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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
I haven't seen these before. Lexon carbon crankset with carbon+alloy 52-36t chainring: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805958130082.html 
November 01, 2023, 12:49:20 AM |
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Re: Climbing road frame?
Anyone dared to take the chance on this frame? Looks like a aethos clone and with a lot lower weight than the other clone options. Sold by a Auto-store, not exactly confidence inspiring  https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006020955577.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.0.0.72323d80cqss0M&mp=1 November 03, 2023, 04:44:56 AM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
New IGS630s, adding strava live segments, doubling storage, adding dual band GPS, increased battery life from 35 to 45 hours
January 07, 2024, 01:11:02 PM |
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Re: Onirii One
Received the frame (size M) yesterday. It took 34 days to receive it from the day I paid. Initial impressions: no giant red flags yet but it's also not a perfect work of art. Plus I still need to build it so more quirks seem likely to come up. There is a tiny scrape on the down tube right where it meets the headtube. Also I thought the cables were 100% internal but there is a hole where you can run a cable outside/around the bottom bracket. I may need that since i'm planning on using a 30mm axle and im not positive that will leave room for the brake line inside the frame. The logo is just stickers, no coating over them. Headset spacers have male/female features that lock them into place on top of each other. The only problem with them is that the top one reeeaaallly needs to be forced to fit into the indents in the bar/stem in order to lock into place. I may just need to cut one of the bosses off the top spacer. I'll share more as I build it too. They have faced the bottom bracket and brake caliper mounts so that's always good to see. For some reason I though the stem angle was 7 degrees so I was a little surprised to see its listed as 12, that shouldn't be a problem though. If anyone wants pictures of specific parts let me know. Weights: 775g - Frame (with bottle cage bolts and front derailleur mount) 354g - Fork (significantly heavier than listed in their Aliexpress store) 60g - Thru axles (both together) 140g - Headset (see picture to see what's included, there are other parts, these are just the ones I plan on using) 335g - Bar/stem (a little lighter than listed, with bolts for computer mount and fork clamping) 182g - Seatpost 8.5g - Seat collar with bolt While waiting for the frame to arrive I sent Onirii a lot of annoyingly specific questions about various aspects of the frame and they were always quick to respond (within their business hours) with thorough answers. January 13, 2024, 09:55:59 AM |
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Re: Onirii One
A couple pictures of the final bike. I'll post a more thorough review (in a month or so) about how it rides. Things are pretty busy for me at the moment and I don't have much time to test it. Some notes on the build: I'll get it weighed at some point, sadly I don't own a good scale for getting the final weight of a full bike. It should be right around 15lbs/6.8kg though. I had to go in with a file to clean up some of the holes for wires and brake hoses (hole that leads up to the front derailleur and hole that leads out to the rear derailleur). I'm not a big fan of where the wire exits the chainstay to connect the rear derailleur. It just leaves a lot of exposed wire that should probably be held down with a zip tie. Bottom bracket threads were very clean and the BB threaded in easily. I've encountered some pretty crappy bb threads on brand new bikes in the past but the threads on this frame where very clean and the BB threaded in easily. Once the bikes has more miles on it, I'll take out the crank and check the axle to see if there are any signs of wear from the bearings that would indicate bb misalignment. It was a little hard to see in the the threads where the caliper mounts on the fork but I could see a hint of blue inside, I'm guessing they pre-applied some Loctite. The most intense modification I made was drilling a hole in the handlebar down by the Junction-A so the di2 wire could exit the bar. Initially I planned to route it through the bar and make a u-turn out the same hole the brake hose uses to enter the handlebar but my wire was not long enough so I improvised 
January 22, 2024, 04:49:44 PM |
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Re: Onirii One
I've been riding the bike around a little and it feels good so far! Not as stiff as my other bikes but not a complete noodle either. I took it to a bike shop and asked them to weigh it. The scale said 14.50lbs! Half a pound less than I calculated the bike would weigh. I'm almost suspicious their scale is a bit inaccurate but I'll take it! I am going through a slightly headache inducing process of trying to order a new bar/stem from them though. When I ordered the bike, I asked for a 400x110mm bar/stem (and they sent me a bar/stem labeled 400x110 like I asked). Between ordering and receiving the frame, I got a bike fit from my coach and we decided together (after measuring that my shoulders are 37cm) that my 40cm bars on the bike I had with me are too wide and I should move to 36cm bars. When I finished building the bike, I noticed that my saddle to bar center measurement was around 5-7mm longer than anticipated based on