Chinertown
Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: Nadeshiko on July 08, 2024, 11:32:18 PM
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So, I have been shopping for a pair of wheels for my overkill commuter bike for a while, and I originally intended to go with a pair of ICAN wheels, which I have previously used and was very satisfied with. However, I also wanted something a little bit more unique/flashy. I either wanted a wavy rim or a butterfly weave pattern, which I quite liked from Winspace. (Though the Hyper wheels that have this weave pattern were a little bit out of my budget range, and most importantly, I just don't want to deal with carbon spokes on a daily commuter that I throw around and lean against things all the time. You could argue that I shouldn't be getting a pair of carbon wheels to begin with, but nonetheless, I have commuted on the ICAN wheels for almost seven months with no problems.)
Anyway, I remembered that YiShun/LightCarbon also provide wheel-building services for individual buyers too. So, I got a quote from them for the price of a pair of their butterfly-weaved rims (BRD28-45C) built with DT-350. They quoted me a price of $585, which I thought was a little bit too good to be true. Almost all other Chinese wheels built with DT-350 are upwards of $800, and LightBicycle (not to be confused with LightCarbon) quoted me $900 (same with WheelsFar). I know these OEM factories are buying the hubs in bulk and getting special deals on them, but at retail, a pair of DT-350 hubs costs at least around $270, which leaves only around another $270 for the rim, the spokes, and labor. Even if labor costs are dirt cheap in China, this is still concerningly cheap.
Maybe I have been conditioned by the bigger companies to think that a good pair of wheels should cost upwards of $800, but the reality is that I am still a little concerned with this price. I know that YiShun is a very reputable OEM with huge manufacturing capacity and many bigger customers, but I have also seen some horror stories of their products arriving cracked. I am wondering if I should go with someone like LightBicycle or WheelsFar, or if I should test the waters with the Yishun wheels. Any suggestions would be appreciated, especially from those who have firsthand experience with the company. Thanks in advance.
P.S. a set of wavy rims (RBD50C) from YiShun built with DT-350 will cost 729 USD, and I am not sure how to feel about this price as there are very few reference points
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Are this price from Lightcarbon is with shipping? If not add around 120 USD for shipping. It ends up as standard price for a wheelset.
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Are this price from Lightcarbon is with shipping? If not add around 120 USD for shipping. It ends up as standard price for a wheelset.
I am in Japan so the shipping was quoted to be 61 usd on top of the wheelset. I suppose this is normal then?
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I think it's a good price then. Their OEM hubs come cheaper, but the shipping to EU is pricey. Nothing to worry about them. Lightcarbon/ProX is a good company.
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What are their prices?
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the price seems good. I got a set of wavy wheels from yuan-an (leon here at the forum) with their dt clone hub for 409$ incl. shipping to Germany.
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I'm driving the RBD50C with "their" hub... no issues so far, but I don't own a truing stand, neither have I much experience. Compared to old DT Swiss wheels, they feel very good.