Has anyone come across a set of ultralight SPD pedals offered on Aliexpress??   Perhaps with a TI axles?

I have two pairs of inexpensive SPD pedals that are fairly light. Both have chromoly spindles so there are likely lighter options out there.


I have the VENZO pedals on my road bike. I weighed them at 294 g (excluding cleats) and they've been pretty good so far. No issues clipping or unclipping and the bearings are holding up after a year of use. I got them on Amazon and couldn't find the AliExpress equivalent with a brief search.
https://www.amazon.com/Venzo-Mountain-Aluminum-Clipless-Compatible/dp/B084GHS6J6/
(82x55mm option)


On my gravel bike, I have ZERAY ZP-108S pedals. These are 283 g and they've been just OK. One of the screws fell out and one pedal is a little harder to clip in and out of. The bearings have also needed some adjustments. To be fair, they've taken a few hard rock strikes. I also got these from Amazon but there are a few sellers on AliExpress as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Clipless-Compatible-Included-Multi-Great/dp/B083V1K59R
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832669914249.html

I paid about $740 for mine in fall of 2022, including headset, 2 spare derailleur hangars, and shipping to the US. I went with the standard matte finish, no painting. Certainly not the cheapest frame out there, but still only a fraction of the cost of the name brands.

Congrats, efficient and nice looking build. Curious how the EVA bar & kinesiology tape will hold up.
I have been considering something similar myself, not being a particular fan of the grip & feel of most EVA tapes.
Personally I would prefer a thinner solution - comparable to the SRAM Super Suede, but at Chinercost...

So far the kinesiology tape is holding up, although I only have about 90 miles on it. (Half with gloves, half without) It is a bit dirty though. Maybe it's the color, but it does seem to hold and show dirt more than most other tapes. It does feel nice though.

I've put about 20 miles on it since tightening the top cap bolt and it feels solid now. I have an Origin8 expansion plug and will be replacing the Carbonda plug. Hopefully that keeps it solid.

I reinstalled the carbon plug. The top bolt wasn't very tight, so maybe that was the issue. It felt more like the fork flexing than a loose headset though.

I've been having some vibrations on the fork of my Carbonda 707 gravel bike. Some times when I am riding on a bumpy surface and braking lightly, the fork will start to vibrate, like a shudder almost. I can't get it to happen on smooth surfaces, and it seems worse if I have less weight on the front wheel. The headset appears tight. I squeezed the front brake and rocked the bike back and forth and couldn't feel anything loose. The hub seems fine. I didn't check the brake rotor to make sure it's tight, but it doesn't feel or sound like that was an issue. The brakes are GRX with Shimano resin pads and Shimano rotors.


Does this indicate a problem with the fork? Or am I just somehow exciting its natural frequency in some conditions?

I think it will ultimately depend on your size and how much power you can put out. I don't really buy the idea that only one side of the hub has to transmit torque from the cassette or brake disc since the hub is rigid.


Why would radial spoke be OK on the brake side of the rear wheel? You can put similar amounts of torque with the rear brake as with the drivetrain.

I had good luck with a Trans X dropper too. They actually make many of the PNW and other droppers. They're a little bit cheaper for the same posts.