The title says it all. Seems like there are lots of threads about why to spend $5000+ on a brand name frame rather than the $1000 +/- on a Chinese frame. I would like to hear some first hand stories of a Chinese frame gone all wrong.
I am keen on a Hong Fu MTN frame. My MTN bike is badly, and dangerously dented. For how often I ride my MTN bike I can not justify gearing up on a brand name frame.
So, please…haunt me with your tales of the Chinese frame that bit you in the ass. Or impaled you…
Sorry, no horror story here. My hungfu bike has 20,000 miles on it and has survived 2 crashes. Got my frame for $550 on ebay.
I’ve heard occasional complaints about poor workmanship, finishing, etc.; though to be fair, I own a Shiv and many people had issues with the seatpost bolts pulling loose (so a name brand doesn’t guarantee build quality).
The big issue is that you won’t get the warranty/support coverage that a major brand provides.
I have a team mate who rides an open mold carbon frame.
It has been fine.
Isn’t aero though.
This is my 3rd year on a Chinese TT frame. Weekly rides of around 50k-70k on smooth roads, except for a minor cosmetic flaw, so far so good. But I don’t know if you would compare it to the rigors of mountain bike riding. Did you post the same question to a mountain/trail bike-riding forum?
Sorry only good impression from me.
I have the Hong Fu mountain bike and its the best rigid mountain bike I have ever owned. I have been on many big name brands including Giant and Niner non of them came close. I am a big guy and ride fairly rough tracks so far with zero issues.
I believe the model I have is a Scott copy Matt UD. Let me know if you want to see pics.
Shocker price at 550 USD…Dont bother speaking to Jenny. I think she handles 50 other companies…I used Summer but think she left. Heard Pudding also messed up a few orders but so far I have been all good.
I have a team mate who rides an open mold carbon frame.
It has been fine.
Isn’t aero though.
which one?
what is your thought about the new Hongfu TM6?..I mean can’t be worth than the Argon 18 right?
I expect…
I’m going to be getting a new MTN bike before too long, and I’ve thought about the Chinese frame route. Have you heard much in other forums about them? I’ve love a Cannondale Flash Carbon or something similar, but it’s not in the budget as I can only afford one expensive hobby at a time :-p
For those that have some spar time to kill (aka several hours worth), your could try skimming through the Chinese Carbon 29er thread at MTBR.com.
That typed, I am also going to offer another ‘no issues’ type response as my Dengfu time trial frame has soldered on just fine despite me t-boning a Toyota Camry at nearly 30-mph several years back. So while no experience with a HongFu open mold, my Origin 8 Paladin is the same open mold 29er HongFu was selling a couple years back and that frame has held up fine despite my occasional crash test dummy dismounts trying to avoid serious bodily harm as a result of a lack of off-road skill.
While I have seen a number of images of poor quality control for frames from companies that specialize in marketing counterfeit versions of mainstream frames, the only outright failures I have read about are typically the result of negligence on the owners behalf. For example over-torquing a seat post clamp after going weight weeny on a seat post and cutting off to much of the shaft. Alternately cutting a fork’s steer tube to short then using a non-standard internal pre-load adjuster that either splinters the steer tube or weakens the tube wall and the steer tube snaps off. More common is not understanding how to install a crown race and filing material from the fork crown to get the race to seat instead of having the race press-fit using the proper tool. Best yet, posting on forums asking about main tubes that developed mysterious stress risers after only a few rides with images that clearly indicate damage that resulted from an impact with fixed object like a curb, car, or building!
I’m really curious to know how much aero is lost when you just fake it. Maybe not much.
what is your thought about the new Hongfu TM6?..I mean can’t be worth than the Argon 18 right?
I have ridden several open mold frames from Pedal Force (several MTB, Tri and Road frames), Hong Fu (current 29er frame) and would not hesitate in getting another open mold frame. THAT SAID, I decided to buy a good used Cervelo P2 frame instead of getting an open mold Triathlon frame as I just trust the aero design of the Cervelo P2.
