets.