Used name brand frame or brand new Chiner frame?

[coffeebreak]

Just wanted to get a feel on what members here will do if a used name brand frame at same price as Chiner frame? I'm in that quandary as I slowly collect parts for a rim brake road bike. I was in talks with Tideace, VB and Tantan when a local opportunity on Craigslist showed up which got me thinking.

[carbonazza]

If you are sure it is not a fake, go for it if you like it !
How to know if it is a fake ? Well... until you see it  , it maybe hard to tell from pictures.
Or ask close pictures of the headtube ends, BB, bottle cage holes, cable exits, faced brake mounts, ... they are usually better finished on a branded frame.

[jannmayer]

If they are the same price and comparable specs and geometry, I'd probably go with the name brand. I would expect that there's less risk of quality or manufacturing issues if it had already been built up, and being able to inspect it first is a huge plus. I also like the idea of keeping an existing bike going over replacing it with a new one.


Unless of course the name brand was really ugly. Then I'd get the new frame with a custom paint job.   

[coffeebreak]

If you are sure it is not a fake, go for it if you like it !
How to know if it is a fake ? Well... until you see it  , it maybe hard to tell from pictures.
Or ask close pictures of the headtube ends, BB, bottle cage holes, cable exits, faced brake mounts, ... they are usually better finished on a branded frame.

It is complete bike, Fuji SL 2.5  2018 that seller is willing to part out. I checked out and it’s in really great shape. Only visible wear is near the BB and near seat clamp possibly from adjusting the seat post. Seems like a bike guy who knows his stuff. $450 for frame, fork, seatpost, stem, handlebar, saddle, bottle cages (cf).

If they are the same price and comparable specs and geometry, I'd probably go with the name brand. I would expect that there's less risk of quality or manufacturing issues if it had already been built up, and being able to inspect it first is a huge plus. I also like the idea of keeping an existing bike going over replacing it with a new one.


Unless of course the name brand was really ugly. Then I'd get the new frame with a custom paint job.   

I will be keeping my current bike(s). It is currently fully built up. Since the seller isn’t getting hits at asking price he’s parting it out. Blue-turquoise colorway isn’t something that I would have ordered for a custom paint job but it’s not too bad. You are right, custom colors exactly like how you want is a major draw for me in Chiner frames. The price is cheaper than what I would end up paying for VB or Tantan after shipping.

[carbonazza]

...It is complete bike, Fuji SL 2.5  2018...

Oops, I missed the word used in your initial post.
When I started riding about 9 years ago, I bought a used Cannondale Rush.
It was my biggest bike mistake, a year after I found info on mtbr about Chinese frames, and here we are.
So my view is I would never do that again, and when someone ask me advice to buy second hand bikes, I tell them it is obsolete, as usually they are.
You never know what happened to that frame. The equipment is old.
And for the same money, or a little more they would get a lighter and new bike.
So here is my feel