Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum but not new to cycling. I started out racing BMX when I was younger, then moved onto track cycling, and over the past couple of years I've really gotten into watching and following road cycling more closely.

Now I’m looking to take the next step and build my first full carbon road bike—on a really tight budget (ideally around £1000 max)

I’ve been looking at options from companies like Velobuild, particularly the VB-R-268, which looks like my most likely choice. But I want to make sure I’m budgeting correctly if I’m going to stay under that limit.

Since I’m based in the UK, I’d really appreciate any advice or recent experiences with import duties, VAT, courier charges, or any unexpected costs when ordering direct from China. I’d also be curious to hear if anyone has experience using platforms like Taobao instead of AliExpress.

Looking forward to learning more and starting this build with some guidance from people who’ve already been down this road.

Thanks in advance!