Seraph Bikes Superlight 836g X68 - Alternative to SL8 Fakes?

[MTB-Addicted]

From what I have been sent unfinished unpainted  frame weights are broadly similar within 5% which is generally the accepted tolerance.
So it’s just splitting hairs personally I don’t want a copy as light as my genuine frame which painted 54cm is 700grams
I’m hoping the Tan Tan I have ordered comes in at claimed weight which is there finished at around 836grams
I’m gonna do a sheet to predict weight but I am aiming for 6.8kgs predald and bottle cages.
Anyway Tawain Eisen Peter appears to have gone AWOL so I’m glad I ordered from TanTan!

Peter is replying to me..

[Sander2177]

Peter is replying to me..

Where has he been hiding 
Christ imagine turning on his phone and seeing WhatsApp!

[glepore]

From what I have been sent unfinished unpainted  frame weights are broadly similar within 5% which is generally the accepted tolerance.
So it’s just splitting hairs personally I don’t want a copy as light as my genuine frame which painted 54cm is 700grams
I’m hoping the Tan Tan I have ordered comes in at claimed weight which is there finished at around 836grams
I’m gonna do a sheet to predict weight but I am aiming for 6.8kgs predald and bottle cages.
Anyway Tawain Eisen Peter appears to have gone AWOL so I’m glad I ordered from TanTan!

No argument here about not wanting an Sworks weight clone. As cool as some of the Specialized paint jobs are, I'm a little creepy about TE's marketing of direct counterfeits. But as to the post above that the frames are from the same source or are identical, no. The photos attached are from Tantan and TE's websites and show weights that aren't 5% different, but more like 100g. Again, I don't know that the lighter bike is a good thing...

[patliean1]

^^^^^^

My Tarmac SL8 Pro in a size 56 came in at 827g.

[Sander2177]

Ahhh my bad
836g Tan Tan is 52cm
And Vivian at tan tan also sent me these photos of RAW frames
771G and 797G no idea what sizes though
And the red frame 56cm came in at 870g
So of my 54cm UD glossy comes in under that Im happy!

[Dr J]

Vivian said on whatsapp that this frame is “ on hold” right now. Wondering why they stopped the production. QC issues?

[Oro]

Weird. The frame isn't listed on the seraph page anymore. I paid beginning of february and they havn't even finished the frameset yet.

[Lero970]

There are interviews of the dude from Specialized whose entire job is to hunt down fake Specialized stuff. If the guy found a way to claim that Seraph is doing more than a clone - and you can expect Specialized to be the worst patent troll imaginable, because this brand has shown to have no spine over and over again -, that could explain why seraph would go dark.

For reference, a friend of mine, IP lawyer, helped Amazon patent the most random stuff related to conveyor belts, with the explicit aim to prevent the competition from using conveyor belts efficiently. These companies have weaponized patent trolling to extents that are unimaginable to the average Joe. My friend ended up quitting law, she is an engineer & lawyer by training, she was absolutely disgusted by what she was asked to do for these companies.

It would be interesting to know whether there’s even a patent on a bike frame like the SL8. I mean, it’s obvious that certain features can be patented, but I doubt that this applies to a specific geometry or tube shape. And in contrast to a lot of other sellers, Tantan is not painting fake logos on it. 

[glepore]

You can patent features of a frame, but there's nothing on the sl8 that's patentable except maybe the unique front fork construction.
But the logos etc are trademarked. TE and others that are selling logo'd frames are vulnerable to enforcement, and I don't doubt that Specialized would go after them. It could be that whomever is actually producing the frame has had threats such that they've paused until its sorted, or that demand for the logo'd frames was integral to their production plans.
FWIW, my frame was held for 5 days for customs inspection last week before being released for shipment.

[Sander2177]

Vivian said on whatsapp that this frame is “ on hold” right now. Wondering why they stopped the production. QC issues?

Could be anything, really.
If you’re American, no offense—but Donald Trump is currently shaking things up, so if you’ve ordered this frame, it might end up costing more.

I noticed the frame is now showing as unavailable on the Seraph site. I ordered mine last Monday, so maybe demand has outpaced supply and they’ve had to pause sales—who knows.

Did you ask why the frame is on hold?
Could be something to do with Specialized, but the frame doesn’t have any branding, and from what I’ve heard, it’s difficult to enforce patents and copyright laws in China anyway.

Specialized are an American company, so they might not have much legal leverage over there.

[tiz92]

hmm not good to hear. I hope mine will still be shipped out. Ordered it 13 of march.

[Sander2177]

hmm not good to hear. I hope mine will still be shipped out. Ordered it 13 of march.

Are you going to message TanTan to see if you will still receive your order.

[tiz92]

Are you going to message TanTan to see if you will still receive your order.

Of course, I already did, no response yet but today is holiday in china afaik.

[Sander2177]

Of course, I already did, no response yet but today is holiday in china afaik.

Well I sent an email to see if this affects current orders.
Hopefully it does not!
It still on the seraph website like I said but unavailable.
And this is on Vivian WhatsApp
It is not a public holiday in China today.

[Sander2177]

Well I sent an email to see if this affects current orders.
Hopefully it does not!
It still on the seraph website like I said but unavailable.
And this is on Vivian WhatsApp
It is not a public holiday in China today.

Had this reply.

‘Dear Stephen.
Regarding your TT-X68 order,
We are currently waiting for further notice.
Once there is stock available for shipment,
We will arrange shipment for you as soon as possible;
If we are unable to meet your order requirements in the end,
We will also process a refund for you.
Please be patient,
We expect to give you a clear reply next week.
Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Best wishes!
Vivian’