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Re: Chinese cycling clothes
been using mostly aliexpress clothes for the past 4y so could say a bit about some brands.. I always try looking for those better ones, because the cheapest are trash after some months :/ Rion I had good experience years ago, but the newest stuff didn't had the chance to test yet... Darevie I have 3 bibs, 2 jerseys, and a baselayer. All are great quality, the fabric is good and comfortable, the padding is good too, at least the models I have. This blue bib from them is really great, fit well and comfortable, it's beautiful also so gotta say one of my favorites. Been curious about this one too and got it, the 'X straps' and the partially sewed chamois got my attention, but gotta say I didn't find too different from the traditional bibs From Ykywbike I have a lot of stuff, bibs, jerseys, windproof long sleeve, socks, arm and leg warmers, gloves, thermal bib.. first, they upped their game a lot in the last 1-2yrs, I had some of the old stuff and the quality difference is very clear. But still the prices nowadays are good, although higher than before This bib with a thicker chamois and this one with Elastic Interface are my favorites, the fabric is really comfortable I almost don't feel it, had 6-7h rides with them and all good too, a lot of use (1,5yrs weekly use) and still look like new this new summer jersey is a good example of the quality improvement, I compare it with my 2y old jerseys from them and it's like a different brand, better fabric, better finishing. also got some stuff from Spexcel, their jerseys are really high quality too, nice fabric, different colors from other chinese brands, got this purple, green and a beige one, all really good the bibs I got one back in 2019 and wasn't a good experience, one of the cheapest with gel padding and in less then 1y I couldn't use it anymore. I've been really curious about their latest launchings, the bibs look nice and seem to have a longer thigh length, but I've already got too many clothes lol This is something that the other brands are lacking, the thigh is a bit short on most, after riding a bit when the bib 'settles in' it looks a bit short.. hope they start launching some longer ones in the future also, something that I've learnt is that many times the cheapest items from each brand are not worth, you can spend a bit more but get much more quality with the mid-top products on these brands the same considering the whole offer of clothing.. like I mentioned in the beginning, those 'replica' jerseys and bibs, and the likes of X-Tiger and other brands that are really cheap, I don't have personal experience but a lot of friends got it and it becomes trash really quick. also worth mentioning, my references are some brazillian brands, which although we have good stuff here, are too expensive and the chinese products are same or better for a lower price. March 29, 2023, 12:42:04 PM |
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Re: 3D Printed Saddles
got this Ryet Aircode 3D for 1wk, it's too soon to say anything but initial impressions are good. The brand got me wishing to risk it, because other 3d saddles offering in Aliexpress don't look that trustworthy, this at least got 1yr warranty (at least it says it does...) I was using a Mixed 5D for bit over 1yr and was really good for a long time, until it wasn't anymore (last 2 months or so), think the padding lost resistance overtime March 29, 2023, 12:47:21 PM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
Little warning about this lightweight carbon saddle I bought... Rail snapped on the first ride. I am 64kg and it was a ride on asphalt, so nothing too rough....the big problem with the cheap 'no brand' saddles is that quality control is nonexistent, and so there's no consistency.. I've had one similar to this, rode 1yr+ and all good, know a bunch of people who had the same experience, but also of some cases of breaking in 1st use (like yours) or after some months in the end it's just a gamble April 21, 2023, 01:41:17 PM |
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Re: Consensus on replica frames ??
from what I understand, there are some different scenarios... a. open mould frames, often different companies operating within the same factory and sharing moulds b. replica moulds, reverse engineering to get to a frame design but with slight differences c. counterfeit moulds, chinese factory manufactures for western brand, normally it's in the contract they should destroy the mould after the lifespan but it ends up continuing to be used - either the same factory or a friend/sister chinese company If I remember correctly, it's Elves that produces (some?) Cervelo frames, I think that on some Francis Cade video he inspected the frame and it had some cervelo inner parts which indicated 'same component/same factory' situation. Or like this Ican/Factor situation below I work in the home appliance industry and we go through similar stuff with our chinese suppliers/factories. The thing that most people get wrong is that the manufacturing process and quality verification are much more important than the mould if the chinese company just uses the same mould but has a shit process, then it's going to be a good looking frame but shit riding, and unreliable that's not to piss on all replica frames, just that it's not that simple.. I honestly think that there are some companies that make replica's and could have a good process.. just that personally I prefer not to endorse and go with an open mould, for instance Is it the same mould? I remember chris miller mentioning that some chinese company that does direct to consumer had the factor moulds and would start selling them this year, people were saying ICAN tho. May 11, 2023, 12:48:43 PM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805023659024.htmlI have these on my bike for bit over a month now, unfortunately couldn't ride so much as I used to but got about 35h on them gotta say the material and finishing quality surprised me a bit, got some micro resin failures in the back which have no impact other than visual, and some glue excess which also have no bad effect. The carbon bonding is what got me, the rail is really well bonded to the saddle, not just like 'glued' as it's with most cheap carbon saddles (which I had 3 or 4) just don't expect too much of the 3D web, it seems to be the same through all the area of the saddle, not like the Specialized, Fizik and others which have different layering and density depending on the area for different support - but, of course, what you'd expect for that price? it's still a very decent saddle and it's comfortable, I think was an ok cost to try it and am happy with it (by now, at least) May 15, 2023, 11:06:37 AM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
