Chinese carbon 29er – any long-term experience?

[lucaspalm]

Hi,
I’m thinking about building a 29er using a Chinese carbon frame.
I’ve read quite a bit on the forum already, but I’m still unsure about durability and ride feel over time.

If you’ve been riding one for a while, I’d be interested to hear how it’s holding up and if you’d do it again.

Thanks.

[acedeuce802]

LCFS911 - put about 5000 miles on it before selling to a friend, no issues, several XC races
FM936 - maybe 2000 miles so far, bought used, no issue, I take this bike to the mountains and don't hold back
FM199 size medium - 4000 gravel miles with no issue, built as a monstercross gravel bike
FM199 size large - cracked seat tube (friends also cracked in same spot), repaired and it's been good for another 1500 miles so far, mostly gravel and smooth XC races

[lidation]

I have bought a 29er hardtaill frame from SP Cycle in 2017, put a bunch of spare parts on them and it was one of my commute bike for 5 years covering about 1200 miles. Then last year I gave it an overhaul and change it to a dropbar gravel bike and have put about 1000 miles since then. So throughout all these years, with a lot of neglects and mild abuse, it has been holding up fine.

[aer0]

SP-Cycle M016
First one cracked in the first couple of XC rides, clearly a faulty frame
They replaced it with a second one that I did around 5000km of XC rides on, I then crashed it and wrote it off.

~75kg rider, XC build with 120mm fox fork, carbon wheels.  Riding grade 3/4/5 trails

[jefflinde]

Lots of people have lots of miles on Chinese frames.  Most of the name brands that are on here are making good quality stuff.  Be sure to check any linkage bolts as I have never had one not be delivered a little loose and I check them after every few 100 miles just to make sure they are still tight.  Bearings are a cheap area for the companies so be ready to check them often or replace them right away.  30-60$ in new bearings will save you a lot of headache if one goes bad and damages a suspension component.

I have 5 full suspension frames and have built probably another 5 for friends.  Hard tails and gravel bikes also from Chinese companies.  Stick to the big players and you will be fine. 

[nallen]

The downside of carbons frames from reasonably reputable companies is not durability, it is weight and compliance.  They are often over-built to avoid warranty claims, and they don’t aim for complicated frame flexing modes.  The weight differences we’re talking are like 200g, and the flexing modes I am not sure are noticeable and could just be marketing fluff.

Another downside is fit and finish, better frames have things like built in cable runs and in-frame storage, as well as custom developed shocks and such.

Oh and if you want a super custom paint job like a Trek Project One that’s probably not an option.

[J.BL]

Ican S3, been riding it for the last 3 years. Super happy and holds up to nearly anything. I use it as my XC bike, which means gnarly descents as well.
(The Ican S3 is not available anymore. However the main triangle is the same as the carbonda FM736)

[Leo.D]

The common thread in almost every long-term success story here is that the frame was from a seller who's been around for at least a few years and has a track record of not disappearing when something goes wrong. The name on the down tube matters less than whether the factory has consistent process control.