Noticed today while watching some YouTube that there are some pretty hefty exclusive creator specific discount codes. Presumably, they are affiliate codes that also kickback money to the creator, so best to find a code from someone you support ! They seem to all be promoting it under the hashtag #AliExpressSummerSale. I was only able to find codes for Britain tho, couldn't find anything in USD.

For eg:
David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes
youtube.com/watch?v=RbDs6bEagoM
David8:£8 off orders over £30
David15:£15 off orders over £80
David25:£25 off orders over £120
David50:£50 off orders over £200
Effective Time: 2025-06-04 00:00:00 -2025-06-30 23:59:59

TechTablets
youtube.com/watch?v=T1N9VH4bAXg
Get £8 off your purchase of £30:【Tablets8】
Get £15 off your purchase of £80:【Tablets15】
Get £25 off your purchase of £120:【Tablets25】
Get £50 off your purchase of £200:【Tablets50】
Effective Time:  2025-06-04 00:00:00 -2025-06-30 23:59:59

Percentages pre-calculated for ya :
Get £8 off your purchase of £30: 26.67%
Get £15 off your purchase of £80: 18.75%
Get £25 off your purchase of £120: 20.83%
Get £50 off your purchase of £200: 25.00%

Frame s cheap and I trust long teng. If you want 40C, sounds like a solid choice. If you want something fancier, but with 35C clearance only, the Gran Turismo frame by Peter should be a good choice, but it costs more, and for shit roads, the 301 would probably be just fine.
Aren't too many road bikes with these clearances and fairly high stacks yet.
When I upgrade, I'll probably go 35C. I'm yet to see a road bike that looks fast with a wider clearance than that. That Gran Turismo frame looks mint, I plan to build one for a friend in the fall.

The Grand Turismo frame definitely looks good, but its a bit out of my price range and I dont think I need the slacker geometry. Just looking for a slightly more compliant ride on broken pavement - Comming from a race-ish geometry alloy bike. 

Im honestly really in between so many bikes like the VB or LT 268, tantan or LT 301, or even some of the newer Tantan models like the TT-X65. Aesthetically I like the tantan x65 the most, but I havent seen anyone experiment with it yet. Maybe ill see if they'll discount me a bit if I pick up both the tantan x65 and 301 then resell the one that rides worse .

@Serge_K would you be willing to share some photos of your 268 tire clearance with your 32c and 34c in the 268 thread? Any chance you could fit 35c?

Just finished building my FM301 — and I'm loving it so far!

I finally completed the build of my FM301 frame, which I ordered from Tantan. The delivery took a bit longer than expected, mostly due to Chinese New Year and a delay getting the fork in the correct matte black finish. But it all worked out in the end.

Build details:

    Frame: Tantan FM301

    Wheels: 50mm carbon wheels with carbon spokes and ceramic bearings from Xiamen Carbon Speed (via Peter on the forum)

    Groupset: Shimano 105 shifters and brakes

    Crankset: Riro carbon, 165mm

    Weight is 8.05kg with th 40mm tires, bottle cages, Garmin mount and pedals. So ride configuration.

I started with 30mm Continental GP4000s, which measured about 33mm on the 26mm internal width rims. For my first gravel race, I borrowed a set of 40mm tires from a friend (actual width at the knobs was 40mm). I've now ordered a pair of Hutchinson Caracal Race 40mm semi-slicks for all-around use. I mostly ride endurance routes and have a lot of easy gravel around here, so they should be a good fit.

A few build notes:

    There’s a small gap at the headset, but nothing that bothers me.

    I went with a SRAM bottom bracket based on a forum tip, but it was very tight fitting the Riro crankset — I ended up using a rubber mallet.

    Internal cable routing was easier than expected for a first-time build. I found a great YouTube guide that used a brake cable to route through the bars — worked like a charm.

    I opted for a different cockpit setup than the standard one from Tantan to get flared bars. Switching it out was no problem when I asked during the order.

I raced it for the first time in a gravel event — came 4th and was absolutely stoked!

Beautiful build! Very surprised at the tire clearance even with the 40c you have on (looks like it fits well!). I wonder how much further you could push it