just a +1 on the Lexon saddle (Ryet Aircode is the model, if I'm not wrong), I've commented some pages ago but I think it's worth mentioning the construction is really well done, the rail bond as mentioned is much better than most chinese carbon saddles, the 3D is 'simple' but seems good, been 3 months and it's holding well I believe (and hope) it'll last long.. Shape is a complex subject, it's too personal, but I've adapted well to the 'pro stealth' shape it has, the wider nose and the relief channel I like a lot, no discomfort in long rides as far as the advantages of the 3D print surface, I honestly think it's still mostly marketing at this time - even if you go to the top of the range ones, from Specialized, Fizik, SelleItalia... it really doesn't seem to do anything much different then a good advanced foam padding does. Dif density is something doable with padding, the weight is not so different as far as I know. Maybe one benefit is that the 3D structure keeps it's shape even after long hours of use (at least theoretically), while foam is bound to compress and require some time to go back to the original shape - this could impact comfort in really long rides. May 26, 2023, 07:44:30 AM |
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Re: Chinese cycling clothes
recently got 2 new pieces from YKYW this shirt which the fabric seems a bit different then the others I have from them, nice touch and comfortable, good fit. and this windvest which I'm honestly impressed. The fabric is light and comfortable, it has a type of lycra on the cuffs which help a lot with putting on/taking off, it's well ventilated but I still was well protected from the wind and cold (7 deg C riding with base layer+jersey+windvest, and all good) It's a major upgrade on the old windvest I got from them (one of the cheapest) it's just first impressions and still need to check the durability, but it seems good by now YKYWbike: Love the atheistic of their jerseys, but realising they are deteriorating faster the most others jerseys ie 10 to 15 rides and they are worse that jerseys bought over 5 years ago with 50 or more rides in them. Bought their Korea lycra cargo bibs, first impressions great, so I bought a second pair with the Elastic Interface pad, but again after regular use (maybe 20 rides each) the soft, compressive lycra is a little harsh and lost some compression. Really rate their base layers and socks.nice post and thanks for sharing the experience! interesting take on the YKYW, for me it's the other way around, some of the best experience and like 70% of my weardrobe it's from them... the shirts seem to loosen quicker, but still get 1,5yrs on them until it starts to be bad to wear.. but the bibs I got from them are all still good and compressing well, even after over 2yrs of weekly use The first one you linked. I don't really do rides under 3 hours so I'm skeptical of any "good for short rides only" reviewsyeah, I have these ones in blue with the purple chamois (Venom90 it seems to be named). The quality is very good, and to be honest seems to be the best at this price range, fits very well, it's comfortable.. all good For me it works really well for 3-4 hours, above that starts to get a bit harsh. But be aware I'm 62kg  lol
June 09, 2023, 10:47:50 AM |
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Re: Best AliExpress head & tail lights?
for headlights, +1 on the Gaciron. I got a 1400lm and it works well over what I need, also good that it works with the gopro mount and it's quick release, so really practical. It's not the cheapest, but it's high quality and will hold well over time (I have friends using their products for over 4yrs with no issues) the Towild seem to be really good too, from the reviews I see around. Now the Rockbros, Geoid, Thinkrider, and such, these don't actually manufacture the products but stamp their brand on them. Nothing wrong, but some Rockbros models are Gaciron's, if you look closely. So could be worth the research to get the best price.  for tail lights, I went over some different ones MagicShine were by far the best, and it's a well know brand in the west too, so it's a safe choice Infitnix is also a good option, I got 2 lights from them, but the water sealing sucks so I ran into issues (after some shower it just don't turn off). The warranty came through and replaced it, but now it's just my backup light if you want radar light, then take a look at Magene and Bryton too, both are the best price you can get June 09, 2023, 10:56:22 AM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
I recently switched to narrow drop bars which didn't fit my bar clamp gps mount, so I had to get a stem gps mount. I ordered the OG-EVKIN stem gps mount and the quality is top notch. The carbon mount is well-machined and solid and the mounting hardware is very good. It even comes with a pair of M5x30mm rainbow titanium screws.my whole cockpit is og-evkin, the mentioned mount CM002, plus HB002 and SM004 (the exact combination in the description of the link you shared, lol each part is really well finished, it's 2yrs of use and all good, I only had some issues with the torque, it requires a bit over the spec to properly fix, but other than that all good June 09, 2023, 03:44:00 PM |
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Re: Chinese cycling clothes
I need new cycling jerseys for road biking. What's the latest word on DAREVIE and SPEXCEL?Take some time to read the last ~5 pages, there's a bunch of reviews and feedback about both these brands and YKYWBike too From my experience, Ykywbike and Darevie are the way to go, more trustworthy products and good aftersales - I always can negotiate some extra coupon when placing an order (except over big sales, like right now), and the few issues I had I could work out through the chat and get some discount or gift in the next order. Now, Spexcel also has nice quality (I have 3 jerseys here and all good >1,5yr of use) but lately I've seen diverging opinions, some people having quality issues with them. Also, the aftersales is bad, they don't talk much on the chat and the time I had issues (dimensions different from the size table) I could only work it out with a dispute. So although I still look for their products, I take it a bit more as a gamble than the others... The 22.70 is indeed the normal price I also see when I go trough the shop itself. But in the Android app on the main page I these "Super Deals". Prices here are lower but most of the time the colours and/or sizes are restricted... The price I see now is 18.89 USD. There is for example an even lower price for these shirts, but only available in red or orange and sizes M and up. I need S so I could not use that. Price for those is 15.59 USD at the moment.yeah, the account level influences from what I know, but also changes according to product and color/size, there are very specific promotions looking at the Super Deals page is always good practice, Darevie, Ykywbike and Rion have been doing frequent sales there with special prices, but also limited quantities, so need to be quick June 13, 2023, 11:04:19 AM |
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