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Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: AndrzejTop on August 14, 2024, 03:35:00 AM

Title: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: AndrzejTop on August 14, 2024, 03:35:00 AM
In the near future I would like to assemble my first carbon road bike, so I am looking for a manufacturer that produces the best-made, most durable and most recommended frames that I can buy on aliexpress or directly from the manufacturer. I don't care about the lowest price, I just want to know what is the best to look out for.
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: Serge_K on August 14, 2024, 05:52:12 AM
There's no such thing as "the best".
It depends...
If you tell us the kind of rider you are, the kind of riding you do, the kind of frame you have in mind, and a sense of budget, then we can collectively tickle our butt holes and offer suggestions.
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: kbernstein on August 14, 2024, 07:00:33 AM
I've also been looking for the stiffest lightest most aero comfortable endurance frame with 60mm clearance for cheap. Let me know when you find it
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: erallen30 on August 14, 2024, 09:55:41 PM
Winspace
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: kubackje on August 15, 2024, 09:17:22 AM
In the near future I would like to assemble my first carbon road bike, so I am looking for a manufacturer that produces the best-made, most durable and most recommended frames that I can buy on aliexpress or directly from the manufacturer. I don't care about the lowest price, I just want to know what is the best to look out for.

Time alpe d'huez
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: jonathanf2 on August 15, 2024, 11:32:22 AM
Don't follow what everyone else is doing. I'm noticing the same trends with the name brand bike snobs bringing the same mentality when it comes to Chinese carbon with only Winspace/Seka/Tavelo, etc. being recommended. Before you know it, everyone will buy from Panda Podium and then you'll just have the same looking bikes just with Chinese brand labels on the down tubes.

Go do your own research on frames you like, read actual user reviews (not YT'ers or influencers) and check if the seller has good communication skills. Bombard them with questions and make sure you back your purchases with several layers of protection just in-case they end up delivering a sh*t product.

Either way half the people will tell you if you buy a particular frame/component that it will explode and you'll die in horrific bike accident! ;D
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: PLA on August 15, 2024, 01:05:58 PM
Happy with a Yishun I bought. People generally seem mostly happy with Light Carbon, Carbonda and Long Teng.

If you're spending tavelo/winspace/elilee/seka money, go and buy a cervelo soloist instead, which is similarly priced. Well, that's what I did.
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: patliean1 on August 15, 2024, 01:13:24 PM
Another vote for Yishun/Light Carbon. My Yishun R086D has been my favorite frame under $1200 in terms of fit finish, road characteristics, and even just the included hardware.

I don't think my frame is in stock anymore but I suspect any frame from Yishun/LC will be solid.
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: panel on August 17, 2024, 09:45:08 PM
Where do you buy Yishun from ?
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: 100poods on August 19, 2024, 02:36:42 PM
Recently, I discovered the Chinese version of Craigslist. A used Seka Exceed RDC frame costs around $600, and I also came across a complete bicycle with UT 8170 on Magene DB508 wheels for about $3,500. A non-SW version Tarmac SL8 is around $3,400, or a complete bike with SRAM Rival AXS for about $5,000 with a mileage of 100-300 km.

I think I will go this way when I want to build a road bike, or there will be a suitable option from the used ones.

Sometimes, you can find absolutely incredibly terrible builds from the trash. Tarmac SL8 S-Works with old DA Di2 10s, no front derailleur, and the left lever is SRAM Red, while the wheels are Lun (but I didn't understand if they just sell Winspace wheels or manufacture them), I do not know if the frame was a fake, but in the photos it did not look like one and the price was 2800.
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: tssy5 on August 20, 2024, 12:05:28 AM
Even the most recommended frames don't always produced with the same quality. The good thing about Chinese brands is that they are cheaper, so you can always keep trying different frame until you find one that works the best for you.

Having the mentality of looking for the best frame / brand isn't great, even for the well-known western brands.
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: PLA on August 20, 2024, 02:01:49 AM
Where do you buy Yishun from ?

I bought mine by emailing them directly
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: AndrzejTop on August 21, 2024, 03:53:31 AM
There's no such thing as "the best".
It depends...
If you tell us the kind of rider you are, the kind of riding you do, the kind of frame you have in mind, and a sense of budget, then we can collectively tickle our butt holes and offer suggestions.

By saying the best, I mean that I am looking for a company that produces frames of proven quality.

As for what kind of frame I'm looking for, I'd like to know a suggestion for an endurance and maybe an aero out of pure curiosity, but I'm definitely looking for something reasonably comfortable.

I usually ride 50-70 km trails but 1-2 a month I go for 100+ km trails. Other than that the rest is daily riding around town to do stuff, run errands but for that I won't be using a new bike.

The budget I have is about $1500
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: RDY on August 21, 2024, 09:32:26 AM
By saying the best, I mean that I am looking for a company that produces frames of proven quality.

As for what kind of frame I'm looking for, I'd like to know a suggestion for an endurance and maybe an aero out of pure curiosity, but I'm definitely looking for something reasonably comfortable.

I usually ride 50-70 km trails but 1-2 a month I go for 100+ km trails. Other than that the rest is daily riding around town to do stuff, run errands but for that I won't be using a new bike.

The budget I have is about $1500

If you're riding trails, get a gravel bike or MTB.  Not an endurance or aero bike.
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: swhelan on August 21, 2024, 04:09:40 PM
How about the CWind G30 carbon frame? Anyone have experience with it?
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: Pedaldancer on August 23, 2024, 05:53:59 AM
If you're riding trails, get a gravel bike or MTB.  Not an endurance or aero bike.

I have the feeling "trails" is not meant to be a MTB trail in that case  ;).. would guess a translation issue and he wanted to state that this is the ride lengths.  ;D
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: AndrzejTop on August 26, 2024, 02:12:33 AM
If you're riding trails, get a gravel bike or MTB.  Not an endurance or aero bike.

Defnitely only roads. I don't know why I wrote trails.
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: Serge_K on August 26, 2024, 02:33:15 AM
That's still a vague set of parameters. But if kind of endurance and maybe aero, I can recommend my ltk268, because it's definitely aero, but the geometry is more relaxed than the vb268 and many of the Chinese aero frames.
Either way, I'd say make sure you go with a frame that takes at least 32C. Potentially, if you want something that is really on the endurance side, a frame that takes up to 38C like the new long teng 301 may make sense. With such a wide fork you got to have more drag, but the trade off could be worth it. Also the 301 is much more recent than the 268. They're both cheap, which I think is largely due to the fact that you will not find any marketing, discount code, kick back and so on. From experience, their low price point doesn't mean they're poor quality, quite the contrary.
Check out geometry bikes geek website, I'd say don't buy anything that's more aggressive than the 268 / 301 (more aggressive means longer reach and lower stack).

Don't get a gravel bike based on the use cases you listed. Don't get something too aggressive. Do get at least 32C clearance.
I'd also say, get wide rims, like Peter s 34mm wide rims (from carbon speed Xiamen), he's on the forum. With these, you can get 30C and stick to the 105 rule. I have a 32C on this rim measuring 33.5mm and it's awesome for comfort (and grip).
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: ENEP on August 27, 2024, 01:21:29 AM
I have a Carbonda mtb-frame and a Yishun road/gravel-frame. Very pleased with both.
Title: Re: Looking for best frame brand
Post by: jaysay123 on August 29, 2024, 10:29:53 AM
I have a carbon MTB full suspension frame from Lightcarbon since summer 2023.
I'm pleased with the frame quality and would recommend their products.