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Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? I need to make a more detailed update of my tier list but a couple updates

ezMTB 2022 STD bleed kit $12 - Absolutely incredible toolkit. Brass fittings for Shimano/SRAM/Hope/Magura brakes in a high quality little package.

Zrace Blade crankset with 32t chainring and BB $40 - Wow. The finishing on these cranks is immaculate. They claim 7075 aluminum which may even be true. They are perfectly CNC'd like Hope cranks and come with an aluminum crank arm fixing bolt. As per usual I wish they were unbranded, but the branding isn't too gaudy. I have to put these in the elite tier for AliExpress parts. I believe the crankset weighed 698g with chainring. I put them on my Klein urban MTB which is probably overkill (I could've just went with road cranks), but they look amazing with their gloss finish.

Senicx FM3 crankset $31 - I was impressed by the quality of these cranks are well. These look to be forged instead of CNC'd, and did not come with chainring or anything else. Also they came with a cheap plastic crank arm fixing bolt (18mm) which I replaced with a $1 Riderace aluminum one. These are matte and have a clean, understated aesthetic, once again the branding isn't too gaudy.

Mixed 5D carbon saddle $21 - Bought a backup one because the price vs quality is just too good.

Onirii IIIPro brakes $80 + Avid 180mm rotors $10 + Cooma Gold pads $4 - Just finished installing and bedding these in, need to test long term. First impressions: CNC machining is good but not perfect. The lever bodies look a bit cheap, but the levers themselves look awesome with the drilled out holes. The calipers look incredible aesthetically. The pads they shipped with were some mega cheap crappy resin, I tossed them and installed Cooma Gold metallics. Had some customer service issues with the Onirii official store but hopefully we can look past that if the brakes turn out good.

Zoom HB-910 $116 (with TRP 180mm rotors I had) - Just finished installing and bedding these in, need to test long term. Both lever body and caliper look absolutely stellar. The levers themselves look alright, but wish they were drilled. Power feels very strong. I am running the stock brake pads with look to be metallic or semi-metallic.
April 29, 2024, 08:14:32 AM 		1
Build Log - Carbonda hard tail for daughter's birthday. Well, my wonderful child has just turned 12, and having 2 parents over 6' - she has been growing like a weed.

She currently rides a Polygon Cleo 2 in XS that she got for her 8th birthday which has rapidly become too small for her.

After joining this forum, lurking and looking at AliExpress I thought it would be a good opportunity to use the collective knowledge of the forums and build my daughter a lightweight Chinese carbon bike!

My goal is pretty simple - I want to build a 29er bike that will last a good few years, and I want to to be as light (or lighter) than her current bike (XS frame, 27.5" wheels), I want it to be comfortable and capable on suburban streets, but I also want her to be able to to come riding with me on the MTB trails.

So I have started making purchases, and should hopefully have it ready to ride in a month or so.

Frame
I have gone with the Carbonda FM1306a.
I had sent an email to Wing last year enquiring about one of these frames for myself - but heard nothing back - that is when I found out that the emails had most likely ended up in my junk mail! Wing has been an absolute dream to deal with, super quick with replies, very detailed and helpful.
The frame ended up costing a bit more than I had hoped (US$230 shipping is a hard pill to swallow), and I also paid extra for the chameleon paint scheme as my daughter had requested it.

Fork
I was lucky to snap up a second hand RockShox SID off Facebook marketplace for AU$450. It was un-used, and taken off a 2024 Giant Anthem Advanced 29 3.

Wheels
I bought some EliteWheels off AliExpress - I will add more details later.

Brakes
ZTTO MTB Team Brakes in Silver and Gold.

I will update this post over the coming days with more information - been stuck busy at work...
May 02, 2024, 02:30:15 AM 		1
Re: Build Log - Carbonda hard tail for daughter's birthday. This morning I ordered pretty much the rest of the gear needed to get up and running:

Shimano Deore M6100 12 speed groupset.

Elita One Carbon Seat Post

Toseek ST006 MTB stem

Toseek MTB Carbon Handlebar

Lexon Ultralight Bicycle Seat post clamp

Kocevlo SM-MA-F160 flat mount to post mount brake adapter 160mm

Ryet 3d Ptinted bicycle saddle

Still to get:

Tires, pedals + grips. And any incidental things that I may have forgotten...

In other news - the brakes arrived today! Packaging was OK, the brakes themselves look fine.


May 07, 2024, 11:52:57 PM 		1
Re: Build Log - Carbonda hard tail for daughter's birthday.
Quote
Nice - I hadn't seen those braided cables before!
Those are the same braided hose Hope and Trickstuff use for their brakes :D.

