Chinertown

Chinese Carbon MTB => 26er & 27.5 (650b) => Topic started by: MTB2223 on January 18, 2016, 05:01:50 PM

Title: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: MTB2223 on January 18, 2016, 05:01:50 PM
Started a new project.

I've got a daugther. She's 5'4"" tall and outgrown her current bike, a 15,5" carbon Specialized Stumpjumper 2009. So, she needed a new bike.
Because she's riding races in the Netherlands and last year she became Dutch Champion in her age (11 yr), there were some requirements for her new bike. It should be light, reliable and it should fits her well.

Should we buy a new bike or build a bike on our own, like I did for myself ?
Of course it would be a Chiner. Nothing more fun than building a bike together with your daugther.  And I've got really good experience with building a chiner myself.
So, we contacted Peter of XMCarbonSpeed.com (http://www.xmcarbonspeed.com). And Peter was willing to sponsor my daugther because of her results and the help I gave Peter during his startup his own new company (also credits to Sitar_Ned and Carbon_Dude).

In November Peter send us a 18" CS-136 27.5-er frame with a FK-052 fork. It came in in the beautifull UD black finish, but you know how girls are, the bike needed a design. So, my daugther thought some weeks about a design. Putting painter's tape on the bike, draw her decals on the bike and finally she knew what she wanted. A bike in gray with flakes and neon pink decals. Huh ? I tried to changes her mind to a complete neon yellow bike, but she wasn't sensitieve for my ideas. So, I digitilize her ideas and went to a local painter.
After three weeks (almost the end of Decembre) and a lot of communication with the painter, we got the frame and fork back. At that moment, I was really glad she didn't changed her mind :)
The painter putted two clear paint layers with flakes, two clear paint layers, neon pink decals and again two clear paint layers (total 96 gram). On some places you can see the carbon-'flames' through the paint. So nice!

Now the time was come to building up the bike. Together with my daugther. She was very interesting in how everything works, in all the ins and outs. And that's good. If there's a problem with her bike, she can fix is by herself or if she can't, she can exactly tell me where or what the problem is.
The build went well. The only issue we had was some left-overs from the painter. There was some paint in the BSA BB. And at the drop-out we had to sand some paint away. After that, it was a piece of cake to put all the parts together.

We used only new part like:
   - Shimano XT M8000, 1x11, 34T, 11-42T
   - Wheeltec wheelset (Ryde Edge rims with wheeltec hubs). Weight 1345gr.
   - Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25 tyres. Tubeless.
   - XTR pedals
   - Carbon handlebar, stem, seatpost (3k weave)
   - Procraft light weight saddle
   - 16gr grips

Tip: When you ordering a carbon fork, order it together with a axle. I forgot this and I couldn't find one in Europe. Peter sent me the correct axle.

The day before her 12th birthday the bike was ready.
This nice birthday present got a final weight of 8.3 kg (18.3 lbs), without pedals and accessories.
Of course she was very happy with her new  light weight racing bike. Hopefully she has a lot of fun on this bike during her races. Don't care if she wins or not, the only important thing is the fun-factor.

A final word to Peter of XMCarbonSpeed.com (http://www.xmcarbonspeed.com): Thank you for sponsoring my daugther and being one of the people who makes it possible for her to ride her dream. Thank you!

Here're some pictures of the final result:
(http://i.imgur.com/Wo8cEKn.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/IKI54wW.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/6I9N9y8.jpg)

And here are some pictures of the design/painting/building proces:
(http://i.imgur.com/cCd3JNl.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/ILo9z6B.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/Cx5FLXY.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/FiHhrYk.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/9OLsdme.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/bTIVhwF.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/lS1SkmK.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/ckldXi5.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/ZHw8TPY.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/LUJI3qM.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/iedJDNf.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/NMC6AUz.jpg)
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: cmh on January 18, 2016, 06:00:00 PM
That design she came up with is gorgeous. I've always loved metalflake paint jobs, and this looks to be a real nice one. Everything about that bike screams "pro!"  - I think you've got to admit that neon yellow would have been much less impressive.

