Frankly I'm skeptical. But I'm also willing to be persuaded that they're truly equivalent to the name-brand helmets sold in the US and elsewhere.

I wonder if some of us could buy Chinese bike helmets and have them tested at the Virginia Tech lab: https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html

As you can see from the ratings there, the correlation between price and protection is weak at best.

Anyone who's been shopping for Chinese bikes and parts will start to recognize that the same companies own several storefronts under different names.
As an aid to the newcomer to Chinertown, here are a few of the ones I've noticed. Additions and corrections welcomed.

• Airwolf Official Store (AliX)
  Airwolf Cycling Dreams Store (AliX)
  Airwolf_factory_bike (DHgate)
  Yaoflying Official Store (?) (AliX)
  
• Bai xintai cycling Store (AliX)
  BXT Official Store (AliX)
  Gogoing Store (AliX)
  
• ICAN BIKE EQUIPMENT CO., LTD Official Store (AliX)
  Shenzen Ican Sports Equipment Co., Ltd. (AliX)
  IMUST Official Store (AliX)
  ICAN Cycling (https://icancycling.com/)
  TRIAERO (https://triaero.com/)
  
• lexon Official Store (AliX)
  Everjoy Industry Co., Ltd Store (AliX)
  JAWBONE Official Store (AliX)
  RYET Official Store (AliX)
  Shenzen BKR Bicycle Co., Ltd (http://lexonbicycles.com/)
  
• Lightcarbon (https://www.lightcarbon.com/)
  Yishunbike (https://www.yishunbike.com/)
  
• OG-EVKIN Official Store (AliX)
  OG-EVKIN Store (AliX)
  OG-EVKIN . Store (AliX)
  
• Seraph Official Store (AliX)
  Seraph factory Store (AliX)
  Seraph Bikes (https://www.seraphbikes.com/)
  Shenzen TanTan Sports Equipment Co., Ltd. (http://www.tantancycling.com/)
  tantansports (DHgate)
  
• Spcycle Store (AliX)
  Shenzen Smile Team Store (AliX)
  SPCYCLE (https://www.sp-cycle.com/)
  
• Thrust Carbon Bike Store (AliX)
  Thrust Sporting Goods Store (AliX)
  
• Tideace Official Store (AliX)
  Tideace Direct Store (AliX)
  Haideli Bikes (https://www.haidelibikes.com/)
  
• TWITTER Bicycle flagship Store (AliX)
  TWITTER bike factorymonopoly store (AliX)
  
• WINOWCYCLE Store (AliX)
  FINTOWON Official Store (AliX)
  WINOWSPORTS (http://www.winowsports.com/)
  

Not a lot to show, but progress has been made. The Hope hub, an SQLab 30X bar, a pair of Ergon grips, and a OneUp dropper post are now in my hands. I finished rebuilding the front wheel just a few minutes ago.

The bearings in the suspension are all standard industry sizes. The trunnion bearings, the rocker pivot, and the rocker-to-seatstay bearings (that's 6 total) are all 10mm ID x 19mm OD x 5mm wide. The industry part number is 6800-2RS. The 2 swing arm bearings are 15x28x7mm, industry #6902-2RS. (The -2RS stands for "2 rubber seals".)

The bearing locations all have room for wider bearings, but you'll probably need longer bolts. The 6800-2RS can be replaced with a 3800-2RS. This is a 10x19x7mm double row angular contact bearing which should withstand a substantial radial load. This bearing is not all that common, but it is available and not outrageously expensive. Real World Cycling (a.k.a. EnduroForkSeals dot com) has a 3800 bearing which is 8mm wide. As far as I can tell that is not a standard size - I think they advertise it as a replacement for a specific Trek model.

The first photo shows the rocker pivot bearing - note the excess threadlocker compound that flaked off.

I unscrewed several of the suspension bolts to get a better look at them. (This may have been a mistake.) The bolts are all aluminum. Given my recent experience with Chinese threads in aluminum, that makes me a little nervous. They all had threadlocker on them when I removed them.

The rocker pivot and the rocker-to-seatstay bolts are the same size. The bolts are 10mm x 1.5 pitch, with a small 14mm diameter x 2mm high shoulder under the 19mm diameter head. The length under the shoulder is 19mm, of which only the last 11 mm are threaded. The bearing rides on the unthreaded shank, and on the shoulder. The second photo shows the rocker bolt removed from the first photo.

