Chinese Carbon Frames

Triathlon Forum
41

These frames can be fine. I don’t buy the argument that you could suffer from a JRA carbon ass-plosion just because it’s an open mold frame, they’re generally pretty durable. These frames are often unyeildingly stiff, which can be good if that’s what you want.

The real downfall of these frames is often in the details. Internal cabling that rattles or has too much friction. Thin, easily damaged derailleur hangers. Seatpost clamps that are a bit tricky to get cinched down well enough. Etc. I’d read the reviews of the various models online and pick a model that has the details sorted out. One word of caution: if you need a complete bike, get a complete bike. If you’re buying everything retail, once you add up the frame + componnents + wheels + cables + tires etc, you’ll find that you don’t save much with an open mold frame vs. just going to a bike shop. Swapping parts over from another frame is a different proposition.

42

I love how all these threads center around conjecture and no real life experiences.

I guarantee that for every Chinese frame from a somewhat “legit” online vendor in the $400 to $600 range that has a problem, there’s also one from a main company like Giant or Specialized.

**I would totally do it **for a crit bike or a cyclocross bike. If you’re going to eventually crash it anyway, it won’t matter if it was going to break or not once you split it wide open in a pile up.
.

Uh, it seems like many people on here HAVE real life experience.

In contrast to YOU?!

Get real, dude.

Nice try.

I did roll Chinese carbon for a front aero wheel when I started to TT on a budget. Only reason I dumped it was because I got a smoking deal on it but couldn’t find a matching rear wheel at a reasonable enough price. I emailed the seller in China and they were willing to sell just a rear, but I may as well have bought an entire set.

43

Could be great, could be made with last year’s local newspaper in the layup.

Let’s play devil’s advocate… bike journalism is supported by ad revenue – from bike manufacturers.
No, this is not true. There’s no money in endemic advertising. Yes, cycling brands buy ad space, but this happens through the publisher, not the editor.

Also, where paid content appears in print or online, it is clearly stated. If it’s not, then you’re probably reading infowars, etc.

So, you’re wrong. Really, really wrong.

Also, Quito is mostly correct. Many brands, especially the bigger brands (eg Spec, Trek, Fuji), visit their respective manufacturing facilities several times per year, to do QC/QA checkup.

44

One word of caution: if you need a complete bike, get a complete bike. If you’re buying everything retail, once you add up the frame + componnents + wheels + cables + tires etc, you’ll find that you don’t save much with an open mold frame vs. just going to a bike shop.
Yes and no.

I’ll give a run down of a hypothetical build using my $375 Flyxii frame:

Frame, fork, headset, seatpost: $375
105 5800 groupset: $425 (Merlin) - comes with cables too
Campagnolo Khamsin wheelset: $150
Vittoria Rubino Pro 3 x2 tire: $30
Tubes: $5
Deda Road Stem: $15
FSA Handlebars: $25

That’s about $1025, not including saddle or pedals (personal choice for any bike you buy anyways.

Let’s look at Nashbar’s $1000 bike - FSA Crankset (where my size, 50CM would come with a too long of a crank arm), bottom barrel brakeset, cheap 26TPI tires, carbon fork with alloy steerer (vs full carbon), lower end wheels.

Bikes Direct is similar to Nashbar, but $100-150 more for full carbon.

Performance has a Fuji for $1350 (plus tax, so closer to $1425), but with cash back in performance points, you’re close to that $1k mark. Oval concepts crank, wheels and brakes though. And you’d need to spend that $400 in extras.

I guess what I’m getting at is that you can find a handful of lower-end carbon bike retail for not much more. But then you’re stuck with what you’ve got. I can’t specify a 170mm crankset without replacing it. If the stock brakes suck, it’s $60 to get 105 ones. If you want a $400 wheelset from the start, put that $150 for the basic wheels I had and put it toward the better wheels. More importantly, you do get a larger choice of frame geometries going with Chinese carbon. I’m not limited to 1 or 2 models.

45

I love how all these threads center around conjecture and no real life experiences.

I guarantee that for every Chinese frame from a somewhat “legit” online vendor in the $400 to $600 range that has a problem, there’s also one from a main company like Giant or Specialized.

