Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?

[coffeebreak]

Did anyone order those ultra light 150 grams or less handlebars? I had bad experience with RXL SL because they flexed so much and they aren't even that light. These Kocevlo being so light would be even worse?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806378996885.html

Just looking for a simple handlebar with flat top.

[kubackje]

Did anyone order those ultra light 150 grams or less handlebars? I had bad experience with RXL SL because they flexed so much and they aren't even that light. These Kocevlo being so light would be even worse?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806378996885.html

Just looking for a simple handlebar with flat top.

Used them for gravel for 3 months. they broke on a decent while in the drops, I am 85kg. They are flexy and I would never ever buy them again. Maybe for a road bike if u are 65kg.
What nice is the fact that even though I've bought those bars few months before even installing, so before they broke it was over 6 months after the sale process.The seller from AliExpress was kind enough and wanted to send me new bars but I've chose other items from his store as a replacement.

[hsaus]

I just installed these Toseek ZXB-TWO bars: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007125645453.html

I have yet to ride them, but visually the quality looks good, with smooth cable entry ports, even wall thickness where I can see (at the bar ends), and a smooth finish all the way to the bar ends. Far better than some RXL SL bars I purchased previously (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003831894325.html), they had none of those properties and I decided not to use them in the end.

The Toseek bars are not the lightest though, 255g for 380/400mm (hoods/drops). I can't speak to stiffness - I'm lightweight and can't sprint to save my life.

[jonathanf2]

Did anyone order those ultra light 150 grams or less handlebars? I had bad experience with RXL SL because they flexed so much and they aren't even that light. These Kocevlo being so light would be even worse?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806378996885.html

Just looking for a simple handlebar with flat top.

Were you having flex issues with these RXL SL bars?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803093583495.html

I'm currently running them on both my road bikes and I find them stiff. I have the 38cm version and they come in at around 200g. Paired with an ultra light UNO stem at sub 100g, the total package with bar+stem is just under 300g. I'm running semi-internal cabling, but at least I can say my headset is rock solid with no play!

[lavistaa]

I believe that the reason there aren't many 11-36 12 speed cassettes is that there are very few rear derailleurs that will handle a 2X12 set up.  The limit appears to be a 34 cassette.  (For my gravel bike, I had to swap the cage on my GRX rear derailleur to handle a 36 cassette.)

OTOH, the EDS TX kit I have on order will handle a 36 cassette.   I searched and searched Aliexpress and 2 days ago purchased this cassette.  It is a 10-36 ultralight 12 speed cassette (XDR)  (Cool!, 10 tooth rather than an 11. Now I might be able to drop to slightly smaller chainrings on the front and keep the same high gear ratio.)

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804263667198.html

2x12 11-36 works with everything in my experience.  Definitely grx but also LTWOO erx, ultegra, mechanical 105, etc.  grx goes to a 45 in the back on 2x.

[coffeebreak]

Used them for gravel for 3 months. they broke on a decent while in the drops, I am 85kg. They are flexy and I would never ever buy them again. Maybe for a road bike if u are 65kg.

Good to know. I usually stay away from anything scary light on Aliexpress. Those Odin Zeus stems are other item that I am curious but gonna give a pass.

Were you having flex issues with these RXL SL bars?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803093583495.html

Yes, but bought from Amazon thankfully for same price as Aliexpress and was able to return. I might pull trigger on Aerofly II knockoffs. Not the lightest but looks swell. I have Uno stem too, the Aerofly seems around 225 grams so the all in weight won't be below 300 but not too heavy either.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806586144935.html

I just installed these Toseek ZXB-TWO bars: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007125645453.html

These look good. I had the same observations regarding RXL bars. Horrible cable routing and the holes were all uneven. I simply routed them from under the bar because it was near impossible to route internally.

[jonathanf2]

2x12 11-36 works with everything in my experience.  Definitely grx but also LTWOO erx, ultegra, mechanical 105, etc.  grx goes to a 45 in the back on 2x.

Just a heads up, Sunrace has some higher quality 11 and 12 speed 11-36t cassettes available. Though I would hope whomever is making the Goldix/Ztto ultra lightweight all-steel cassettes would also do an 11-36t. I've had great luck with my 12 speed 11-34t cassette on my road bike.

On my gravel bike, I'm still using 2x10 with GRX400 shifters & FD, an Ultegra RX800 RD and 10 speed 11-36t Shimano XT cassette. I have a pair of 11 speed Ultegra shifters laying around, so I'm trying to figure out if there are any decent 11 speed cassette options to keep the same gearing.

[KvotheTheRaven]

Did anyone order those ultra light 150 grams or less handlebars? I had bad experience with RXL SL because they flexed so much and they aren't even that light. These Kocevlo being so light would be even worse?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806378996885.html

Just looking for a simple handlebar with flat top.

I have these. Super flexy. I also have those RXL SLs with the ovalized tops and the 2cm flair. Those are much stiffer.

[snack]

Which mirror saddle dupe do you guys recommend on Ali? I bought the 5d as people say that’s the most comfortable.

