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Re: Chinese cycling clothes
Long term wearer of Chinese cycling kit, over 5 years ago purchased my first Racmmer and Spexcel kit. Own a lot of kit from Rapha Pro Team (probably my favourite to wear), DHB Aeron (my value for money pick), Pedal Mafia (my local brand) and a heap of Australian, European and Chinese brands. I am hard on my kit, I sweat a lot, train hard and race hard. Did not always take good care of my kit, ie did not rinse my kit immediately after use and used detergent with added enzymes. If I was lucky I might get 40 or so rides out of a pair of bibs before the went see through. Hence looking for value for money options particularly for my commute/training ride which was 40km one way. I currently have 30 jerseys and 20 bibs of various colours (everything but white) in rotation. Calmed down purchasing over last 18 months as improved washing techniques have extended the life of my kits and I am spending time in gym which is changing my body shape. Quality of kit is changing, what you expect from high end kit 5 years ago in design, materials, constructions is common amongst the value end of the market and what was acceptable to me as budget kit a few years ago is no longer. My experience with Chinese brands Racmmer: My first jersey cost me $10 and came with laser cut aero sleeves and body that didn’t breath, great value at the time, but not something I would buy now. I find their base layers don’t breath and the bibs shorts don’t do it, cheap and nasty pad in wrong place, harsh lycra, minimal compression. Spexcel: Had a bunch of their jerseys from a few years back, looked good, felt good, but they deteriorated fairly quickly, after 30 or so rides, badly faded, broken zips, saggy pockets, stitches just unravelling and even a tear in the material from use not damage. Most jerseys last me for a lot longer before I retire them . The bib shorts rarely got worn as they lacked the compression. Did buy some 2021 releases, the compression is better in the bib shorts https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002861130474.html , but not the level I get and like from other brands and the jersey https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002580418338.html has survived so far, but probably only a dozen rides, but better than others. Would buy again. YKYWbike: Love the atheistic of their jerseys, but realising they are deteriorating faster the most others jerseys ie 10 to 15 rides and they are worse that jerseys bought over 5 years ago with 50 or more rides in them. Bought their Korea lycra cargo bibs, first impressions great, so I bought a second pair with the Elastic Interface pad, but again after regular use (maybe 20 rides each) the soft, compressive lycra is a little harsh and lost some compression. Really rate their base layers and socks. Darevie: Friends rave about them, but did like their style. Bought a plain long sleeve jersey, crashed and destroyed it first ride, did not care, cheap material poor fit. Also bought bibs, https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003127347074.html , the pad is a little thin still done 100km in a pair, does lack the compression I like, the lycra is light weight which is great for summer rides in 30C/90F around here. Liked the range of colours I bought three, only downside is one pair the lycra appears to be damaged on a hip, no idea why. Cheji took a risk on this brand because they were the first to sell coloured bibs on AliExpress. Happy I did, these are my favourites https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001939822272.html have three different colours and the bright purple take a beating as my race bibs. Decent compression, has taken a lot of use with deteriorating and the lycra still feel good. Quality wise (construction, materials etc) like the previous DHB Aeron bibs and no problem on 4 hour rides. Have a couple of jerseys that have survived a dozen rides without issue. Only word of warning their pricing is unpredictable and fluctuates. I scored two pairs of those bibs at $25 each, current asking $50 and have seen them at $70. Monton https://montonsports.com/ a level above the AliExpress brands, I own a pair of their Skul bib shorts $66 very lightweight, great compression, my bib shorts of choice when I had to do a ride in 45C/112F. After sales service leaves a little to be desired my shipment disappeared for 9 weeks in transit. Had tracking got to Chinese airport and nothing, negotiating a replacement was challenging process, then suddenly tracking sprang to life after 11 weeks will my shipment appearing at an airport on the other side of Australia. Other brands, I have taken a few risks with other brands off AliExpress and generally been disappointed and I don’t set my expectations too high. June 02, 2023, 08:05:30 AM |
