See likes

See likes given/taken


Posts you liked

Pages: [1] 2 3
Post info No. of Likes
Re: Titanium Gravel bike: PYTitans build thread
Thats a great looking build! Did you have to source your own fork or was that part of the deal with PYTitans? Paint job on it looks fantastic.

I chose a different fork from the Aliexpress seller Cwind:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003127524864.html

The quality was not as good as I hoped, I had to clean up the threads and the contact area for the flat mount calipers.
But with some elbow grease the problems were solved.

I decided to give a home made paint job a go and used the "marble" look. Automotive "Blue metallic" spray paint and a plastic foil were used to transfer the pattern to the fork.
The original matte black was sanded slightly with 800 grit sandpaper in preparation of the paint job.
To finish the surface I gave it two coats of clear 1k automotive grade lacquer.
Here is a video where I got the idea for the paint job:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PuX8LNhLNTI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Maybe a full frame paint job in the future....   ;D

January 21, 2022, 01:53:20 AM
1
Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? I want to throw out that TPU tubes have one major downside - they are NOT patchable long-term. Despite meticulous cleaning and application, every glueless TPU patch has failed on me after a few days or weeks at best.
Ridenow and Cyclami TPU tubes are still good value, but if you puncture, treat patches a temporary fix to get home and be prepared to throw the tubes out eventually.
I'm cheap and don't like being wasteful, so I switched back to butyl tubes for training rides which I can patch over and over again. I still use TPU tubes for racing and as a spare.

Other Aliexpress items I can definitely recommend:
- $18 2x Carbon bottle cages (Bontrager XXX knockoffs)
- $24 Elita One carbon saddle (the Specialized Power knockoff one)
- $425 Elitewheels carbon rim brake wheels with Powerway R13 hubs and Pillar Wing 20 spokes, 47mm deep and 27mm wide, 1500g. Used for ~3800 miles and no issues except having to retrue each wheel once. No issues braking even on 3000ft+ descents.
- $20 Magene H303 heart rate monitor with chest strap
- $8 2x CYCPLUS Cadence/Speed dual sensors. Yes I got two of them for $8.
- $20-30 Spexcel Jerseys and Bibs

Steer clear from these:
- Kactus Titanium QR skewers. I don't know what Trace Velo was thinking, these are awful. Lots of friction, loose rattling fit on the threads for the nut, extremely sharp edges on the lever that make it impossible to close the lever with any force. Just completely unusable.
- Cheap unbranded stems. The one I got had paint overspray in the clamping areas and screw holes which was a pain to get rid of. The screw holes faces on the faceplate weren't flat and could cause a stress raiser if I torqued the bolts up, so I had to use a faceplate from a different stem I had. Not worth cutting every dollar for an important part of your bike - stick to Kalloy/UNO alloy stems with lots of reviews or western brands.

October 15, 2023, 03:42:08 PM
1
Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? Warning, fairly long post incoming. I've spent a lot of money on AliExpress over the years. I thought of doing a video like TraceVelo with my top 5 best and worst but I didn't want to just copy him. Anyways, here's a semi-short list of various items over the years. I broke it down into: Awesome, Not So Good, and Meh (kind of in the middle). In no particular order.

Awesome:
- Carbon bottle cages (Carbon Works copy): 7-8g each, cost was around $20 so not super cheap but better than $80 or whatever the real ones cost, and they've been solid. Have to make sure you get the updated version with a perpendicular bottom lip. I have 4 total and love these (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805102025523.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.c81b38daE33I3q&mp=1&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa)
- Elita One seatposts: I have three on three different bikes and they've all been rock solid and offer a good weight savings
- Black Inc copies (handlebars and full cockpit): really like these, plenty stiff and decent weight. Actually can't find the handlebars any longer which is a shame because I wanted to pick up another pair. The full cockpit is my favorite bar out there
- UNO (Kalloy UNO) stems: probably the best price to weight stem available on the market. Period. Amazing stems, I have like 4 of them in different sizes on various bikes.
- Magene PES P505 power meter and crankset: $300 for a power meter and crankset is crazy good. And they're just as accurate as western brands. Straight swap for Shimano cranks and chainrings, took 15 minutes to make the swap without any issue. Only small problem is inherent in many spider power meters is they don't do well with oval chainrings (read high). But really hard to beat for a budget power meter
- Spexcel long thermal tights: only one ride so far but they're really nice
- Stone oval 1x chainring: nice and solid, looks good and feels well built
- DIY Di2 satellite shifters: probably one of my favorite purchases of all time. They're way cheaper than real shifters, low profile so easily hidden, and you get two buttons for one wire. They've been amazing. Hard to ride without them on my other bikes (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805615867809.html?spm=a2g0n.order_detail.order_detail_item.3.274cf19c5jJ5OE&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa)
- random aero socks: cost like $4, decent quality, no aero data but they look and feel just like my much more expensive ones
- Sigeyi direct mount derailleur hanger: more expensive but high quality and low weight, lots of colors
- Mixed brand direct mount derailleur hanger: cheaper but only comes in gray
- WestBiking 3D printed saddle: almost put it in the meh category, but it's a decent saddle, just didn't work out becuase the shape of it required a zero setback seatpost to slam it forward enough. But they did get the firmness in the right spots
- Ti bolts: I've bought so many from various companies. All have been good.