Very cool story, here's to hoping she has many great races on it!
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: MTB2223 on January 18, 2016, 06:03:26 PM
I think you've got to admit that neon yellow would have been much less impressive.
Yes, I agree :)
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: Sitar_Ned on January 18, 2016, 07:13:39 PM
Like I already told you, this would have literally been the coolest thing in the world to me when I was her age. I used to sit around and obsessively look at the old bike mags and piece together my dream bike.. of course, I was always a couple thousand bucks over my budget of about $150! Very cool thing to do for your kid man. It looks awesome and I hope she wins many races on it! 
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: Carbon_Dude on January 18, 2016, 08:24:44 PM
She has a couple of great parents who also like bikes!
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: MTB2223 on January 26, 2016, 07:04:43 AM
She has a couple of great parents who also like bikes!
Thank you. We certain like bikes. It's fun to ride with our kids.

Like I already told you, this would have literally been the coolest thing in the world to me when I was her age. I used to sit around and obsessively look at the old bike mags and piece together my dream bike.. of course, I was always a couple thousand bucks over my budget of about $150! Very cool thing to do for your kid man. It looks awesome and I hope she wins many races on it!
Thank you. How many races she wins isn't important to me. The fun factor is much more important.
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: MTB2223 on February 23, 2016, 05:37:24 AM
Today my trust in AliExpress Carbon handlebars flew away ...

My daugther is okay. It just broke when she was hopping.
(http://i.imgur.com/wMZIlEA.jpg)

I'll contact peter for a new one ...
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: Sitar_Ned on February 23, 2016, 07:05:52 AM
Wow, glad to hear she's ok!

I still stand by my recommendation of buying everything Chinese carbon except handlebars.. That's what I did when building my bike and that's what I'll continue to tell people on the forums. I realize that there are literally thousands of chiner carbon bars out there being abused and doing just fine but it just seems that no other component on the bike is put in as stressful a situation as the bars - I mean the way handlebars are mounted on an mtb it's almost as if we are trying to break them. It's a long thin tube that is clamped in the middle and constant pressure is being applied on the very ends. With my build I went with Easton Haven carbon bars which are some of the most trusted and still not 100% confident in them.. I actually think my next build will be full chiner carbon and perhaps Thomson aluminum bars. Maybe I'm being paranoid but I'm just not 100% comfortable riding on carbon handlebars even though I have some of the best you can get.

That being said, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts when comparing the ones that broke from Ali Express and the ones you get from Peter.
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: Carbon_Dude on February 23, 2016, 07:08:03 AM
I have carbon bars from Peter on both my bikes, only my stems and one seatpost are not Chinese carbon.  I have broken one Chinese carbon seatpost, that was when I first built my -057 (broke on my first ride), XMIplay quickly gave me a refund on the post and I instead purchased an Easton carbon post.

So, I am also a bit cautious when it comes to carbon parts but two sets of bars, another seatpost, two frames, and a set of carbon wheels have all been very good so far.
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: bxcc on February 23, 2016, 02:25:04 PM

Very glad to hear she is ok too. I just put some Workswell bars on my daughters bike and this isn't what I was hoping to see.

For my bikes, I tend to agree with Sitar-Ned. You can find Easton Haven or Havoc carbon bars on Amazon.com for under $100 at any given time. For me, the extra $70 is worth it. Not that it is bulletproof, just that I hope the odds will be better that it won't break due to quality control.
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: JohnSpeed on February 23, 2016, 06:33:58 PM
Hmm.. I think I'll follow the advice in this thread.. going to buy chiner frame, rims and seat and name brand seat post and bars.

Good info being shared here, thanks guys. And glad your daughter is ok!
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: cmh on February 24, 2016, 10:29:17 AM
First - DAMN, very glad she's okay.

Aside from several instances of broken bars seen here on the forums, my biggest beef with the bars from Peter (I have three sets now) is that they are almost straight. Never took the time to measure the angle, but it's very low. I want to get carbon bars for my bike, but it comes with 9 degree bars, and the same width bars from Peter in the same stem would be effectively like running a 10-15mm longer stem.

I think the carbon risers that I got from Peter are a little bit more of a sweep, but something about them didn't feel right. Not that they felt like they'd break - just talking about hand position.
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: MTB2223 on February 24, 2016, 11:19:30 AM
Because her training season starts tomorrow, I bought a carbon handlebar for the LBS, a Giant Connect SLR XC, but I'll certainly buy a new handlebar from Peter. No more AliExpress handlebars for me. Although, I've got no issue's with my handlebar for almost two years now. And I'm heavier than my 12yr old daughter (82kg vs 43kg).
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: cmh on February 24, 2016, 11:39:45 AM
I just had a thought.

