Hi all,
I am new to the Chinertown community. Thanks for letting me join. I stumbled upon this site while trying to find info on Chinese carbon frames.
There is a ton of info on this site and it’s been fun to explore, but I am having difficulty finding exactly what I’m looking for. I’d rather be out riding then searching the web, so I figured I’d just ask the more knowledgeable Chinertown members.
I’m hoping to build another bike for bikepacking. I currently have my gravel/touring bike, which is a custom Chinese titanium frame and can accept tires up to 45c width. Great for dirt roads, but not if it gets a little rougher. I also have a full-suspension Trek. It was great on the Arizona Trail, but overkill for a lot of my trips.
My aim is to build a hardtail and I’ve narrowed it down to a few options, with the following criteria:
• Carbon frame
• 29”
• Old school (Quick release axles, Non-boost). I’ll be building with wheels and parts I already own, so I don’t want a boost frame or a frame built for thru-axles
• At least 2.25” tires, maybe wider
I found a huge offering of frames on eBay and AliExpress. A lot of them appear to be the exact same frame, just different sellers and different prices. Here’s where I could use your help
Do you have a frame which you could recommend? Are there any you’d advise against?
Is it better to buy on eBay or AliExpress? Are there any recommended sellers?
I've attached photos of some of the options. I like the looks of the BXT with the bent chain stays, although the the other options also look like good choices.
Also, do you know if frames run big or small? I’m 6’1” and would probably select a 21”, but some only come in 19”. Not sure if that would be too small.
Again, any help with frame selection would be much appreciated. I am at a loss. I’m tempted to just buy the first one from eBay, but let me know if you have any opinions.
Thanks so much!
Pat