Not So Good:
- Tarmac stem computer mount: does its job, little heavy, weird spacing of screw holes makes swapping the actual mount piece impossible
- Alpinist Cockpit copy: good weight at 250g for bar/stem, but insanely flexy and the computer mount rivnut broke on the second ride and you can't use normal round bar mounts
- ZTTO bar tape (Supacaz copy): terrible quality. I bought some pink tape and the whole top layer was gone by the end of my first ride and my gloves were pink. Like it seriously lasted a single ride.
- Spexcel arm warmers: ripped when pulling them on the very first time
- Balugoe 3D printed saddle (Power Mirror copy): really bad quality. The rails were angled in such a way that the nose was pointing upwards at a very steep angle. Could barely get a level saddle position. The firmness of the 3D material was wrong, too. The rear was super soft (like a sponge) that you sunk in and could feel the carbon base, but the front was rock hard and super uncomfortable.
- Darevie jersey: low quality, weird fit (loose in torso but super tight in armpits), corny phrases on sleeves
- TanTan X19 frameset: terrible quality, multiple issues with frame and supplied (and missing) parts. Even worse customer service, threatened to doxx me (my name, home address and phone number) when I put in a claim

Meh:
- OG-EVKIN bar tape (Lizard Skinz copy) - not bad, nothing special but it's decent. Slightly more slippy when wet than real Lizard Skinz
- Ride Now TPU tubes: I went back and forth on whether these should be on the awesome list or not. They're super light and make a great saddle bag backup tube. They're pretty cheap and you can get a bunch in bulk for a great price. But mine have been hit or miss with quality. I bought a 4 pack recently and 2 had holes right out the box. And you can't really test them out prior to use if you want to pack them down small for your bag. So far, I've bought 10 and 3 have holes without ever being ridden.
- Spexcel jerseys: sizing is odd, L was too big and M fit like a toddler's jersey. Just too big of a gap between sizes. Decent quality otherwise just weird sizing for me


Making this list just informed me on how much I've spent to "save money."

Edit: Fixed the link for the Di2 satellite shifters.

October 15, 2023, 07:29:47 PM
1
Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? Second what others have recommended
Uno alloy stems
RideNow TPU tubes (36g in use, 24g waiting to try)
YBN chains (all my bikes run waxed YBN chains, including run about ratbike)
Rhinowalk bags (gym, handlebar, top tube and seat roll in use, quality is excellent)
XXX copy bottle cages (no worse at scratching bottles than other brands and more reliable than other brands, ie don’t break or eject bottles)

To add
Uno alloy handlebars, both road and gravel and my flared gravel bar has seen abuse.
MZYRH flat pedals
Wellgo red cleats (exactly the same as Favero and Powertap cleats)
Zeray ZP-110 look keo compatible pedals
AOlikes headband, sits under your helmet and silicone gutter stops sweat getting in your eyes.
TPU folding flask - make your own gels 250ml worth and stick it in your back pocket
Generic HR bands for Garmin HR, a consumable product but lasts as long as gamins, cheaper and comes in a range of colours.
Generic alloy computer mount (Garmin or Wahoo) with GoPro mount underneath that mounts to your handlebar with hinge.
Deemount tubeless sealants injectors
Deemount side loading bottle cages
Cheji cycling kit (just need to be aware pricing fluctuates madly)

To avoid
Generic alloy computer mount that mounts to your stem with two bolts, cracked too many to recommend
Plastic computer mount with GoPro mount underneath that mounts to your handlebar, again cracked too many.
Replica/copies/cheap cycling kit, especially bibs with the multicoloured 5D pads.