Quote
How are the Lewis LV4? I was looking at getting them, but they were just a bit too pricey for something that doesn't have a strong warranty here in Australia.
They are pretty amazing for the price. There is plenty of power and the build quality is top notch, nicest brake I ever used.
I got mine on Lewis's official shop on Taobao using an intermediary service called Superbuy and I spent like $270 in total with shipping but if I have an issue with them, I'm pretty much on my own though.
My bike was stolen in January and i ordered a set again but for the new bike i'm currently building.
Lewis also sell a cheaper versions of vertical brakes called CL2V (2 pistons) and CL4V (for pistons) but only in China as far as i know. Those are actual copies of the Piccola with the alu levers and prices are $164 for the CL2V and $192 for the CL4V on Taobao ;D.
May 08, 2024, 02:39:41 AM 		1
Re: Evosid version of 5DEV cranks when they come out with shorter options, I'm probably in
May 21, 2024, 07:13:12 AM 		1
Re: Evosid version of 5DEV cranks Arrived to my door in 4 days.  That was quick.  First impressions  - looks well made.  Preload is aluminum which i like.  Doesn't come with any spacers.  Got to order some before I can install.

Additional thoughts.  All edges are beveled, no sharp corners. Everything is machined to a nice degree and the finish is spot on.  Mine weighed in at 574.5 grams minus the 3 bolts.  Really happy with this purchase.  Haven't ridden on it yet so no thoughts on functional use at the moment.
June 07, 2024, 12:25:46 PM 		1
Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
Quote from: perneto on June 11, 2024, 07:45:17 AM
I'm using the same Zeray ZP-108S pedals and am pretty happy with them. However, one of the pedals came with too much preload, and therefore doesn't spin as freely as the other.

I've opened its plastic cap (see attachment) but can't figure out how to disassemble it further: the screw head inside doesn't seem to take a hex wrench -- the inside of its head looks round (see other attachment). Could you help?

Isn't that just a hex nut? A lot of pedals have them in exact that position. Normally you can get them off with the right size of socket. Will probably be 8 or 9 mm
June 11, 2024, 08:31:00 AM 		1
Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress? I ordered a bunch of mountain bike parts on Aliexpress for a budget build including Shimano drivetrain parts. Most parts worked well, and almost all the shimano parts seemed genuine with a notable exception:

Losers
  • A Mixed brand "dual color" CNC'd aluminum stem 45mm failed. Threads for the lower front plate bolts stripped while trying to tighten one day. Before that, the stem would slip easily on the steerer tube rotating out of place until I really torqued the bolts higher than spec. Though the stem looks cool, I suspect too much material is machined away for a reliable stem. Perhaps it wasn't heat treated correctly?
  • Shimano Deore 12 speed chain was fake. Package was convincing. Fake chains seem rampant even on Amazon.
  • Multi-tool that hides in the crank spindle attached with a magnet (All in multi tool copy). It's a cool idea but I lost it because the magnet wasn't powerful enough to keep it in place on rough terrain

Winners
  • Genuine Shimano parts (except the fake chain) including Deore 4 piston brakes, SLX cranks and chainring, SLX cassette, Deore shifter + derailleur, bottom braket, clipless pedals
  • Ztto dropper lever works as advertised
  • Ztto "polished" shifter cables seemed smoother on the surface than other generic shifter cables.
  • Foam tubing to quiet internal routed cables worked well. (Bicycle Frame Internal Line Housing Damper Bike Inner Line Sound Absorbing Tube 1.6M)
  • CYCLAMI TPU Tubes are a lot lighter and and compact than traditional mtb tubes and don't cost much. Only used once in a friends flat, and it seemed to work.
  • Mixed 5D carbon saddle has been reliable and comfortable so far
  • A bunch of cycling tools ordered off alixepress worked fine for me.
June 12, 2024, 02:28:48 PM 		1
Carbon Speed Gravel Frameset Giveaway!
Carbon Speed GR-01 Gravel Frameset Giveaway!



It's been a while since our last giveaway so I'm happy to announce that Peter and Carbon Speed Bikes have volunteered to sponsor a giveaway of a new gravel carbon fiber frameset!

The frame up for grabs is Carbon Speeds's GR-01 carbon fiber gravel frameset. See full details on Carbon Speed's website: http://www.xmcarbonspeed.com/Productinfo.asp?f=1639

All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is meet the following three criteria:

1) Be an existing member of this site as of the date of this post and have at least 10 posts.
2) Have an image uploaded to your Chinertown user profile.
3) Be willing to leave an honest review on this forum once you've had a chance to test out the product.

That's it! Just post a reply in this thread containing the word "enter" and you will be entered into the drawing so long as you've met those three criteria.

In 3 weeks time, this thread will be closed, and a winner will be chosen at random. That member will then pay just the shipping fees to Peter and the frame will be shipped out in whatever size needed.

This thread will be closed end of day Thursday, July 4th. Good luck to all those that enter and thanks to everyone that participates here at Chinertown!

Thanks to Peter and Carbon Speed for sponsoring this givewaway! If you want to get in contact with Peter his contact email is: petercycles@foxmail.com and you can check out their products on the website: http://www.xmcarbonspeed.com/
June 12, 2024, 09:12:31 PM 		1
Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc! A couple more photos of the Goldix and Lexon saddle. Both these saddles clock in around the 150g mark. The Goldix is quite comfortable and the rounded saddle edges are more gentle on thighs. If found at a low price (bought mine for under $25 USD). I totally recommend it.
June 14, 2024, 02:23:35 PM 		1