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Re: Chinese cycling clothes
The first one you linked. I don't really do rides under 3 hours so I'm skeptical of any "good for short rides only" reviewsFor a little context I split my bibs into short (under 2 hours), medium (2 to 4 hours) and long (4 hour plus) rides. The bibs in question are in the medium group. A short ride is usually 15 minute warm up, 60 to 90 minutes of intervals and 15 minute cool down. A medium ride is usually 60 minutes endurance pace, 60 minutes of bunch (ie trying to rip each others legs off) ride, coffee and 60 minutes home with whatever I have left or 100 minutes at endurance pace, refill bidons, turn round and another 100 minutes at endurance pace home. The bibs in question have be thoroughly tested here. However, if I push beyond that ie did two hours at solid endurance before the bunch ride, the pad did feel uncomfortable for the last 30 minutes of the ride home. Same happened while trying to complete intervals after 3 hours on endurance (but then my whole body hurt). For long rides I tend to stick to bibs I know will work, Rapha Pro Team, Pedal Mafia Pro and even then I tend to get pad discomfort after 6 hours. June 05, 2023, 07:38:38 PM |
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Seraph Tan Tan FM639 - my build
Hi there, as you may have seen in my previous post, at the end of March I decided to order a Seraph FM639 in a custom color. The decision was taken mainly for 3 reasons: 1) Geometry 2) I don't like aero nor dropped seatpost 3) and last but not least I have the Seraph GR029 since end of 2020 and I am very happy with it. The communication with the seller was excellent and replies very prompt via Aliexpress messaging tool. The color definition / translation is a bit different in chinese. I wanted a "Metallic" sparkling color finish, I realised they call it glossy finish. At the end the best is to go through their instagram or homepage pictures and send them a screenshoot of what you want. The painting took a bit longer than expected but the seller was always quick in answering my questions about the status. Finally last week the frame arrived and I started the buildup. I ordered from them as well the integrated cockpit, seatpost with 0° setback that where included in the post, plus through axles, a garmin mount and a spare hanger. I decided to go with a Shimano 105 di2 (12s - 50/34 - 11.34) groupset. The idea is to get a 11-36 when available, possibly a light version. - Elite SLT Disc wheels 40mm deep and 29mm wide - Schwalbe One tubeless tires 30mm wide - Mixed 6D saddle (might be changed...) - SPD mountain bike double sided pedals The build went very smooth even for a "beginner" like me thanks to the help of my boyfriend. Only 1 point where I had to be a bit patient. First of all I ordered some Internal Housing Damper 6mm foam sleeve which I put on the rear hydraulic cable to avoid rattling at a later stage. The hydraulic cables are very sturdy and the most difficult part is the routing through the cockpit. One point in favour is that the frame has some nice metal spacers where there is space at the front for the cables. The most important point is to pass the cable through the handlebar in the same end position. I did not in the first time and the cables tension would rotate the handlebar. Once rerouted the problem was gone. The bike weighs 8.3kg with garmin mount, pedals and bottle cages in a size 56 frame. As from specification the frame has space for a 28mm tyre. As you can see from one of the pictures 30mm fit as well in this case, but not much space left. It really rides well and feels quick  . The only things I will have to change are the saddle (the position is different compared to the old bike and does not work).   
