Is an Chinertown build really worth it?

[t-dolla]

Been keen to get an Aliexpress build going however, Im reluctant after doing some research on this forum;

Limited to no after sales support in cases where parts have defects & damage
Limited to no warranty on items such as frames and rims
COST - some folk building insane bikes at similar costs to whats availible from retail brands.

What am I missing?

Keen to hear why you think its worth it to go this route!

[KopytoNieBladzi]

In 2023 I got my hands on SuperSix evo 2021 frame almost for free. Using local marketplace bought myself 11s 105 discbrake group, some shimano wheels and cannondale cranks. Stem, handlebar,chain,BB,casette,pedals,bartape and few other things straight from Aliexpress. It did work well and all with few ,,this,, and ,,thats,, and I was fine with this ,,cuz that price,,.
By the end of last year it came to say good bye to SuperSix and build something. Then it just became so clear that ,,What if put full chinertown style bike just for this What if part,,.
Some serch, plenty e-mails, few discounts and cupons later: Full carbon gravel that uses everything from china yet I couldnt decide for chiner groupset that was more expensive and less reliable than Shimano Di2 105.
Do I have a full support from them if anything happen? No clue but I'm fine with this. I knew I'm doing it for my ,,What if,,
Serch process was fun, building everything also. I'm glad I did it and breaking price everything was under 1900 euro which is more than 50% of known brand same spec or even lowe spec.
If you are ready that something may not go as good as you plan, just do it. I was ready for at least 50% things go bad or be just unusable yet almost all of those parts did me right from the beginning.

[kbernstein]

I don't think many people on chinertown are going to tell you no... Most of us built a chinese bike and are happy with it, if we weren't we wouldn't be here.
Yes, some sellers have poor after sale support. But I've had my fair share of dogshit customer support from western stores too
Yes, sometimes buying in china is not worth it compared to locally. A certain country seems to be experiencing that atm
And this forum is the best space to discuss what it and what isn't worth buying

But overall, is it a great idea? For most people, yes, absolutely 100%. If you don't mind tinkering, building your own bike, and have a budget between ~1000 to 7000usd, which is the case for most people, I think a chinese build will give you much more bang for your buck. For most parts of course, some parts tend to not be worth it from china, like tyres imo.

[dsveddy]

Having done 2 builds, the margin is close between 2nd hand market and a Chiner build. I did my builds a couple years ago during peak bike inflation so the margin was a bit better, now you have to be more careful. The key is that you need to spreadsheet everything (costs, weights), across multiple builds. You’ll find that some chiner builds turn out pretty expensive for what you get. It also gets very expensive if you make mistakes and buy the wrong parts, install them, and can’t return them.

But case in point: I built up a lightcarbon gravel/cx bike for less than $3k, and comparable bikes new were 5k+ even after discounts.

The other big advantage is you get to control spec. With used/new, you are stuck with paying for wheels/cockpit you didn’t want. Thats not a problem if you build

[Tilmanstoa5ty]

For me choosing parts, reading reviews and researching stuff is part of the fun. Plus building your own bike makes you better at working on bikes. So far i've been able to fix any issue on my bike and know every little detail about it. My Velobuild with Shimano 105, carbon wheels and powermeter crank cost me 2200€. Hard to get a name brand bike with similar stats for this price.

But if you want no hassle, no figuring out stuff, no facing issues and perfect after sales support this is not for you. Then i would recommend buying a pre built bike from a reputable seller.

[Dan S.]

I would say it's worth it. You can fully customize your bike, something that buying stock just does not usually allow you. You can build a bike to your exact specs and save 1000-2000 EUR even. I also like the part of building the bike and working on it. To me it's worth every cent.