[s3si1u]

Anyone using the fake Ingrid crankset? www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804316435985.html
Check these photos out. Looks like the spindle is starting to show some tiny cracks, at least they feel like cracks. I've only been riding it since March, maybe 700 miles.
I felt safe using this crankset due to the 30mm spindle...now I'm thinking I should stop riding it...What do y'all think? Anyone else on here riding it?

[kbernstein]

Bunch of cheap third party replacement spares for shimano:
3€ rubber hoods: aliexpress.com/item/1005006601119114.html
Awesome. Perfect fit, nice texture, feel great. Strongly recommend. Better than shimanos

Titanium bleed port screws (for shifter) because shimano cheaped out on garbage bolts that often strip: aliexpress.com/item/1005007383500821.html
Awesome again. 3mm hex instead of 2mm for shimano, feel a little lighter but thread is good

MTB cleats: aliexpress.com/item/1005005896538447.html
Dogshit. Dangerous. Extremely soft metal, unreliable and inconsistent. At least I got a refund but used the screws with actual shimano cleats hehe

Buckkklos ceramic brake pads: about on par with stock shimanos but 1/6th the price

[jonathanf2]

I went on a buying spree during the back-to-school sale, but mostly small items and I really need bike parts for school! 

First I picked up a few Pass Quest aero chainrings. I don't think they make me go faster and they're a bit noisy in the low gears, but they look cool on a 1x gravel build: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805802961930.html

I also picked up a few Goldix chainrings, because I like having options. On Pick 3: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806852034023.html

I bought a few sheets of faux CF protection decal protectors. They're relatively lightweight and since all my bikes are black, it's a good way to protect my bike frames, while being relatively weightless. Also the adhesive doesn't leave any residue and during the sale were under $1 USD on Pick 3 (used to be $1.99 USD for 3 sheets): https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806808805802.html

I picked up these cheap ABS plastic SPD pedals. I normally use lightweight road-like SPD pedals, but I'm planning to swap cranksets out for different 1x gearing options when specifically climbing the trails. I prefer these pedals because the plastic doesn't scratch/dent surfaces (I owned them before, but gave them away) and I don't really care for those fancy alloy MTB pedals: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806124459641.html

I've mentioned this base layer on the Chinese cycling clothes thread, but I'll drop them here. I'm a big fan of these inner mesh tank tops. They're cheap and effective at wicking away sweat on hot days and keeping me a bit warmer when temperatures drop. On Pick 3, they're less than $3 USD a pop: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806910751768.html?

I bought a pair of these aero socks with a silcone non-slip grip. I didn't have high expectations, but after trying them out they work extremely well. Though I'll have to see how they hold up after a few washes: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806824187391.html

I also decided to try the Spedao lightweight 11 speed 10-42t cassette. I had a so-so experience with the Spedao road cassettes, but I'll see how this cassette will handle. I mainly got it for the 10t cog, just so I can run slightly smaller chainrings on the gravel bike: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806211398285.html

Lastly I ordered (okay, not a small purchase) this Easedon wheelset for my climbing road bike. I opted for the lightest configuration of sub 1200g. I don't really care for aero, since I mostly climb anyways. I'll report back to see if they're any good: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805991276022.html

[pushpush]

Titanium bleed port screws (for shifter) because shimano cheaped out on garbage bolts that often strip: aliexpress.com/item/1005007383500821.html
Awesome again. 3mm hex instead of 2mm for shimano, feel a little lighter but thread is good

Be careful with these. It wasn't until I accidentally stripped the plastic threads out of a shifter with my fancy upgraded bolts that I realized the shimano bolts are shitty for a reason. They are a sacrificial part intended to fail before you strip the threads out of your shifter. Interesting thing is that the threads stripped out while removing the bolt, not installing it. I'm sure it was my error overtightening it but it wasn't until I removed the Ti bolt that it ripped the threads out. Use caution.

[Eskae]

Anyone using the fake Ingrid crankset? www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804316435985.html
Check these photos out. Looks like the spindle is starting to show some tiny cracks, at least they feel like cracks. I've only been riding it since March, maybe 700 miles.
I felt safe using this crankset due to the 30mm spindle...now I'm thinking I should stop riding it...What do y'all think? Anyone else on here riding it?

I've been riding one since December.  You can read my review here: https://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,3910.msg53365.html#msg53365

Tl;dr is that the 30mm axle was out of spec and didn't fit into multiple bottom brackets.  I ended up sanding it down a bit until it fit snugly.  No issues since then but I haven't pulled the crankset to check the axle, either. 

Looking at the photos you posted, those don't appear to be cracks (to me).  All the lines are straight, which look more like scratches that happened during install and removal.

[rasch]

Be careful with these. It wasn't until I accidentally stripped the plastic threads out of a shifter with my fancy upgraded bolts that I realized the shimano bolts are shitty for a reason. They are a sacrificial part intended to fail before you strip the threads out of your shifter. Interesting thing is that the threads stripped out while removing the bolt, not installing it. I'm sure it was my error overtightening it but it wasn't until I removed the Ti bolt that it ripped the threads out. Use caution.

Hahaha did the same not long ago. It's garbage the way these are built. I managed to fix it still but it wasn't easy