Has anyone had experience buying mavic wheels on ebay from china? I found a set of mavic cosmic elite for $110 and shipping takes 4-5 weeks. I usually subscribe the “if it’s too good to be true” philosophy. However, i just picked up a new speed concept frameset and i can’t afford to put good wheels on it yet. I just want a cheap set that can handle an 11 spd cassette until i can afford to upgrade. Thanks.
Has anyone had experience buying mavic wheels on ebay from china? I found a set of mavic cosmic elite for $110 and shipping takes 4-5 weeks. I usually subscribe the “if it’s too good to be true” philosophy. However, i just picked up a new speed concept frameset and i can’t afford to put good wheels on it yet. I just want a cheap set that can handle an 11 spd cassette until i can afford to upgrade. Thanks.
Think of bombing down a hill on a wheel set made by* god knows who/where… ZIPP has a pretty neat video somewhere in the universe that goes into detail about fake wheels and the drawbacks from a safety standpoint. There really isn’t any “just” or “cheap” in triathlon.
I would stick with your philosophy “if it’s too good to be true”. I’m know you can get authentic brand name parts from China from reputable ebay stores, but I would be very cautious… especially with something as critical as wheels. I have seen what can happen when hub/spokes etc break and fail, and it obviously can be very dangerous.
I just took a look on eBay to see what you were asking about. There is a seller in Hong Kong that has the Mavic Cosmic Elite wheels priced at $117.99 (or best offer) with free shipping.
The pictures in the ad do show authentic Mavic wheels.
However, if they do send you counterfeit wheels, you can always file a SNAD complaint with eBay. The seller will be required to pay for return shipping and give you a 100% refund.
I don’t see any risk.
Where are you located? I have this exact wheel set for sale. They came off my Cervelo P3 a few years ago and would rather sell it to someone for cheap that uses and enjoys them than to someone who doesn’t. Let me know if you’re interested.
Im in new york. Definitely interested ill message you
i got a pair of these off aliexpress just for the trainer. I presume that they are knock offs because the rim profile is more ‘box-rim’ like and less smooth like the other cosmic elites I’ve seen. (…I also assumed they are fake because of the price and source).
The hubs are surprisingly geniune looking. Same steel freehub body, same shape hub.
I’m not too woried about using aluminum wheels from china (or really carbon for that matter). Having said that, do your due dilligence and inspect the wheels for any defects or obvious variations in spoke tension.
…although companies like Zipp like to highlight some risk, the reality is that you should always inspect your equipment for any risk. Zipp does not sit on high ground in this area. I have known a few Zipp users who had hubs fail and carbon rims crack from regular use. They are not immune to QC premature failure issues.
I usually keep my eye on bike stuff on Ebay when it’s slow at work, shopping for the occasional deal. It seems like in the last week or two, there’s a TON of ridiculously priced stuff selling from Hong Kong and China…not even sure if it’s counterfeit, just outright fraud. Entire Campy groupsets for $100, high end frames for $68, etc. No idea what their angle is, but while there are some good deals coming out of China, I don’t think some of this stuff is even going to result in counterfeit parts, just an outstanding charge until Paypal and your bank sort it out.
If the seller doesn’t ship anything, you simply file an INR complaint and get a full refund.
Thanks for all the advice. I stopped in a local bike shop today and was able to get a used set of ksyrium elite in good shape for 300.
I usually keep my eye on bike stuff on Ebay when it’s slow at work, shopping for the occasional deal. It seems like in the last week or two, there’s a TON of ridiculously priced stuff selling from Hong Kong and China…not even sure if it’s counterfeit, just outright fraud. Entire Campy groupsets for $100, high end frames for $68, etc. No idea what their angle is, but while there are some good deals coming out of China, I don’t think some of this stuff is even going to result in counterfeit parts, just an outstanding charge until Paypal and your bank sort it out.
Scam accounts like you see on Amazon. They pretend to ship something with a fake tracking number (or ship basically nothing with a real tracking number) and by the time you file a complaint for a refund the seller has their money and is long gone. Then eBay (or Amazon) can’t recover it and they are the victims. They have to eat the loss and take a hit on their insurance policy to pay out (if they file a claim).
I’ve run into it before on Amazon resellers and too good to be true prices on a few items. I though hey why not it’s not that much to be out now and I’d get my money back eventually.
Has anyone had experience buying mavic wheels on ebay from china? I found a set of mavic cosmic elite for $110 and shipping takes 4-5 weeks. I usually subscribe the “if it’s too good to be true” philosophy. However, i just picked up a new speed concept frameset and i can’t afford to put good wheels on it yet. I just want a cheap set that can handle an 11 spd cassette until i can afford to upgrade. Thanks.
I’m familiar with them. They are just some China made generic wheels and Cosmic logo painted on them. Think about ‘SuperTeam’ carbon wheels on Amazon.
Even though they are fake, it’s safer to buy from Aliexpress. Sellers get paid when you received the goods, satisfied and click on ‘Received’ button. If you are not happy, you can file a claim and get your money back easily. That’s why Aliexpress stock is high. Anyway, no need to buy wheels with logo painted on. Just buy no name generic brand and you should be good. I have carbon wheels on my road bike for 3 years now with no problem. You just have to search hard and find a seller with good reviews and reputation.
Aluminum
https://www.aliexpress.com/...4,searchweb201603_55
Carbon
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32973764841.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.7c147bbdwO3d9E&s=p