First thought is damn, glad she's okay after something like that. Handlebars and forks are two things where a failure can go VERY BADLY very quickly. Most failures in other components can be survived without a huge problem.

Second thought - and the one I just had - is DAMN I'm glad that paint didn't get scratched. :D  :D
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: MTB2223 on February 24, 2016, 11:59:58 AM
Second thought - and the one I just had - is DAMN I'm glad that paint didn't get scratched. :D  :D
Hmmm, now you mention this, we didn't look for scratches yet. :) It's my third thought , I guess :). My second thought was: how do I get the bike ready for tomorrow.

(http://i.imgur.com/YQhp1Wf.jpg)
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: cmh on February 24, 2016, 01:53:03 PM
I hate to say this, but that printing on the bar is exactly the same as the one bar I got from Peter. Possibly same factory?

Also, what's with the electrical tape? Looks like it's already on the new bar as well.
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: MTB2223 on February 24, 2016, 02:15:05 PM
Also, what's with the electrical tape? Looks like it's already on the new bar as well.
During the races she rides, she's riding with a number plate attached to the handlebar with try raps. The tape is to prevent scratches from the ty raps. We're careful with our bikes ;)
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: cmh on February 24, 2016, 02:40:19 PM
Also, what's with the electrical tape? Looks like it's already on the new bar as well.
During the races she rides, she's riding with a number plate attached to the handlebar with try raps. The tape is to prevent scratches from the ty raps. We're careful with our bikes ;)

Wow, Grace runs number plates, with just about a race every weekend during the summer - I've never bothered with tape to protect the bars, and can't say I've noticed any scratches. I'd be more annoyed by the residue the electrical tape leaves behind - unless you change it regularly.

In retrospect you've gotta admit it's pretty funny protecting the outside of a bar that failed from the inside.  ;D
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: Sitar_Ned on February 26, 2016, 06:57:25 AM
Hmm.. I think I'll follow the advice in this thread.. going to buy chiner frame, rims and seat and name brand seat post and bars.

Good info being shared here, thanks guys. And glad your daughter is ok!

This is precisely what I'd recommend. Good call. You'll still save a ton of money doing it this way. So far, there seems to be no extra risk incurred with the seats, frames, fork, and rims. I'm not confident in saying the same for the seat post and handlebars.

Just my 2 cents. I am by no means some type of carbon expert.

I hate to say this, but that printing on the bar is exactly the same as the one bar I got from Peter. Possibly same factory?

Would be good info if we could get confirmation they are indeed from the same factory.
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: karstenhorn on February 26, 2016, 10:25:17 AM
Damn, I just put a Chinese carbon bar on my brand new 036, I think that I'm going to play safe and buy a known brand after this information - Thanks for sharing and so good that daughter is ok !

Karsten
 
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: SportingGoods on February 29, 2016, 03:04:03 AM
That's a serious concern... I agree with the trend here. No Chiner bars for me. I don't even trust 100% my branded carbon bar. But Aluminum is no better, they nicely break too :)
Still, you need a serious flaw in the manufacturing/design of this bar to break with a 43 kg rider and at 660 mm length.

I also own 2 carbon rigid forks (Chiner), and don't have 100% trust in them, even though they really look solid. Well, if I really think about it I don't have 100% trust in any carbon part, chiner or not. A friend of mine just got his FS carbon frame replaced because it started to break around the BB, and it is a top brand.
Title: Re: My daugthers racing mountain bike, CS-136
Post by: MTB2223 on February 29, 2016, 03:33:35 AM
Damn, I just put a Chinese carbon bar on my brand new 036, I think that I'm going to play safe and buy a known brand after this information - Thanks for sharing and so good that daughter is ok !

Karsten
I'm riding my chinese AliExpress bar for almost 2 yrs, no issue so far. This one is proven to be good, after a lot of rides and 'abuse'.
But maybe I had to test the bar of my daugther before mounting it. But what should be a good test ? Find a bough and hang on the handlebar with your full weight and try to brake it ?