June 06, 2023, 05:45:10 AM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
I recently switched to narrow drop bars which didn't fit my bar clamp gps mount, so I had to get a stem gps mount. I ordered the OG-EVKIN stem gps mount and the quality is top notch. The carbon mount is well-machined and solid and the mounting hardware is very good. It even comes with a pair of M5x30mm rainbow titanium screws. I'm really impressed by the quality of hardware coming from both LEXON/RYET and now OG-EVKIN. There's a lot of shade/hate being thrown at AliEx bike gear, but at this rate this stuff is going to surpass western brands. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804856697418.html June 09, 2023, 11:49:54 AM |
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Re: Chinese cycling clothes
recently got 2 new pieces from YKYW Those look really nice. Might have to pull the trigger on one. Nice find! June 12, 2023, 10:33:25 AM |
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Yoeleo R12 & SAT C50 PRO Wheels - Revamped and Refreshed
So Yoeleo graciously sent me out their latest R12 frameset and 50mm Pro wheels to test and review. YouTube link is down below. Frame - R12 (Refreshed/Revamped) - $1590 Size 56, Hemidium paint Weight 1305g for the frame Wheels - SAT C50|50 DB PRO - $899 usd 50mm depth, 27mm external, 21mm internal YOELEO 230 SP Ratchet System Hub 52T (basically DT Swiss) Initial Thoughts: The packaging, presentation, and included hardware for the frameset is fantastic. Equally as good as when I purchased my Allez Sprint. UCI-approved (if that's important), flawless paint job, and no imperfections around the exposed carbon areas. No question the frame is on par with Winspace visually. The Elephant in the Room - Customer Service I've had meetings with Yoeleo and their marketing team where I told them I would not review or endorse their products moving forward until they resolve customer service issues for Western customers. Like SEKA, it seems for a while that Yeoleo were giving preferential treatment to their domestic audience. I've had personal friends of mine get burned by Yoeleo, after they made purchases solely from my video reviews. Back in 2021-early 2022 Yoeleo were quoting people 1 month for fulfillments, which ended in customers doing CC chargebacks after 8-9 months of no frame. The good news is I've spoken to recent customers who tell me Yoeleo is back to their days of good service as they were back in 2020 when I first built my R9. Fast to respond to customers and they actually have a full stock of the R12s. $1590 isn't cheap, but you're getting Winspace-tier perceived quality. And their latest G21 gravel bike is freakin awesome. I'll report back my bike build progresses. I have to finish building this before my Tan Tan x38 frame arrives YouTube Keyword Search: Yoeleo R12 Unboxing and Overview - The Return To Greatness? June 12, 2023, 07:27:51 PM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
ZRace RX Crank & Magene P505 power meter combo anyone? This week's special https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004272116963.html - $12USD - $5.21USD (coins if you have any)
June 13, 2023, 12:09:07 AM |
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Re: Chinese cycling clothes
I can indeed save about 50 cents by switching to USD but I'm still at $22.70 or $17.70 if i open a in a private tab for the welcoming bonus. Switching to a delivery in Germany saves another .10 Do you have coupons or something, or are there more tricks I've been missing all along? The 22.70 is indeed the normal price I also see when I go trough the shop itself. But in the Android app on the main page I these "Super Deals". Prices here are lower but most of the time the colours and/or sizes are restricted... The price I see now is 18.89 USD. There is for example an even lower price for these shirts, but only available in red or orange and sizes M and up. I need S so I could not use that. Price for those is 15.59 USD at the moment. I am a diamond member, so maybe it has something to do with that?? They claim I get 15% off because of this status, but I never thought that was true... June 13, 2023, 05:29:07 AM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
ZRace RX Crank & Magene P505 power meter combo anyone? This week's special https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004272116963.html - $12USD - $5.21USD (coins if you have any) Or with the Sigeyi power meter: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001610276169.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000060.1.21407718DSiMjz&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller&scm=1007.13339.291025.0&scm_id=1007.13339.291025.0&scm-url=1007.13339.291025.0&pvid=3a31664b-9584-47c6-aa29-4022fe311d4a&_t=gps-id:pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller,scm-url:1007.13339.291025.0,pvid:3a31664b-9584-47c6-aa29-4022fe311d4a,tpp_buckets:668%232846%238114%231999&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21USD%21482.79%21381.4%21%21%21%21%21%402103246416866521913423919e4785%2112000016800648650%21rec%21BE%21768088907 Those are great prices... June 13, 2023, 05:31:09 AM |
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Re: Chinese cycling clothes
Anybody try the no name aero socks? At $4, that’s hard to beat. And they can’t be any worse than normal cotton socks for aero gains.Yes, even bought a pair with matching aero mitts https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002581862276.html The look aero, they feel aero, they stay up, can't say how many watts they save ;-) and they have not help me win any races, came close though ;-) edit I am size EU42 with shaved legs June 14, 2023, 12:40:17 AM |
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