October 17, 2023, 11:55:57 PM
1
Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? My list of recommended:

E
  • lita One seatpost.
    Dodici handlebars.
    Ridenow tubes.
    RhinoWalk bags.
    Uno stems.
    For carbon rims: Deerobust & Bitranz.
    Random 3M Heli tape stuff.
    I've had some carbon cages for about 8 years now which are not like the XXX ones but have lasted many miles and still going strong.
    TiTo Titanium. Had lots of bolts from them as well as a set of forks and bars and they've been great.
    Gararuk derailleur cages and pulleys. Honestly, cannot see or feel a difference between these and genuine but are less than half price, they're practical and look better imo.
    SQLab inner bar-end clones, same weight, half price, seem solid.
    Yuniper and powerway lefty hubs.

Not recommended:
B
  • ar tape, inexpensive but most i've tried feel shite and rubbery but not in a good way, just a cheap way. There will be good ones out there of course.
    Clothing generally, some items I liked but the sizing is whack and varies too much from one place to another.
    OG-Evkin (maybe not spelled that right) carbon forks. I always need to face the disc brake mounts and each one i've had has varied in the lower steerer diameter a fair amount. I give this product a meh. It does the job once you overcome the initial shortcomings.
    Airwolf
Highball Clone - Seattube split after about 400 miles of road riding. No after care and, although it was not a huge expense, it was still a wasted one.


October 18, 2023, 07:45:26 AM
1
Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? So far this year, I have ordered 75 items from Aliexpress. (63, cycling related items)   I have been very please with almost all the items I have purchased.   Only one item this year has had problems.  it is an ultralight 2 person tent I purchased.  The lightweight carbon poles broke on me during a bike packing trip, so I ended up purchasing a Big Agnes tent in Steamboat Springs, Colorado as I rode through the town.

The tent and fly cover is high quality, but the poles suck!  The "Ultralight Camping Store says they are working on a better quality/stronger set of poles for me. (It has been 3 months now since I heard back from them)

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832732594133.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.214.10931802ZCdDIj&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa



October 19, 2023, 10:57:49 AM
1
Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? Good:
- Sportspy aero socks. Aero socks are already the best drag saved per $ item, but you can get 90% of what R28 sells from sportspy for less than 1/2 the price
- Ridenow TPU, in the 19g guise
- XCADEY crankset with spider mounted powermeter
- various carbon handlebars: integrated, drop, MTB, you name it, I've pretty much never ordered a terrible handlebar on aliex
- various carbon seatposts
- knockoff sunglasses of all kinds
- Ardunel Mandible knockoff bottle cages. Most recently bought a pair from Yao Bin, they're dec
- CCN light overshoes: if your shoe size is small enough, I quite like these
- 1-piece SROAD CNC steel cassettes (SRAM x-dome knockoff). I know a lot of people shit on these, but I frankly find them to be fine and exceptionally light for the price. I've bought 4 so far I've had examples in 10, 11, and 12s. All perform great.

Mid:
- LTWOO hydraulic groupset: pretty alright performance but shifter broke over a pothole

Bad:

- Magene QED P325 powermeter crankset with integrated chainring: chainring is soft and gets out of true. Expensive. Magene has been terrible to work with on this for warranty, I'm basically screwed. The crankset isn't compatible with any other chainrings. Power meter isn't exactly accurate. Crank arm+power meter design is pretty un-aero since the strain gauge units protrude a lot.

- ZRace direct mount brake calipers: they suck. Not well manufactured. Leaky. Don't bleed well. Wide/bulky, which makes them un-aero.




October 19, 2023, 10:17:52 PM
1
Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
Thoughts on this super light, one piece $100 stem? Size 100 clocks in at 68 grams. Disaster waiting to happen?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805838732256.html


I think this was discussed somewhere in another thread. Someone worded it nicely, only buy if you don't value your teeth. A cheap copy of an already very fragile product can't be trustworthy. If you're that worried about weight, the classic cheap UNO stem and shaving your pubes will yield the same result for cheaper and is safer

October 26, 2023, 02:26:26 AM
1
Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? Looking through my orders, I realize just how much bike stuff I've bought on Aliexpress...  might as well contribute my experiences. I'm not going to review the genuine name-brand (pretty much all Shimano) components I've bought, as those are known quantities. The subsections below are in no particular order, as I'm just going through my order history to compile this list.

