I am curious to understand more about this EPS vs bladder thing. I understand the former is the state of the art technology now. I understand it provides a better and more uniform compression which likely gives stiffer frame and less material required. Is the performance difference really evident in real life? Or is it only some weight saving at the end of the day? Are there western brands that still use bladders? If not how recently did the transition happen in the industry?
It's not as clear cut as say that it provides a x% benefit in stiffness, for eg.
But it's all of the above. In fact, EPS monocoque is better than EPS w 2 triangles bonded together.
In 2024, buying a chinese frame that's bladder moulded means you're buying an old frame, a frame several steps below velobuild, or a frame from a clown, basically. Will it ride well? it could, we've been riding bladder moulded frames for years. Is it a red flag in 2024? Yes.
I'm sure you can still find brands using bladders (rules have exceptions), but we're talking chinese frames without the benefit of the western logo on it and the peace of mind of LBS support. And on this thread especially, we're talking fakes at leading edge weights, and the average westerner is many, many kilos heavier than the average chinese; structural integrity does matter.
If it's EPS, the chances that your frame is clown made shit is lower. As far as i'm concerned, it's a probability game, and the weights (in the equation) vary over time.
