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Author Topic: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?  (Read 17452 times)

kubackje

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #45 on: October 19, 2023, 04:28:45 AM »
This beto mini pump is my best choice. Fits in a saddle bag.
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AzureEssence

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #46 on: October 19, 2023, 09:35:03 AM »
Thank you for all the input. As I've mentioned I have a ridiculously long list of stuff I have on order that just keeps on getting longer. Once it all comes and I have a chance to look it over and use it, I will post a full list of everything I ordered and a one line review.
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PLA

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #47 on: October 19, 2023, 10:06:33 AM »
Quote from: AzureEssence on October 19, 2023, 09:35:03 AM
Thank you for all the input. As I've mentioned I have a ridiculously long list of stuff I have on order that just keeps on getting longer. Once it all comes and I have a chance to look it over and use it, I will post a full list of everything I ordered and a one line review.

Looking forward to it, you aliexpressoholic
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Quote from: dsveddy on November 16, 2023, 10:51:55 AM
It’s so clearly a LARP of an aero bike.

Tijoe

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #48 on: October 19, 2023, 10:57:49 AM »
So far this year, I have ordered 75 items from Aliexpress. (63, cycling related items)   I have been very please with almost all the items I have purchased.   Only one item this year has had problems.  it is an ultralight 2 person tent I purchased.  The lightweight carbon poles broke on me during a bike packing trip, so I ended up purchasing a Big Agnes tent in Steamboat Springs, Colorado as I rode through the town.

The tent and fly cover is high quality, but the poles suck!  The "Ultralight Camping Store says they are working on a better quality/stronger set of poles for me. (It has been 3 months now since I heard back from them)

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832732594133.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.214.10931802ZCdDIj&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa


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dsveddy

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #49 on: October 19, 2023, 10:17:52 PM »
Good:
- Sportspy aero socks. Aero socks are already the best drag saved per $ item, but you can get 90% of what R28 sells from sportspy for less than 1/2 the price
- Ridenow TPU, in the 19g guise
- XCADEY crankset with spider mounted powermeter
- various carbon handlebars: integrated, drop, MTB, you name it, I've pretty much never ordered a terrible handlebar on aliex
- various carbon seatposts
- knockoff sunglasses of all kinds
- Ardunel Mandible knockoff bottle cages. Most recently bought a pair from Yao Bin, they're dec
- CCN light overshoes: if your shoe size is small enough, I quite like these
- 1-piece SROAD CNC steel cassettes (SRAM x-dome knockoff). I know a lot of people shit on these, but I frankly find them to be fine and exceptionally light for the price. I've bought 4 so far I've had examples in 10, 11, and 12s. All perform great.

Mid:
- LTWOO hydraulic groupset: pretty alright performance but shifter broke over a pothole

Bad:

- Magene QED P325 powermeter crankset with integrated chainring: chainring is soft and gets out of true. Expensive. Magene has been terrible to work with on this for warranty, I'm basically screwed. The crankset isn't compatible with any other chainrings. Power meter isn't exactly accurate. Crank arm+power meter design is pretty un-aero since the strain gauge units protrude a lot.

- ZRace direct mount brake calipers: they suck. Not well manufactured. Leaky. Don't bleed well. Wide/bulky, which makes them un-aero.



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eddietheengineer

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #50 on: October 27, 2023, 10:16:24 AM »
Quote from: dsveddy on October 19, 2023, 10:17:52 PM

- 1-piece SROAD CNC steel cassettes (SRAM x-dome knockoff). I know a lot of people shit on these, but I frankly find them to be fine and exceptionally light for the price. I've bought 4 so far I've had examples in 10, 11, and 12s. All perform great.

Do you have any links to a 10 speed SROAD cassette? I've been trying to find one (I'm on old 2008 generation Sram Red on my road bike and Sram XO 1x10 on my mountain bike), but it's difficult to find. I'd assumed there's not enough volume to justify an Aliexpress seller making a 10 speed version, but I'd love to be wrong there :)
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coffeebreak

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #51 on: October 27, 2023, 11:23:45 AM »
The good which I will order again or have ordered multiple times already:

1. Blackbird GPS mount: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803662704812.html - Love the look. Minimalist and stable. Have it on 3 bikes.
2. RISK bar end plugs with expander : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800099911213.html
3. XOSS light : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804318675408.html - minimalist black monoblock design that goes really well with the Blackbird mount above.
4. Ultralight cassettes for road (Not MTB) : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800045575507.html - Sunshine is just one, many others make same design. Had good luck with road cassettes but not MTB. Stick to 11-28/30. Have it on 3 bikes.
5. No name, unbranded carbon saddle : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804373322850.html - Used to be $18 and arguably the best one I have found. As good as MIXD branded ones. Its unfortunate they have increased the prices. Have it on 2 bikes.
6. TOWILD light : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802488550065.html - way better battery life than XOSS but isn't slick. Battery can be taken out and replaced on the fly, excellent beam.
7. ZNIINO H corner bard copy : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804059388076.html - Fantastic. No flex, super light and just plain clever (thanks to Surly). Bought 3 times.
8. Garmin Varia tail light mount : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804675184906.html - Amazon sells these for $12 each. Get 10 pack from Alix for $25.