Best of the best to very good

Very good to good
  • Generic front light: I think this is the same one sold by "Offbondage" (lol) and a few other stores, but this one doesn't have branding which is why I went for it specifically. Nice and bright with a flashing mode, has a good bar mount, USB C charging. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804897699962.html
  • OG EVKIN HB010: good shape, reasonably light, external cable routing for easy setup. I have this bar on my commuter and it works well. Only reason I don't rate it higher is because the first one I had snapped when my bike fell over in its stand - can't really fault it for that but my other carbon bars have survived their bikes tipping over. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805458531947.html
  • Generic bike baskets: I use 2 of these on the front rack of my commuter for light but bulky cargo loads. Not super well-made but they do the job and fold down for storage off the bike. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805376389581.html
  • Sunshine cassettes: I've had 3 of these; 2 11-speed (11-36 and 11-42) and one 12-speed (11-46). They shift fine, not quite as good as Shimano but that's to be expected. Very heavy though. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803959318100.html
  • AVID HS1 brake rotors (definitely copies): 6-bolt only, but they don't warp because they're thick, they brake well, and they're incredibly cheap. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832609689188.html
  • Nipple holder: makes the process of lacing a wheel much nicer. For 3 bucks, well worth it. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802890581426.html
  • ZRACE Blade MTB crankset: simple fitment and steel axle, same as Shimano hollowtec cranks. Reasonably light, graphics aren't too obtrusive and the included chainring is surprisingly good. I have found that it creaks a bit when it gets dirty but it's so easy to pop off and clean that this isn't a major issue. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800868849020.html
  • Spcycle M05 frame: size medium in glossy red color came in at 877 grams - amazing! Despite the weight, it's been a very solid hardtail for my not-very-extreme needs. Only drawback is the rear driveside dropout is too thick for the stock hanger so I had to file down the hanger to make room. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802796251755.html

Good to meh
  • TOSEEK 143 saddle: the shape works fine for me. The construction quality is decent but the middle unsupported section tends to sag a bit too much imo. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805099852978.html
  • ZTTO MTB cassette: shifts ok, not nearly as good as the Deore cassette I was using on my previous MTB groupset. But this cassette is amazingly light, the claimed weights are accurate, and I think at least some of the shifting issues I have are down to some derailleur hanger issues on my MTB frame. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255800094553452.html
  • IIIPro centerlock disc rotors: they don't warp which was a major improvement on the Dura-Ace rotors I was using, but after about 500 miles they developed a squeal I couldn't get rid of even with brake cleaner and sanding their surface. Swapped to Campy Ekar rotors and have been very very pleased with them. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804105057808.html
  • ZRACE Hardrock crankset: I've used two of these. One has lived on my gravel bike for 1,500 miles, has been beaten up, fully submerged multiple times, been put through singletrack riding and 1200 watt sprints, and is basically brand new. The other one had the axle and driveside crankarm separate and develop play within 100 miles on my commuter where it never saw any abuse. So... ymmv. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2252799820023948.html

Meh to bad
  • Ridenow TPU tube: I only use these as backup tubes on my road bike. The one time I had to use it, I was riding close to home with a friend and he punctured with no spare tube, so I threw this in his tire and it flatted within 5 minutes. Fortunately I was able to ride home and bring him a butyl tube! I tried patching it when I got home but it failed with 3 different patches.. So small and so light, but this really is an option of last resort in my saddle bag. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803826508749.html
  • Sensah SRX Pro: The shifting was very good, but the clutch on the derailleur was so weak that it dropped my chain several times a ride. I quickly replaced it with a Deore rear derailleur + JTek shiftmate which worked ok. The braking was ultimately the dealbreaker - see below - but I kept the shifters around on my commuter bike, paired with a SRAM Force 1x rear derailleur, and the shifting was great and the braking much better with rim brakes. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802576089351.html

Just plain bad
  • Juintech F1 brake calipers: I just could never get these to brake all that well. I tried different pads, rotors, preload adjustment, etc etc etc; ultimately I was descending a notoriously steep and winding local road and I nearly lost all braking power, even after stopping and letting the system cool down for almost 10 minutes. I ordered 105 hydraulic shifters and brakes the next day and they're infintely better. Don't bother with these or other cable/hydro solutions, just go hydro. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255799928780428.html

November 01, 2023, 05:34:35 PM
1
Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? I'll add a few of my recommendations :



November 02, 2023, 08:04:33 PM
1