Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?

[jonathanf2]

On lightweight cassettes:

I bought an SROAD/Spedao monobloc 11-32 12sp cassette made of steel. Around 6000km and still going strong. Shifts perfectly fine and weighs around 230g.
On my new disc brake bike I took a gamble and bought an 11-34 12sp cassette from Goldix made of an aluminium monobloc and several single cogs made of steel. After around 2000km there's visible wear marks on at least one of the alu cogs. So much so in fact that I can provoke the chain to skip on it. Also, I never managed to set the gearing up on this cassette as smooth as I would have liked. The shifting is just rough and noticeably less smooth than on any other cassette I tried. I now went out and bought another monobloc steel cassette. This time from ZTTO because I think the design is even better than with Spedao/Sroad.
Bottom line: Don't waste your money on these alu/steel cassettes. I think no matter which manufacturer you're getting them from, they're just not that great.

I don't touch any mixed alloy/steel cassettes. Especially if a cyclist does a bit of climbing, those big alloy cogs will wear quickly. Just to make note Goldix and Ztto have the same design all-steel lightweight cassettes. Goldix just sells them only in black. I believe Ztto sells them in multi-color.

[Tijoe]

I also bought a 12s 11-34 VG sports cassette because it's the only brand I had never bought stuff from. It's not ultralight and I feel 12s drive trains need much less tolerance than 11s. Don't have much hopes from it honestly. I'm also curious why there are no 11-36 cassettes in 12 speed variety. They all top out at 11-34.

I believe that the reason there aren't many 11-36 12 speed cassettes is that there are very few rear derailleurs that will handle a 2X12 set up.  The limit appears to be a 34 cassette.  (For my gravel bike, I had to swap the cage on my GRX rear derailleur to handle a 36 cassette.)

OTOH, the EDS TX kit I have on order will handle a 36 cassette.   I searched and searched Aliexpress and 2 days ago purchased this cassette.  It is a 10-36 ultralight 12 speed cassette (XDR)  (Cool!, 10 tooth rather than an 11. Now I might be able to drop to slightly smaller chainrings on the front and keep the same high gear ratio.)

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804263667198.html

[kbernstein]

I can't find it anymore but I swear I have seen a 12 speed 11-36 before on ali. I think it was from ZTTO but I'm not sure. Maybe already sold out?

[Tijoe]

I can't find it anymore but I swear I have seen a 12 speed 11-36 before on ali. I think it was from ZTTO but I'm not sure. Maybe already sold out?

Here are a couple links to the ZTTO HG cassettes where the 11-36 is listed, but this version is all steel and HEAVY!

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804572842248.html

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803293695278.html

[coffeebreak]

I wish I had asked earlier. I searched and searched and couldn't find 11-36 12s cassettes only 11s. I am fairly positive Aliex search kinda plots against you and decides to filter out certain things no matter how you search.

[jonathanf2]

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNKEQNk

This is the only lightweight 11 speed 10-36t cassette I’ve seen available on AliEx. They used to have a lightweight all-steel (Spedao/ SRoad style) Ztto 10 speed 11-36t and that’s now gone.

[jonathanf2]

Long term report on my Cyclami electric pump. It was working great, until I had a stubborn leak in one of my tubeless tires and I might have overheated the unit. It still turns on, but now I don't feel any air blowing out of it. I tried dismantling it to see if it's something I can fix, but it uses very small torx screws and I don't have a screw driver that small.

[dsveddy]

I don't touch any mixed alloy/steel cassettes. Especially if a cyclist does a bit of climbing, those big alloy cogs will wear quickly. Just to make note Goldix and Ztto have the same design all-steel lightweight cassettes. Goldix just sells them only in black. I believe Ztto sells them in multi-color.

I beg to differ, I have a whole season CX on a goldix XDR cassette with an aluminum low-end cog, lots of climbing in abrasive conditions, and the black anodization is hardly worn.

The reality is that with these larger cassettes that have prevailed in the last years, the wear is distributed over so many teeth, that the problem that the lowest cog wears too quickly is no longer a major issue.

[jonathanf2]

This Goldix cassette has my short term seal of approval. It looks to be the same as the Ztto cassette with same torx screwed spider. I picked up this cassette during the anniversary sale and installed it with the ER9 groupset in order to go 12 speed. Shifts have been smooth, it's more quiet than the Spedao/SRoad cassette and it seems to be a true one-piece design. Even the 11t cog is integrated into the cassette block. The Spedao/SRoad cassette I tried had a separate 11t cog. Even though the Spedao cassettes are a bit cheaper at this point, I think this Goldix/Ztto cassette is worth paying slightly extra for. Ztto has them in other colors, but Goldix are only in black.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806211333567.html

[sbellote]