the bikegeocalc model I made of the bike before ordering (this will become important soon). After getting getting the bike fit, building the bike, and riding it around a little. I decided I really did want those narrower bars. Onirii does not make a 360x110 bar so I asked for the 360x100, thinking "oh, I was more stretched out than anticipated with the 110mm stem length so 100mm is probably better anyways. Onirii said, "sure, $150 please." and I sent them the money with Paypal. After paying they got back to me and said, "oops, we're out of that size and it won't be back in stock for a while." I said, "darn. Can I have my money back please?" They said, "I just measured, our 360x90 barstem is labeled wrong and they are actually all 360x100." and followed up with a photo of the measuring tape measuring the length of them stem. I did not really believe they mislabeled their bars so I measured mine and found that if you pretend the bar width is 31.8mm my stem does measure to about 110mm but the bar width is more like 44mm and my stem length is closer to 117mm if you measure to the center of the bar. I use Solidworks a lot for work so I decided to import both our photos into a sketch and check some measurements. Based on the photo they sent me, I could tell their barstem was not mislabeled, they were just doing a different measurement from how is was designed and it was indeed 20mm shorter than mine, not 10mm. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, I don't believe they were trying to mislead me, I think the customer support person just didn't realized the measurement was not meant to go to the center of the bar (who would?). All that being said, it was an annoying process to go through and we have not reached a resolution yet. I've told them I don't mind waiting if it will only be ~30 days until the size I want is available but if it will be longer, I want a refund. It felt like we were going in circles with them saying "this stem is the length you wanted anyways" and me saying, "I don't care what the label says, I just want the one that is 10mm shorter than the one I have currently. The one you're sending photos of is not that." **disclaimer: all the quotes are not their literal quotes. I am paraphrasing.** TLDR: Onirii does not measure their stems to the bar center like I anticipated. If you do measure to the center, they come out about 7mm longer than listed so plan this into your build when you order. Other than that, everything with the bike is good so far and I am enjoying it. Scale said it was 14.50lbs. January 25, 2024, 02:57:50 PM |
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Patty's Long Rant and Guide To Affordable Frames
I’m going to be honest here: I very much miss the glory days of this forum during the pandemic years. It was a perfect storm. People were stuck at home with extra discretionary income and free-time, while major bike brands were dealing with fulfillment delays. The rise of Chinese alternatives during this time brought so much excitement to this forum. Forum members were passionate about helping each other, and the overall vibe felt like a positive community of budget-minded enthusiasts. You could easily spend hours each day reading pages upon pages of new posts. The forum was basically a party everyday. I’m lucky to have joined during COVID. Now I don’t proclaim to be perfect or infallible to constructive criticism. Quite frankly, the support of this forum is a large reason why my YouTube platform even exists. I cannot thank you all enough. Sadly, a lot of the super experienced members don’t come here as often anymore. Perhaps the negative vibes these past 12 months ran them away or just simply their needs changed. Who knows… What I do know is I plan to keep supporting the forum as long as it makes sense. I’ve started to review more mainstream bikes, but my heart will always have a place for affordable Chinese frames/wheels. It’s how I got my start (Yoeleo R6). I wanted to write up a quick guide for anyone looking to jump into the world of “cheap” Chinese bikes. While I made a video on this very topic over a year ago, a reminder never hurt anyone. PLEASE feel free to add your insight and guidance below. Step 1: Passion Project vs Functionality As a cycling reviewer, I obviously don’t have any emotional attachments to my bikes. Except for my believed T1500. To me it’s about being functional and fast. If the “best” frame for (my) price range and riding style only offers matte black…I’ll take it every time. Custom paint means nothing to me if the frame is either a noodle or destroys my back. But I’m a performance-first person. Step 2: Riding Style and Geometry Can you slam your stem? Cool for you. Do you prefer an endurance style bike? Also very cool. Geometry is critical obviously. I cannot stress seeking a professional bike fit enough. Or just comparing your current bike to your target bikes using something like Geometry Geeks. Step 3: Budget vs “True” Budget If your budget is “only $600” for a frame, ask yourself if an extra $300 will be significant to you a year from now. How about an extra $500? How about two years from now? Buy nice or buy twice. Might be worth spending the extra money if you plan to keep your bike for longer than two years. But be warned: cheap bikes are addicting. Step 4: What is your “pain” threshold for cheap bikes? Cheap bikes are cheap bikes for a reason. Sort of. The value-add for these types of bikes is you are willing to put in the work yourself to troubleshoot, should bike build problems arise. If you do however find yourself frustrated, fear not! The forum is here to help. Typically