[Serge_K]

On after sales & warranty, shipping costs is an issue, but other than that, if you buy from the likes of far sports or Xiamen carbon speed (both i've used), you do have after sales & warranty. May not be on par with your bike shop, but you're not left naked either.
The customization point is important. I built my road bike after being disappointed by my gravel bike. I chose every single component, and i have a bike that fits me, that puts a smile on my face every time i look at it, and that's really fast. That type of spec would have cost more than a car from a brand, and i have no sympathy for that.
I often point people to the 2nd hand market when assessing value, but it usually means compromising, waiting for the white elephant deal, or both. With what i now know, i could re-order my bike in parts in one day, and get building in 3-4 weeks. Different from "i dont want to spend retail on this component, so i've put an alert on ebay and will buy the next one, hopefully". Or "the bike shop has to get back to me if and when they could get me that frame in that size in that colour with that spec".

That said, if you dont look forward to building it, either have a good bike shop that you trust, or buy something off the shelf, because getting a whole bike in parts needs planning, tools, patience and care, and so on. It's not rocket science, but it's not for everyone. i have friends who have zero interest in the mechanical aspect of the things they use, they just want to use them.

[rasch]

On after sales & warranty, shipping costs is an issue, but other than that, if you buy from the likes of far sports or Xiamen carbon speed (both i've used), you do have after sales & warranty. May not be on par with your bike shop, but you're not left naked either.
The customization point is important. I built my road bike after being disappointed by my gravel bike. I chose every single component, and i have a bike that fits me, that puts a smile on my face every time i look at it, and that's really fast. That type of spec would have cost more than a car from a brand, and i have no sympathy for that.
I often point people to the 2nd hand market when assessing value, but it usually means compromising, waiting for the white elephant deal, or both. With what i now know, i could re-order my bike in parts in one day, and get building in 3-4 weeks. Different from "i dont want to spend retail on this component, so i've put an alert on ebay and will buy the next one, hopefully". Or "the bike shop has to get back to me if and when they could get me that frame in that size in that colour with that spec".

That said, if you dont look forward to building it, either have a good bike shop that you trust, or buy something off the shelf, because getting a whole bike in parts needs planning, tools, patience and care, and so on. It's not rocket science, but it's not for everyone. i have friends who have zero interest in the mechanical aspect of the things they use, they just want to use them.

Serge summed it up quite well.

It's either a project and a custom build or you are much better of buying off-the-shelf, especially now that prices are quite lower than in covid times.

When you can get a new Merida with 105 di2 for 2.2K€, and you think that by building a china bike, piece by piece, you'll pay 2K just for the groupset and painted frame, you can clearly see that it's hard to justify going for a china build. And if we talk about resale value makes it even less worth it.

Those who reach me to build one for them is for very specific needs, paint scheme, frame, handlebar size, etc. And there are very rare cases where price is under 3K, especially when they go to eletronic groupsets.

[jonathanf2]

I always tell people to buy a complete bike either new or used instead. Mechanical and entry level electronic bikes are very mature at this point. It's a lot of hassle unless you have the discipline to build your own bike.

The stuff you get from China is for the bike tuner crowd. It's like fixing up Hondas or VWs to make them go faster. It takes a certain dedication and underdog mentality. I purposely get the budget friendly stuff because I figure if my bike ever gets wrecked or stolen, I won't cry (too much) about it. Plus I'm not racing and I've been dropped on the hill climb by freak cyclists with watermelon calves and mid-level bikes. Unless you're elite, most the stuff from China is more bike than most cyclists will ever need.

[amacal1]

... and I've been dropped on the hill climb by freak cyclists with watermelon calves and mid-level bikes.

50mi Gravel race last weekend, I placed well behind a guy on a fat tire bike with flat bars. When he passed my group up, someone nicknamed him Thighsenberg, because - well - his thighs were f*cking huge.

I can ride any bike in the world, and I will always be passed by Thighsenberg (and others like him).

[00Garza]

I'm a glutton for punishment and I like to be different, so chinese builds are perfect for me! 

[Tijoe]

Plain and simple, (until the recent and pending customs changes in the USA)   

100% YES!

[Serge_K]

I'm a glutton for punishment

Title of your sex tape. Love it.