Long term report on my Cyclami electric pump. It was working great, until I had a stubborn leak in one of my tubeless tires and I might have overheated the unit. It still turns on, but now I don't feel any air blowing out of it. I tried dismantling it to see if it's something I can fix, but it uses very small torx screws and I don't have a screw driver that small.

have you tried contacting the store or the brand? Maybe there's some way to test it o fix it and they guide you through it.
my cyclami mini pump is working great still, it's a bit over 6 months of use, and although not a heavy use, it pumped a fair share of tires (more from buddies than my owns lol)
I drained the battery a few times, but never got it 'overheated', so not sure how to help you :/

[jonathanf2]

have you tried contacting the store or the brand? Maybe there's some way to test it o fix it and they guide you through it.
my cyclami mini pump is working great still, it's a bit over 6 months of use, and although not a heavy use, it pumped a fair share of tires (more from buddies than my owns lol)
I drained the battery a few times, but never got it 'overheated', so not sure how to help you :/

I bought a 2nd one as a backup during the anniversary sale. I was taking apart the first one to attempt to fix it, but when I got to the last phillips screw, I ended up rounding the screw head when my hand slipped! I got too lazy to try an extract it, so I'm just using the second pump I bought for now.

My guess is that a bit of tubeless sealant might have gotten blown into the e-pump which got caught in the internals messing things up.

[Serge_K]

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNKEQNk

This is the only lightweight 11 speed 10-36t cassette I’ve seen available on AliEx. They used to have a lightweight all-steel (Spedao/ SRoad style) Ztto 10 speed 11-36t and that’s now gone.

Sunshine makes it, hard cogs in steel, large cogs in aluminium, i have 2. They're all around 225g and they cost 40-50usd. the alu cogs last. i have tried almost all sizes

[jonathanf2]

Sunshine makes it, hard cogs in steel, large cogs in aluminium, i have 2. They're all around 225g and they cost 40-50usd. the alu cogs last. i have tried almost all sizes

I know those are still available, but I like the all-steel lightweight cassettes. Mainly because I spend more time in my low gears as opposed to my high gears. In fact that's part of the reason I still stay with Shimano 2x10 speed on my gravel bike with a mix-n-match of 11 speed components. The Shimano 11-36t 10 speed XT cassette is rock solid and Shimano stopped making them in 11 speed. The 105 11-36t 12 speed cassette is like 385g vs the 10 speed XT cassette at around 333g on my scale, and XT cassette is on the same level as Ultegra.

[nickobec]

XOSS X2 Pro heart rate sensor

Bought after recommendation from Chris Miller on YouTube

Cost less than 30AUD shipped, last sale

It is a sealed unit with rechargeable battery, so no possible sweat ingress.

Smaller and lighter than my Garmin or Wahoo sensors.

been wearing it for a couple of weeks without issue, both running and riding, paired to Garmin watch and Wahoo headunit.

favourite feature it beeps when first connected or disconnected.

[AzureEssence]

I need to make a more detailed update of my tier list but a couple updates

ezMTB 2022 STD bleed kit $12 - Absolutely incredible toolkit. Brass fittings for Shimano/SRAM/Hope/Magura brakes in a high quality little package.

Zrace Blade crankset with 32t chainring and BB $40 - Wow. The finishing on these cranks is immaculate. They claim 7075 aluminum which may even be true. They are perfectly CNC'd like Hope cranks and come with an aluminum crank arm fixing bolt. As per usual I wish they were unbranded, but the branding isn't too gaudy. I have to put these in the elite tier for AliExpress parts. I believe the crankset weighed 698g with chainring. I put them on my Klein urban MTB which is probably overkill (I could've just went with road cranks), but they look amazing with their gloss finish.

Senicx FM3 crankset $31 - I was impressed by the quality of these cranks are well. These look to be forged instead of CNC'd, and did not come with chainring or anything else. Also they came with a cheap plastic crank arm fixing bolt (18mm) which I replaced with a $1 Riderace aluminum one. These are matte and have a clean, understated aesthetic, once again the branding isn't too gaudy.

Mixed 5D carbon saddle $21 - Bought a backup one because the price vs quality is just too good.

Onirii IIIPro brakes $80 + Avid 180mm rotors $10 + Cooma Gold pads $4 - Just finished installing and bedding these in, need to test long term. First impressions: CNC machining is good but not perfect. The lever bodies look a bit cheap, but the levers themselves look awesome with the drilled out holes. The calipers look incredible aesthetically. The pads they shipped with were some mega cheap crappy resin, I tossed them and installed Cooma Gold metallics. Had some customer service issues with the Onirii official store but hopefully we can look past that if the brakes turn out good.

Zoom HB-910 $116 (with TRP 180mm rotors I had) - Just finished installing and bedding these in, need to test long term. Both lever body and caliper look absolutely stellar. The levers themselves look alright, but wish they were drilled. Power feels very strong. I am running the stock brake pads with look to be metallic or semi-metallic.