The shock trunnion bolts are also 10mm diameter, but with the standard trunnion 1mm pitch (which is considered extra fine). The bolts also have a 19mm head and a 14x2mm shoulder, and 15mm under head length, of which the last 10mm are threaded. I cross-threaded this bolt trying to get it back in, which is why I said it may have been a mistake to take it all apart. I finally got it back in straight. I think it'll be OK. But I'm already looking for a replacement. The 3rd photo shows the trunnion bolt before I cross-threaded it.

The swing arm bearings ride on an axle which extends through the front triangle. There's a bolt on the right end of the axle, it's a serious shoulder bolt. Threads are 12mm x 1.25mm pitch, 18mm long. The shoulder on which the ID of the bearing rides is 15mm diameter by 7mm long. There's a second shoulder, looks to be 19x1mm, directly under the 28mm diameter head. See the 4th photo.

I hope to find time tomorrow to run the seatpost cable in the frame and install the post itself. Once that's in place, i can install the bottom bracket and crank, trim the cables and brake hoses, and go looking for a saddle and a chain.

I bought a pair of Goldix GDX 370 hubs on AliExpress. The first time I tried to mount a brake rotor on the front hub, the threads stripped out of 2 of the 6 bolt holes! I contacted the vendor, they asked for pictures, I sent them, they told me it was my fault.

Fortunately no such problem with the rear... but I'm not expecting the 36T star ratchet to last very long, after the experience with the stripped rotor holes.

DO NOT BUY FROM GOLDIX.

To wrap this up, my frame left the vendor on Sept. 17, and was finally at my door on Dec. 21. That's 95 days in transit, give or take an International Date Line.

Lots of progress tonight. I tapped out the factory-installed upper headset race without incident, and pressed in the race that came with my ZTTO headset. I installed a Cane Creek Helm II fork, temporarily using a 70mm stem and an old Titec Pluto riser bar. The stem may stay, but I will definitely need a wider bar.

I got a set of take-off SRAM Code RSC take-offs for a good price off eBay, from a bike dealer in SoCal. I mounted the calipers, but the rear caliper bolts are too long for this frame. I need to find shorter bolts.  I already had brake rotors (203mm front, 180mm rear). When I tried to install the front rotor, 2 of the 6 bolt holes in the Goldix GDX 370 front hub stripped before I could get them up to torque! I've complained to the vendor. We'll see how that works out. The rear hub didn't have that problem, fortunately. But now I need to replace the front hub and rebuild the wheel.

I mounted the ZTTO 11-speed cassette and Sensah derailleur and shifter. Routing the shifter cable housing and the rear brake hose was a hassle, but nowhere near as bad as I'd feared. I won't cut either to length until I have a handlebar.

I took an old seatpost and measured the insertion depth. I came up with 160mm (this is the 17.5" frame). Looks like my best bet is a OneUp Dropper V2 150mm. I may not be able to use all the travel, but I can shim it down to 140mm. That's more travel than I can get with any other post in this frame.

After months of staring at a pile of parts, it's starting to look like a bike! Still a long ways to go, though. I have to buy and install some cockpit parts (bar, saddle, dropper post, pedals) and a chain, and rebuild the front wheel, before it'll be rideable.

First order of business was taking out the shipping strut and installing a Manitou Mara shock in its place. The trunnion end fit snugly, as it should; but the rocker end was too tight to fit the mounting hardware, so I took one side of the rocker off for a look.

First good sign: all the bolts had a threadlocking compound applied, and were TIGHT.

The rocker and trunnion ride on 19 x 10 x 5mm bearings, sealed on both sides. This is the common 6800 size. Bearings are pressed into the frame and rocker such that bolt torque holds them in on one side, and a ridge in the bore holds them in on the other.

There appear to be some tooling marks on the inside of the trunnion mount, where they won't be seen once the bike is assembled.

More pics...

However, while tightening the hardware using a torque wrench, I stripped out the head of Torx screw for the rocker pivot.  I'm sure it was partly my technique, but perhaps the screw wasn't the highest quality.

Perhaps?! If you stripped a Torx head without overtorquing the bolt, the bolt was clearly defective, either in manufacture or (my bet) material choice. That just shouldn't happen.