Haven't stumbled across an organized thread on this forum yet of other (non-Chinese) bikes people have purchased or have laying around. I guess I'm curious to see what everyone else rides when their Chiner is at home!
To start things off... Bought this bike a few weeks ago from a guy who is selling all his stuff to move to Alaska. I've wanted a road bike for awhile because their easier to get out and ride where I live and go to school. Obviously, I didn't get a road bike.. I went to a shop to find my fit for some different frames, but was attracted to the aerodynamic qualities of the tri bikes. I didn't mind the more forward geometry and since I would primarily be riding alone so I didn't need to worry about drafting and quick braking. Going from the road bike to the tri bike was a huge difference. I could rip on the tri bike. So I started pricing things out... Wow. Pretty expensive!! So I went the chinese route, got some quotes, but the tri frames were even more expensive than the CS-036 I bought. Plus, these frames are largely unreviewed, so I would've been taking a chance with components and probably have suffered from some massive headaches. Anyways, this deal popped up on craigslist locally so I sprung on it! I don't regret it at all. Really love how fast it is and how comfortable it is. I'm now going to swim and run during the winter to try and get in shape for some triathlons this summer.
Here's a handy link to people interested in a chinese tri bike...
http://www.championunited.com/home/content/how-build-your-own-time-trial-bikeAnd here she is! (Please forgive me for the cheap pedals.. Upgrading soon)