I pulled the trigger on the Himalo frame a couple months ago out of necessity. I was planning on getting a full suspension carbon frame this summer when I had more cash but my aluminum hardtail developed a crack and I needed a new frame fast. Overall for the price of the Himalo frame and the performance after getting all the suspension settings dialed in (or almost dialed in), I'm happy with it. I was able to transfer most of my parts over except for the shock, which I didn't have. This was my first full suspension build and also my first Chinese frame. A lot of firsts with this build but I'll stick to the stuff that's relevant to the frame.
The frame came half assembled and folded into a small box. When I took out the frame I checked the bearings and first thing I noticed was more than a few bearings felt notchy and not smooth at all. I took a part the frame and greased and torqued the bolts. When I tightened the lower shock bolt it snapped off way before I was even close to a torque setting. I got some steel bolts from the hardware store. See photos below.
The shock I used was a DVO Jade coil shock. Based on several coil spring calculators I should be using a coil that is 600lbs plus. Yeah, I'm a big dude and the leverage ratio of this frame is very linear, because a 600lb spring rode terribly. I did some research, and everything I read or watched gave me the idea that I should try a progressive rate spring. I found a used one because I really didn't want to put much more money into this build. I installed the spring and that really changed the entire character of the bike. The bike sits higher in the travel, climbs, and descends much better now. So if anyone is thinking about a coil shock with this frame, I highly recommend a progressive rate spring.
Another issue I had was lining up the rear triangle when I bolted everything together. There seems to be a something a few millimeters off back there but when it's all bolted up and riding it you don't noticed it. I'm sure it will probably wear out the bearing faster but at this price you can't complain too much. My frame is already creaking but it could be my shock bushings not sure yet. I'm going to order new ones and then I'll be able to know for sure where the creaking is from.
Those are the only issues I had with the frame. The bolt issue was known and I was expecting one or two to brake. Other than that my experience with the frame is positive and I'm happy with how it turned out. The bike is really fun to ride and I have already set lots of new PRs on my local trails.
The last thing I would comment on is the geometry of the bike. The reach is kind of short for the current trend in bikes. Also, the head angle is not as slack as other frames that are coming out with the same travel. My last frame was longer/slacker and I definitely notice it. It's taking a little getting used to but I knew the specs when I bought it, so something to be aware of. At this price you can't really complain. The bike is super fun to ride and that's all that counts.