Money down the drain products:

1. Cyplus/blackbird/Moots and what not speed-cadence sensors: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2261800105285991.html
2. Cheap ZRACE rotors : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804147936070.html - couldn't stop their wailing. Not cheap either. Get Shimano RT30/56 for same price but better performance with resin pads.
3. Cyclami ultralight tubes : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803947217839.html - slow leaks, damage during installation, leak from valve base. Everything that could go bad went bad - except actual flat from foreign object.
4. Tiny underseat bag : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804445576703.html - trash
5. Tubeless rim tapes - avoid all from Alix.
6. RISK colored screws for stems - Not Ti. Poor soft material that strips easily.
7. Sunshine MTB 12 speed cassettes : https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803959318100.html - too much variation between cassettes. Could not index two of them. Poor QC. Hit or miss, buy at your own risk.
8. Cheap $5-6 bar tapes
9. Ceramic jockey wheels - your shifting will suffer. Don't matter how cool they look or for what derailleur they are being used. Every single derailleur I used them on (105 R7000, Ultegra R6800 and 8000, SRAM Red 22) caused shifting to go bad.




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AzureEssence

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #52 on: October 28, 2023, 08:42:07 PM »
Here are some quick reviews of stuff I've received so far:

« Last Edit: October 28, 2023, 08:55:54 PM by AzureEssence »
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Crash217

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #53 on: October 28, 2023, 09:08:53 PM »
Has anyone gotten carbon mountain bike bars from AliExpress?  I tried searching but didn't find anything very specific.
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jonathanf2

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #54 on: October 30, 2023, 01:01:29 PM »
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805804839530.html

I just wanted to chime in regarding the RiRo carbon crankset. So far I like this crankset much better than the Racework crankset that follows the Shimano style crank arm setup. Unfortunately Racework's non-drive side crank arm is prone to cracking and I would not recommend it. The RiRo crankset has what appears to be the same carbon crank arms as Racework just with different branding. It has the SRAM style crank interface (though it works just fine using a standard BSA bottom bracket). I find it structurally more solid, but the only potential weakness is user error by accidentally cross-threading the drive side fixing bolt which doesn't seem replaceable. Also you'll need a bigger adjustable torque wrench to set the minimum 35nm to lock it in place. Either that or just tighten it enough so you don't feel turn any further.

I've installed it on my 1x gravel bike with no issue. At this point if you want a somewhat affordable carbon crankset, I would avoid the Racework and go for the RiRo. Though it's a bit more trickier to install if you're not familiar with this style of crankset (compared to Shimano). Just make sure to secure the fixing bolt first from the drive side and then adjust it for fit on the non-drive side threaded locking ring.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2023, 01:06:38 PM by jonathanf2 »
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hagerd

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #55 on: October 30, 2023, 01:15:52 PM »
For the Raceworks cranks that are prone to cracking, I thought this was only for the pinch bolt style. It looks like they have revised the crank to be SRAM style which may fix the issue.
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jonathanf2

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #56 on: October 30, 2023, 01:19:58 PM »
Quote from: hagerd on October 30, 2023, 01:15:52 PM
For the Raceworks cranks that are prone to cracking, I thought this was only for the pinch bolt style. It looks like they have revised the crank to be SRAM style which may fix the issue.

Ugh, I didn't even realize they updated their cranks. In that case, the new interface is much better! Also it looks like the RiRo and Racework cranksets are the same now. I guess get whichever you prefer. It just sucks for us early adopters on these Chinese components!
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frnchy

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #57 on: November 01, 2023, 05:34:35 PM »
Looking through my orders, I realize just how much bike stuff I've bought on Aliexpress...  might as well contribute my experiences. I'm not going to review the genuine name-brand (pretty much all Shimano) components I've bought, as those are known quantities. The subsections below are in no particular order, as I'm just going through my order history to compile this list.