**I would totally do it **for a crit bike or a cyclocross bike. If you’re going to eventually crash it anyway, it won’t matter if it was going to break or not once you split it wide open in a pile up.
.

Uh, it seems like many people on here HAVE real life experience.

In contrast to YOU?!

Get real, dude.

Nice try.

I did roll Chinese carbon for a front aero wheel when I started to TT on a budget. Only reason I dumped it was because I got a smoking deal on it but couldn’t find a matching rear wheel at a reasonable enough price. I emailed the seller in China and they were willing to sell just a rear, but I may as well have bought an entire set.

No, not nice try.

You make a post complaining that people are posting without having experience with the subject matter, when the majority of people responding DO have experience.

Contrast that to you, who DOESN’T have any experience.

And now you’re going on about wheels? Do you even read the things you’re responding to?

There must be a comprehension issue here, surely.

46

Also, Quito is mostly correct. Many brands, especially the bigger brands (eg Spec, Trek, Fuji), visit their respective manufacturing facilities several times per year, to do QC/QA checkup.Glad I was “mostly” correct. :slight_smile:

I have a friend who worked as a production assistant for a major brand several years ago. His primary job was to hang out at the factory in Asia and every night make sure their carbon molds were locked away so the midnight shift didn’t use them to make XYZ bikes for the black market. I’ve taken dozens of factory tours over the years. It’s pretty crazy. I bet many people don’t realize some of their high-end parts are made in facilities with not much better than dirt floors, dingy lighting, etc. While other factories are like beautiful science labs. It’s fascinating stuff.

47

I guess what I’m getting at is that you can find a handful of lower-end carbon bike retail for not much more.That in essence was my point. I bought an open mold frame several years ago and built it up with swapped over parts. That often makes sense as the frame itself is far cheaper than most other frame sources. With complete bikes, it’s a different story. As you suggest, you can buy an open mold frame and then buy discounted parts online and create a reasonable build. In my experience, that process isn’t difficult but it does almost always results in a worse bike than simply buying something from BikeDirect (let alone having to then build the bike from scratch). I’ve also found that for right around a 25% premium, you can buy a comparable bike from an LBS and get support, fitting and a (often) a test ride. In my experience, that premium is often worth it.

48

No, this is not true. There’s no money in endemic advertising. Yes, cycling brands buy ad space, but this happens through the publisher, not the editor…
So, you’re wrong. Really, really wrong.

Ever read an industry review of a major studio videogame release that’s negative??
From the SUP thread… ever read a board review in an industry mag that says, “this board sucks”?
Those reviews don’t exist…

Thanks quito for sharing your experiences. Interesting stuff!

49

No, this is not true. There’s no money in endemic advertising. Yes, cycling brands buy ad space, but this happens through the publisher, not the editor…
So, you’re wrong. Really, really wrong.

Ever read an industry review of a major studio videogame release that’s negative??
From the SUP thread… ever read a board review in an industry mag that says, “this board sucks”?
Those reviews don’t exist…

Thanks quito for sharing your experiences. Interesting stuff!
I don’t write many bad reviews. It’s just not worth the effort. In most cases I can tell a product is going to be a stinker from a mile away, so why bother? People want to know where to spend their money more than where NOT to.

So here’s another look into media. There are products I like because…I just do. I admit sometimes it is hard to find objective faults with those bikes, but I always try to. That gets sticky when I review a product that is genuinely…kick ass. Even when something is worthy of unabashed adulation, that has to be done carefully.

And here’s another quirk. I recently attended a media launch of a new bike with a retail of $10,000+. It took two days to fully digest all of the engineering that went into it. It’s a marvel of technology, and after that two days, probably should retail for $20,000. But, when I rode it, I was like, meh. It’s a bike. We have hit a point where $3000 bikes ride like $6000 bikes ten years ago. And the gap between a $6000 bike and a hyper bike at $10k is --minimal.

Looping this back to the OP’s question. I can guarantee you most of these Chinese bikes are nowhere near as sophistated or well made as their big bike, big money counterparts. It’s just economics. But it may not really matter. My only hesitation is with safety.