Should I get the 057 or 256??

[Carbon_Dude]

I'm contemplating a 256 but running it with Iplay's thru axle rigid fork. I weight 175 lbs and will be riding flat, rooty singletrack and fire roads. Does anybody have any thoughts on which of the 057 or 256 is best suited to this type of riding? Look forward to hearing from you!   

Either bike would do the job, I really would not think that the frame geometry of either of those two frames would make much of a difference for flat root single track and fire roads.  I'd say make your decision based on other attributes, like price, availability, ETT, cable routing, etc.

However, I've not done a side by side comparison ride between the two frames.  Someday we need to have a big Chinertown meet up so everyone can ride all the various open mold Chinese framed bikes.

[flanglian]

256 availability update - Peter quoted 35-45 days for 15.5" BSA 135mm UD matte overnight!!!!

[carbonazza]

One big step today.
The wheels were sent last Friday from China and arrived this afternoon in Belgium.

29er - 30mm hookless, in 3k matt.

The front with a Project321 Lefty hub.
The rear with a Hope Pro2 Evo to put the XX1 on it.
The set weights 1530g.

I'm very happy of light-bicycle.com

First as they were the only one to provide this combo without asking me to provide the hubs.
Then Nancy was very patient, and answered all my, and sometimes stupid, questions.
And Kartrin did all the administration and shipment details.
And finally the set looks perfect.

The only missing part now is the frame.
But Leo ( from Honsen Bikes ) told me it should be shipped very soon, as planned.

The bad news, is I didn't care about dates, and have some vacations planned for early July.
So I'll have to leave all this sleeping for a couple of weeks

[Carbon_Dude]

Those wheels look sweet!  Which frame did you order again?

[carbonazza]

The HM-256 http://honsenbikes.com/product_list.asp?id=371
Which is very similar to the IP-256 discussed here.

[Carbon_Dude]

Not just similar, they are the same.  FM = HongFu (and others), IP = XMIplay.

[PeterQ]

The HM-256 http://honsenbikes.com/product_list.asp?id=371
Which is very similar to the IP-256 discussed here.

Yes, not just similar, they are same. Actually, it is illegal to use T1000 for any factory, because T1000 is only legal to use for military in China. It is impossible for any factory or any private person to use these top end carbon fiber sheet. So we never declare our frames are made with T1000.

[Carbon_Dude]

The Honsen website is also terribly slow.  Looks like just another me too trading company that also posts false information if they say they are using T1000 carbon when, according to Peter, is unlikely since no Chinese manufacturers have access to T1000 carbon.

[Rigid_Bloke]

The Honsen website is also terribly slow.  Looks like just another me too trading company that also posts false information if they say they are using T1000 carbon when, according to Peter, is unlikely since no Chinese manufacturers have access to T1000 carbon.

SO is Honsen advertising T1000 but these frames aren't actually T1000 carbon? Or are these frames T1000 carbon and Iplay is more careful than Honsen when listing descriptions on their sites?

Somebody should make a sticky thread specifically about the different kinds of carbon fiber - where each kind is usually used, the different properties of each one, etc. I would but I'm totally clueless.

And that is an absolutely ridiculously nice wheel set there, carbonazza.

[carbonazza]

The Honsen website is also terribly slow.  Looks like just another me too trading company that also posts false information if they say they are using T1000 carbon when, according to Peter, is unlikely since no Chinese manufacturers have access to T1000 carbon.

May be we can give Honsen the benefit of the doubt.
Until we see what kind of frame I get.
So far, everything looks to go well.
Ok, the moment of truth will come after my first big jump, ending on a sharp corner.

T1000 and T800 is just the stiffness of the carbon fiber.
The fiber/resin fraction, and how the sheets are layered in the various parts of the frames are more important.

My choice may look odd today. But end of May, I was turned off by Peter when he told me there was nobody building wheels with Lefty's hubs in... China.
This didn't give me a trusty image as I just saw a couple of hours later that light-bicycle was building them.

Then from the posts on mtbr at that time, the leading time for the IP-256 was quite worrying.
They did not even reply to the people who ordered them anymore.
So I tried Honsen as Leo was responsive and very competent too.

[Vipassana]

I was/am worried about the lead time on the IP-256 (HM-256) as I really wanted to have the bike done by the middle of August for a race in September.  Even that is cutting it close.  I ordered 3 large frames from IPlay so I guess we'll see what happens.  I won't be selling my current MTB in the mean time!  Peter was telling us ~30 days production, plus paint, plus shipping.  So probably 45-60 days.  But I hope for sooner!

[Chadding]

May be we can give Honsen the benefit of the doubt.
Until we see what kind of frame I get.
So far, everything looks to go well.
Ok, the moment of truth will come after my first big jump, ending on a sharp corner.

T1000 and T800 is just the stiffness of the carbon fiber.
The fiber/resin fraction, and how the sheets are layered in the various parts of the frames are more important.

My choice may look odd today. But end of May, I was turned off by Peter when he told me there was nobody building wheels with Lefty's hubs in... China.
This didn't give me a trusty image as I just saw a couple of hours later that light-bicycle was building them.

Then from the posts on mtbr at that time, the leading time for the IP-256 was quite worrying.
They did not even reply to the people who ordered them anymore.
So I tried Honsen as Leo was responsive and very competent too.

Your choice doesn't look odd at all. Especially concerning the wheels. The fact that Light-Bicycle can provide the hubs you want without having to ship them to them is a huge bonus.

As for the frame, I too remember when lead times were either too long or really just unknown. I suspect Iplay was encountering some serious growing pains at the time, and I'm sure they learned a thing or two bc of it. If I was them I would just post in the vendor section of chinertown and keep everyone updated all at once. Make a thread called IP-256 status and updates or something like that.

Doesn't really matter who produces the frames, that's the whole point of buying direct. All we care about is price, quality, and customer service. Quality is the same. Price is the same. All that was left was customer service.. and all things considered. Your choice makes sense to me. It is a bit of a turn off for me if Honsen is advertising T1000 and it's only T800, just as it was a turn off to you when you felt mislead.

And yeah, those wheels are bad ass.

[manmythlegend]

The T800s are heavy , and formidable but what you see is what you get.
The T1000 is a mimetic poly alloy. It can form simple shapes like blades , or bike frames. Its amazing what Skynet has done with carbon liquid metal composites.


oh and on topic sweet wheel. I admire the patience you guys have. The turnaround times are brutal for these new frames. Hopefully well worth it. 

[Patrick C.]

Oh noes!  Will dogs be able to identify these frames and warn us?   

[carbonazza]

What? We can't ride over molten steel with the 256!
That is a clear advantage for the 057.