I’ll bite. I’ve now built up five of the “Chinese” frame sets for various friends.
all of them needed subsequent detail finishing, like enlarging cable stops, chasing threads, etc.
one frame developed a crack in the clear coat vertically along the seat tube. Been watching it over a year now and no growth. The rider is a 220 pound rider. I would imagine a lighter rider would have no problems with this either.
would stay away from “tribute” frames. Had numerous problems with one because all of the internal routing details were not present and shifting/braking sucked. It was one of those frames where all the cables entered at the top tube.
none of them has catastrophically broken so far.
they are heavy. At least 200g heavier than you would expect for a comparative brand name frame. Their “super lights” still near 1000g for most frames (they tout a 48cm frame weighing 800g).
not cutting edge. The tubes are thick walled and if you look on the inside, there is a lot of epoxy bleed and roughness. Not immaculate like a Felt or Specialized.
all the riders of said the bike rides really well and generally happy with their bike.
The Merida aero road frame tested out really well. I would wager to guess that they faked it.
I’m really curious to know how much aero is lost when you just fake it. Maybe not much.
what is your thought about the new Hongfu TM6?..I mean can’t be worth than the Argon 18 right?
We’ve seen a number of Chinese carbon wheels warp and melt on the long, steep descents of SavageMan and Garrett County Gran Fondo. I don’t know that it’s never happened with Zipps or other more trustworthy brands, but I am not aware of them. Not sure if it’s a result of cheaper materials or construction, but the evidence is there. Most likely conveys to Chinese carbon frames: fine for normal usage, less fine for pushing the boundaries.
Can’t speak for the mountain bikes, but I’ve had both a road and TT frame that I rode for several seasons and have since sold. They are still being ridden a couple of year post sale. I had no real complaints other than what has already been mentioned here. The fit and finish can be a little wonky with cable runs etc.
“The Merida aero road frame tested out really well. I would wager to guess that they faked it.”
i wouldn’t lop merida in with the open mold sellers.
That wasn’t really my intention even though I guess it came out that way. I was just guessing that they didn’t go through the extensive CFD/Testing process that someone like Cervelo does with their aero frames. A few of their previous tri bikes were definitely head scratchers.
“The Merida aero road frame tested out really well. I would wager to guess that they faked it.”
i wouldn’t lop merida in with the open mold sellers.
A lot of the 2nd tier names (Cube, Fuji) source frames from proprietary sources like Axman in Taiwan (http://www.axman.com.tw). These sources can’t really be considered ‘open mold’ as consumers are not able to buy direct - at least not in quantities less than 50-100 frames!
I’ve owned an ICAN MC053 aero road frame.
Positives:
Extremely stiff and sharp handling. This bike was absolutely confidence inspiring on the road. Great crit frame. Out of the saddle it was bridge-truss stiff.
Really nice aesthetically, flawless 3K wrap, nice matte paint. “Stealth fighter” design got a lot of positive attention.
Foolproof and reliable headset, threaded BB and seatpost design.
General feeling of solidity and toughness. This frame came in at 1,150g and is built like a tank. Very trust-inspiring and tough as nails.
Negatives:
Corroded internal FD cable routing caused major issues in binding the FD cable after only one year. Trying to remove the housing ferrule was impossible and inserting a new cable was also impossible. This was an unfixable problem that ended up killing the frame as I could not reroute the FD cable in any way without compromising the BB integrity. This frame had really dumb routing around the BB. I’m partially to blame as I should have stayed on top of it, by the time I noticed a problem, it was already too late. $450 down the drain after one year. Not a ton of money, but annoying that such a small detail killed the entire frame, especially since I liked it so much on the road. I’ve considered making this frame into a fixie conversion…
Bone jarring on rough roads (it’s a very stiff by design frame, so this isn’t really a fault)
Rattling internal cables drove me so nuts I shoved foam blocks down the tubes to silence the frame. This is an extremely dumb idea, don’t do it.
Lack of good drainage made riding in the rain a pain. This combined with the absorbant foam made this frame a dry day only option.
Stupid routing of RD cable directly in front of the skewer made swapping rear wheels worse than it needed to be.
RD hanger wasn’t straight out of the box. Likely damaged in shipping (this happens all the time to lots of frames) and a $10 fix at a shop so not a big deal.
As with most things in life, the devil’s in the details. My experience with the bike on the road was very positive. Overall, the manufacturing quality was surprisingly high. Also, it looked great. However, if I were to buy another open mold frame, I’d pay very close attention to cable routing and drainage. I’ve noticed that most open mold frames have much, much better designs in these areas now. This spooked me so badly that my next frame had external routing. Much, much easier to deal with and maintain as a home mechanic.