Best of the best to very good

Very good to good
  • Generic front light: I think this is the same one sold by "Offbondage" (lol) and a few other stores, but this one doesn't have branding which is why I went for it specifically. Nice and bright with a flashing mode, has a good bar mount, USB C charging. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804897699962.html
  • OG EVKIN HB010: good shape, reasonably light, external cable routing for easy setup. I have this bar on my commuter and it works well. Only reason I don't rate it higher is because the first one I had snapped when my bike fell over in its stand - can't really fault it for that but my other carbon bars have survived their bikes tipping over. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805458531947.html
  • Generic bike baskets: I use 2 of these on the front rack of my commuter for light but bulky cargo loads. Not super well-made but they do the job and fold down for storage off the bike. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805376389581.html
  • Sunshine cassettes: I've had 3 of these; 2 11-speed (11-36 and 11-42) and one 12-speed (11-46). They shift fine, not quite as good as Shimano but that's to be expected. Very heavy though. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803959318100.html
  • AVID HS1 brake rotors (definitely copies): 6-bolt only, but they don't warp because they're thick, they brake well, and they're incredibly cheap. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832609689188.html
  • Nipple holder: makes the process of lacing a wheel much nicer. For 3 bucks, well worth it. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802890581426.html
  • ZRACE Blade MTB crankset: simple fitment and steel axle, same as Shimano hollowtec cranks. Reasonably light, graphics aren't too obtrusive and the included chainring is surprisingly good. I have found that it creaks a bit when it gets dirty but it's so easy to pop off and clean that this isn't a major issue. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800868849020.html
  • Spcycle M05 frame: size medium in glossy red color came in at 877 grams - amazing! Despite the weight, it's been a very solid hardtail for my not-very-extreme needs. Only drawback is the rear driveside dropout is too thick for the stock hanger so I had to file down the hanger to make room. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802796251755.html

Good to meh
  • TOSEEK 143 saddle: the shape works fine for me. The construction quality is decent but the middle unsupported section tends to sag a bit too much imo. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805099852978.html
  • ZTTO MTB cassette: shifts ok, not nearly as good as the Deore cassette I was using on my previous MTB groupset. But this cassette is amazingly light, the claimed weights are accurate, and I think at least some of the shifting issues I have are down to some derailleur hanger issues on my MTB frame. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800094553452.html
  • IIIPro centerlock disc rotors: they don't warp which was a major improvement on the Dura-Ace rotors I was using, but after about 500 miles they developed a squeal I couldn't get rid of even with brake cleaner and sanding their surface. Swapped to Campy Ekar rotors and have been very very pleased with them. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804105057808.html
  • ZRACE Hardrock crankset: I've used two of these. One has lived on my gravel bike for 1,500 miles, has been beaten up, fully submerged multiple times, been put through singletrack riding and 1200 watt sprints, and is basically brand new. The other one had the axle and driveside crankarm separate and develop play within 100 miles on my commuter where it never saw any abuse. So... ymmv. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2252799820023948.html

Meh to bad
  • Ridenow TPU tube: I only use these as backup tubes on my road bike. The one time I had to use it, I was riding close to home with a friend and he punctured with no spare tube, so I threw this in his tire and it flatted within 5 minutes. Fortunately I was able to ride home and bring him a butyl tube! I tried patching it when I got home but it failed with 3 different patches.. So small and so light, but this really is an option of last resort in my saddle bag. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803826508749.html
  • Sensah SRX Pro: The shifting was very good, but the clutch on the derailleur was so weak that it dropped my chain several times a ride. I quickly replaced it with a Deore rear derailleur + JTek shiftmate which worked ok. The braking was ultimately the dealbreaker - see below - but I kept the shifters around on my commuter bike, paired with a SRAM Force 1x rear derailleur, and the shifting was great and the braking much better with rim brakes. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802576089351.html

Just plain bad
  • Juintech F1 brake calipers: I just could never get these to brake all that well. I tried different pads, rotors, preload adjustment, etc etc etc; ultimately I was descending a notoriously steep and winding local road and I nearly lost all braking power, even after stopping and letting the system cool down for almost 10 minutes. I ordered 105 hydraulic shifters and brakes the next day and they're infintely better. Don't bother with these or other cable/hydro solutions, just go hydro. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255799928780428.html
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AzureEssence

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #58 on: November 01, 2023, 08:44:23 PM »
^ Thanks for all the input, so many goodies in there. Those purple jockey wheels would be perfect on my purple Cotic FlareMax.

More stuff I've received:











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Maden

Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
« Reply #59 on: November 02, 2023, 03:29:45 AM »
Quote from: frnchy on November 01, 2023, 05:34:35 PM
SERAPH road handlebars: my favorite road handlebars ever. Such a nice shape, well-made, light and stiff, nice channel on the underside for clean and easy cable routing. I hope they never go out of production. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800581774460.html

Do you know the reach and drop measurement of these bars?
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