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ProX Super Light Carbon Spoke Wheels C67DB Undulating Rim Hi Guys.

Has anyone had any experience with these wheels or other Prox wheels before? There's only a small thread from a while ago I could find saying they aren't good but Hambini and Jordan both did reviews of a different model a year or so ago and concluded they looked decent and good value.

https://www.proxcarbon.com/prox-super-light-carbon-spoke-wheels-c67db-undulating-rim-depth-road-wheelset_p106.html

On paper they're very good. Carbon spokes, ceramic bearings, 36t rachet DT swiss clone hubs, glossy marble/UD paintless finishes and lightweights for the depths. I've emailed and you can get mixed depths also, extra spokes are 3usd each and they are 539usd for a pair. They also do two different widths and two different layups. A light one (mix of T800/700) and a standard one (T700). Just dont really know alot about Prox other than its the Lightcarbon wheels brand.


April 23, 2024, 10:10:21 AM 		1
Magene QED 12spd groupset showcased in Shanghai It seems that more Chinese manufacturers are interested in penetrating the groupset market, which is dominated by Shimano and SRAM. After Ltwoo, Sehsah, and Wheeltop, Magene is a new player. They showcased their QED 12spd road groupset at Shanghai's China International Bicycle Fair. I got this info (and pictures) from a person attending the fair. So, there might be some discrepancies. Anyway, here is what I know:
- 12spd semi-wireless groupset
- looks like Shimano 105
- it will have hidden buttons on the inside
- hoods/shifters compatible with rim + hydraulic disc brakes

The price or the release date is unknown. What is your guess?

More details and pictures at: https://www.cyclistshub.com/magene-qed-groupset-revealed/
May 05, 2024, 06:26:11 AM 		1
Re: Affordable lightweight frameset (not Winspace SLC 3) Brands command a premium, for what benefit?

With Giant being the exception (a brand that owns / is the factories), you have factories that make frames for brands, and brands distribute and sell. Each layer needs to eat. The further away from China, the more expensive the layer, and the less relevant (carbon bike market is now so commoditized with all frames looking the same and within 5w of each other). Therefore, the closer to the factory, the better the value & the less bullsh1t.

It is telling that Pinarello has frames made in china and they paint them in Italy. You can get real custom... because of the paint. Factor is the same: their frame looks open mould, but you get to really tune... the paint.

There's something to be said about where the expertise really lies. Take carbon layup. Is it Specialized that's really the expert, or Specialized suppliers? I dont have the answer, but it's important when thinking about light frames: as of now, T700 is ghetto. T800 is the gold standard, most legit carbon things are made with it. And then you go into fancy territory, with T1000, T1100, and increasingly, you see exotic things like M30, M40, and others. As brands brand (ie differentiate), there's also the question of how much a brand is making shit up (what does specialized's Fact carbon actually mean? Ditto with Pinarello's different carbon tiers). T1000 is "known" (rumoured?) to cost about 2x T800, so you will NOT see a frame made with T1000 for $500. If T1000 and $500 are seen on the same page, it means they (at best) INCLUDE T1000 in the frame, but it could be 1% - obviously, that's unregulated, Chinese are known to basically lie, and, maybe most importantly, you can't test it yourself -. The biggest benefit of higher tiers is you can use less of it for the same strength, so frames get lighter.

And so, you're left with the usual questions:
- Do you want to pay extra for a brand? The Chinese market now has brands, including Specialized equivalent brands (ie social media fluff fest). As a westerner, i'd say buying a Chinese brand is the worst choice possible: you pay a premium, but you're not in China, so you can't flex at the cafe your branded bigcock frame that nobody knows, and you can't lean on the bigcock bike shop for help / maintenance / support / warranty / i spent money here please be make me feel important and refer to me as your lordship.
- If you buy a western brand, (1) you (usually) get to rely on your local LBS, (2) you get a frame that's been QCed (questionable truth), (3) and if you buy something high end, you buy a vibe around layup technology, ride properties, the secret sauce that makes it so that when you jump on a specialized, your hair grows back, your biceps get more defined, and the ladies look at you like "ooh myyyy". (3) goes back to my point above on who actually has the layup know how.

So, a rational actor will wonder: how much more over an equivalent spec (features & weight) OEM frame am i willing to spend to benefit from 1-2-3?
- If you buy an OEM frame, you have to trust that (A) the factory / broker actually exists (people on this forum still using paypal insurance scheme to send money to Farsports is money down the drain, as far as i'm concerned), (B) they will ship you what you ordered (when Airwolf on Aliexpress sells you a frame for 12 dollars made of full T1100, spoiler alert, they're lying), (C) they will ship you a frame that's not a dog, and that's been QCed enough (Light carbon shipping cheese, Tavelo with undersized BBs whose shells crack during install, and all the horror stories you can find on here with Airwolf, tantan, workswell, and so on).
- On (C), because a seller will usually tell you not to worry, then ship you swiss cheese anyway, you have to factor in an element of risk: more often than not, seller A (after careful consideration on your part to choose that seller) will ship good frames, but occasionally, they will fuck up, at which point you need to be qualified enough to understand where they fucked up, and complain. Also, let's be honest, in many instances, people complaining about frames is USER ERROR, or such trivial niggles that the factory should indeed ignore the noises you make. And you have to complain loud enough, to a seller that is honest enough / has enough of an incentive to listen and help.

