Chinese Carbon MTB Forums
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
Finally got some sunny weather where I'm at. I took the Racework crankset out for a test ride. Feels lighter, and spinning felt pretty good on the cranks. This Racework chainring also rides/shifts well. Maybe it's in combination with the 12 speed chain? Anyways, hopefully I can get more miles in for a long term review. The seller agreed to send me a replacement left crank arm after the holiday so I'm going to keep them now.
January 17, 2023, 04:19:28 PM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
I actually ordered 2 Racework carbon cranksets. My 2nd one arrived and I bought this one with a 1x 44t chainring to go on my 1x road/gravel bike. 1x was definitely less of hassle with no FD to worry about and this frame comes with a PF BB386. I replaced a GRX 600 1x 42t crank setup. I was also super careful to mount the left crank arm using my torque wrench in small increments. I torqued it at around 4-6nm. The crank arm that cracked was torqued at 8nm, so I'm being extra careful. I'm also using Wolf Tooth crank arm protection tape on this crankset. I've contacted Racework to get exact torque specs. The contact said he/she will get back to me after the holiday. January 17, 2023, 08:39:27 PM |
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Re: Gravel Bars (Carbon vs Alloy) (Flared vs Regular)
I'm never going back to alloy bars. On the trail, dampening of carbon bars are more noticeable than on road in my opinion. AliEx prices are super reasonable as well! I'm using these two style of flared bars: RXL mild flare bars, fairly lightweight and solid, I use these on my road bikes: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803093583495.html Big flare bars, great on the trail and have a cool, aggressive look, mounted on my gravel bike: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802602373090.html January 19, 2023, 12:26:05 PM |
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Re: Gravel Bars (Carbon vs Alloy) (Flared vs Regular)
In the past, my buddies used to be significantly faster than me on these descents. Last year, they were asking how I had become so much faster. This is definitely true. My buddies and I ride this fast, downhill canyon trail on our gravel bikes. I'm hitting close to 30mph on a rutted dirt trail. The carbon bars make such a huge difference in stability, dampening and steering control. Even on technical switchbacks, the wide flare makes it easier to maneuver as well. January 19, 2023, 12:47:28 PM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
Any suggestions for a lightweight alloy gravel crankset? For the type of riding condition I ride in, I don't think carbon would be a good idea. The Senicx gravel cranksets don't save me any weight over my current 2x GRX setup, so I'm looking at some of the other brands. Anybody try these Goldix ultra light cranks? I was thinking of mounting it with a 42t direct mount chainring if I go 1x or if I stick with 2x, a Senicx 46/30t chainring: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803455977621.html https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804443192765.html January 19, 2023, 01:49:17 PM |
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Re: Onirii carbon cranks
Any feedback on the Racework crankset? Looks like a budget way to drop almost 500g off my bike Yeah they look, spin and feel great when pedaling. Just be aware it's a 24mm alloy spindle (versus SRAM alloy 30mm) and that the non-drive side crank arm is susceptible to damage if not torqued properly. On the plus side, Shimano left crank arms fit and come in handy if you're using a power meter or want a sturdier left crank arm. The difference in weight between the Racework and Shimano (based on 105/Ultegra) is 50g. January 23, 2023, 12:51:41 PM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
I finally put my Ztto lightweight 11-50t cassette to use after converting my gravel bike to 1x! https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832714834342.html January 23, 2023, 12:53:38 PM |
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Re: Onirii carbon cranks
Thanks for the info, strangely my Rival 1 crankset is a 24mm spindle, so these should fit perfectly but I will dble check. My Rival 1 crank with chainset is 920g, so this'd be a big weight saving. AUD $200 to save 500g seems like a worthy investment. I was thinking of SRAM DUB with the bigger alloy axle spindle. The Racework seems sturdy enough, though it doesn't have the same reassurance as a fully steel crank axle! Though I figure if going down the weight weenie path, durability is the tradeoff to reduced weight. Overall though I've been really impressed by the crank, and it looks oddly similar to my buddy's SRAM carbon cranks on his road bike. In fact they almost seem like direct copies. January 23, 2023, 01:25:32 PM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
Looks good! What derailleur mount did you use? I think it's possible to clear a 50T with the Wolf Tooth mount, but I've only tried 46T max. I used a Goatlink which is optimized for 1X Shimano shadow derailleurs. Shifting seems pretty good paired to a 42t chainring. If I had to nitpick, there's just very minor hesitation shifting into 50t. If I were on a budget and staying with mechanical brakes, I'd prefer using the GRX 812 RD + Goatlink + Sensah Team Pro shifters. Price wise it's on par with Sensah SRX and you get a true clutched derailleur. The cassette clocks in around 370g on my weight scale. January 23, 2023, 05:12:38 PM |
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Re: IIIPRO E4 4-Piston Hydraulic MTB Brakes - Are they to be trusted?
IPRO does brakes for both road and MTB. Other companies just slap their name on them. At this point, I think the Chinese brake calipers are pretty solid for the price. I still think the Juin Tech calipers are bit more refined at a higher price point, so it's really up to you how much you want to spend. I have Onirii/IPRO, Juin Tech and Shimano hydraulic calipers on my various bikes and they all do a good job.
January 25, 2023, 12:38:57 PM |
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