the more you spend, the less potential for problems to arise. Or the brand will be faster to rectify. Unless you’re Yoeleo…  Patty’s Brand Picks $500 - VeloBuild - Custom paint, decent customer service, and solid provided hardware. Both the VB-177 and CX002 are very solid frames for the price. Won’t be the best performing frames ever, but they are “good enough.” You won’t get dropped from a race or fast group ride due to these frames. $1000 or less - Yishun/Light Carbon - No question one of the best affordable brands/frames you can buy without spending money on a Winspace. Sadly…paint options and frame availability may be questionable since (Yishun) is setup for B2B. But the quality and performance is all there. Fit and finish is really good, except for the plastic headset dust cover on my particular application. $1600 or less - Winspace - The T1500 has been talked about to death now for 4 years so there really isn’t anything left to cover. If you have the budget for it…buy it. Proven race bike. Fit and finish on par with the major brands. Wheel Brand Recognition - Elite Wheels, Winspace, and Magene - All 3 brands are great at what they do. The main thing these brands all have in common is they offer solid customer service. Each of them secretly lurk these forums, which means they are making an effort to listen to what customers want. Despite the fact Yoeleo makes solid bikes too, their customer service has been awful (again) based on customer feedback sent my way. Unfortunately my dealings with these brands for reviews does not translate to me being able to escalate customer complaints. Always remember the forum is here to help. There are no stupid questions if you’ve taken a little bit of time to research previous threads and watch a few YouTube videos. The more honest and transparent we all are with our questions, the quicker and meaningful the responses will come. Spend the love! January 25, 2024, 04:12:15 PM |
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Re: Patty's Long Rant and Guide To Affordable Frames
I'd at least add LightBicycle there for wheels
January 25, 2024, 04:28:47 PM |
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Re: Patty's Long Rant and Guide To Affordable Frames
Hey Pat, can you talk a bit on why Elves didn't make the cut at all? I was pretty interested in the Falath, but ultimately decided the geometry didn't work for me. That being said I like how they're setup with a distributor in the US, feels more Winspace esque than some of the other b2b brands. I meant to ask this too. If I do another build it will probably be a VB-R-066 or a Falath. Elves def seems to have a more serious distribution setup. I know they are big in Australia and Malaysia too I think. The answer is simple: My list only includes frames I've actually reviewed - But if you really wanna know why I haven't made an effort to get the Falath Evo in my hands, just ask @PLA. I pretty much share the same views as him.I'd also like to mention that my original intentions were never to start a YouTube channel nor become the "Chinese Bike Dude". Honestly I just didn't have money for a big-brand bike at the time. The idea of building a bike for the first time intrigued me, and I figured reviewing my Yoeleo R6 would be a cool little video. The more mainstream brands don't want be to associated with anything "Chinese." Quite ironic if you ask me. So I needed to widen my scope beyond Chinese frames in order to attract new brands for reviews. Brands like Specialized and Giant aren't exactly giving low-level YouTubers like myself "free" frames, which meant I've spent more of own resources in 2023 than all the years past. Yishun R086D, Giant Propel, and TanTan x38 (plus all the associated groupsets for each) were all bought with my own money. January 30, 2024, 11:59:10 AM |
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Re: Onirii One
So it seems like Onirii mis-labeled all their barstems (despite telling me initially that it was only the 360x90 ones that were mislabeled) and the one they sent me originally was 400x120, even though it was labeled 400x110. The new one is indeed 360x100 even though it is labeled 360x90. which makes sense, I was expecting to feel too scrunched up but its actually not bad. When I try to measure the reach, it seems to be 75-80mm not 68. I don't have the best tools for measuring reach, but its definitely longer than they say. As far as the ride quality goes. Its feels good, I really like the 74mm bb drop, it makes the bike feel really planted in the descents. I busted out a 35 second long, low power sprint and took a local QOM on a punchy little rolling hill so it works for that. I haven't really done an all out 10s sprint on the bike but sprinting is not really what I was planning to use it for when I built it. I'm not 100% happy with the fit. I did a 4 hour endurance ride and my upper back, shoulders and neck were pretty sore at the end. Some of that is my fault, but also it's really hard to get the fit right when the sizes on Onirii's components are mislabeled. The rear wheel sits a tiny bit to the side between the chain stays which is not the best. I checked the dishing on my wheel and confirmed that the issue is not the dishing. Both rear wheels I stuck in there sat slightly to the side. The front wheel is solidly centered in the fork though. On a more positive note, the frame can indeed fit 32c tires. They list the max tire clearance as 30c but I stuck a wheelset in that had 32c tires just to check and they fit fine so that was nice to see. February 22, 2024, 12:32:08 PM |
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