And so, this forum is invaluable in helping identify (a) where the value is, (b) good sellers, (c) and bad ones.

For light frames, it depends on what you deem light (and what tyre clearance you need). A lot of 2024 frames are around or below 1000g in Medium (starting with the Velobuild 268, which really is the standard of value). SP Cycle claims a 880g frame (30C, R025-SL), Yishun has an endurance frame at 900g, Long Teng claims their chonky boy 301 is 980g. I havent mapped out the lighter side of the market, because i'm over 80kg myself, but i would say: reach out to OEM with a good reputation on this forum, ideally order 2 frames and build 1 for a friend (or more), as you will command better care and attention, ask questions, accept the risk that no matter what you do, you may have problems to solve, but deal with someone who will more likely than not agree to help you rather than ghost you, and have fun.

Or buy a Giant TCR, ofc, once you've swallowed the upfront cost, rarely do people regret buying a branded frame.

Notes:
- on light carbon, recent precedents make them look bad (1 example of awful cheese carbon, 1 example of a down tube you could deform by hand, off the top of my head, but they generally have great reputation, and they're linked to Yishun (if i'm not mistaken), which also has great reputation.
- on tantan, plenty of people report horror stories, but they also OEM for big brands, and they are huge (assuming a constant error rate, the bigger you are, the more errors). As such, and because perfection is an ideal, nor a reality, they're probably still a good counterpart.
- Airwolf has an error rate so high it makes errors part of who they are, so you probably dont want to buy frames from them. But i've been buying cockpits from them, and i love their cockpits. So even that is more nuanced than just "avoid airwolf"

What do i know? I've been riding bikes for a long time, most of my friends ride bikes and many of them are champions, and i've built 9 chinese bikes in the last 2y.

These opinions are my own and as a matter of course, i tend to agree with what i say, which doesn't make it truth.
October 01, 2024, 03:02:53 AM 		1
Re: Yoeleo PRO NxT SL2 wheels Farsports has two websites:
1. Farsports.com is where you buy their Farsports branded wheels, which are a bit more expensive but a bit more premium. If you are interested in what the new lineup includes, I wrote a short article (https://www.cyclistshub.com/farsports-introduced-2025-road-wheels/) about it and how those wheels compare. I'm gonna test the C5 soon.
2. Wheelsfar.com is where you buy their "lower-end" Wheelsfar wheels. There are many more options, and some components can be customized.

With XMCS, just check out their catalog and message them via WhatsApp. They will guide you there.

I hope this helps.
October 04, 2024, 01:24:40 AM 		1
Re: Yoeleo PRO NxT SL2 wheels A forum literally called Chinertown is probably not the domain to expect favorable opinions on western and middle-man brands, respectively. And wheels will especially be a point of contention because value conscience OEM wheel suppliers are plentiful now. 100% of my ability to become a shrewd and savvy shopper earlier on came from this forum. Appreciate the good times...

This does not negate the market for ready made products even if at a premium over OEM. A consumer looking to buy a frame from Winspace/Specialized/Trek, but doesn't spend hours on internet forums like myself, isn't going to be convinced that OEM products are an inherently better alternative.

As I always say...whether spending $500 or $3000 on a frame/wheels, neither is more noble than the other. But each have their cult followings.

Personally what I would like to see is more local race teams partnering with OEM companies. This would really solidify their value in the public's eye (and sadly increase prices). I've seriously considered starting my own development race team here in Chicago for juniors and women, except I would purposely source partnerships from all Chinese brands. I already annually design my jersey via Monton Sports for personal branding use. Imagine seeing a team of juniors/women absolutely crushing it on Light Carbon frames, Yuanan wheels, iGPSport computers, and custom Monton Sports skin suits  8) -  I think PLA or Toxin does something like this already.
October 04, 2024, 10:01:46 AM 		1
Re: VeloBuild VB-R-268 frame Everything arrived, groupset, tools, bb, Riro carbon crankset... except the frame and wheels. :(

Chris was responsive. Initially told me it'll take 2 weeks for the paint, still not done. Will send pictures 2morrow. As for the wheels, should be shipped by this friday, as Peter said. Hoping I'll get this done by the end of this month.
November 12, 2024, 07:47:28 AM 		1