BladeX: 15 Years of Carbon Wheel Manufacturing, Now Building Wheels for Riders

[Jason_BladeX]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been following this forum for a long time, and I’m glad to finally introduce myself. I’m Jason Xiang, the founder of BladeX Bicycle. We’ve owned the BladeX brand and operated our carbon manufacturing factory since 2011. For over 15 years, we’ve been working behind the scenes, and now I’d like to step forward and connect directly with fellow riders here.
Let me share our story briefly.

How We Started (Back in 2011)
I used to work as a software engineer at an international company. Around 2011, I met Paul Zhang, an experienced engineer who had left a well-known carbon factory based in Xiamen. This factory laid the foundation for the local carbon composite cycling industry.

Paul is a true craftsman focused on every production detail: carbon prepreg quality, production yield, and equipment operation. Honestly, back then, I was brand new to carbon fiber. I was amazed by how light and strong it was—stuff I’d only ever heard about in aerospace engineering. The idea of using that kind of tech for bikes really hooked me.

Combining my experience serving global clients and passion for product development, Paul and I became partners and founded BladeX in 2011. Paul takes charge of engineering and manufacturing, while I manage business and branding. We were actually among the earliest carbon wheel sellers on AliExpress and eBay in the early days.

Our New Approach (From 2025 Onwards)
While BladeX has existed since 2011, we mainly focused on OEM and wholesale production for more than a decade. As the market evolved by 2025, we expanded our production capacity and decided to shift our focus. We are now officially building BladeX as a rider-centric brand, listening directly to cyclists and designing wheels purely for real riding experiences.

I see myself first as a product manager, not just a seller. My goal is to develop carbon wheels that look great and perform even better. That’s why I want to listen closely to real riders around the world. I hope to collect your ideas, learn about your real demands on the road, and apply your feedback to our next-generation carbon wheels.

My goal is simple: I don’t want to just sell mass-market parts. I want to build wheels that feel like they were designed by the people who ride them.

This is not a sales spam post. I’m here to join technical discussions, share our R&D progress, and listen to your honest feedback. Feel free to ask any questions about carbon wheel production, materials or technical details — I’m happy to share everything I know.

Cheers,
Jason Xiang
Founder, BladeX Bicycle

[muflon11]

I think a lot of people would like wheels which are designed for 32mm tires, as most current wheels do not have the right IW / EW ratio.

[PANW]

I second this

[Dark17]

25mm iw with 34mm ew is interesting!

[Jason_BladeX]

Hi!

Thanks for your feedback.

We also believe modern road wheels should be designed around the tyres most riders are using today. For that reason, our Ultra series was developed with a 25mm internal width, 32mm external width at the tyre interface and 34mm maximum external width, as shown below.

Our goal was to optimize the profile for modern 28–32mm tyres, providing good tyre support, stability and aerodynamic performance.

We are always interested in rider feedback. What internal and external widths do you personally consider ideal for a 32mm tyre?


Cheers,
Jason

I think a lot of people would like wheels which are designed for 32mm tires, as most current wheels do not have the right IW / EW ratio.

[voidptr]

What is your affiliation with ZEN?

[Sakizashi]

One of the challenges I see with many Chinese factory brands — and many newer brands in general — is that they sell products they believe are technically proficient but are developed without input from riders or shops.

For example, if you look at WW (I saw you posted over there, too), there is a pretty stark difference in the feedback some lower-cost Chinese brands are getting depending on the user's proficiency. Riders who build wheels, shops, and mechanics have given pretty negative reviews on a few carbon-spoked, light rim wheelsets that are well-loved by posters who seem to ride more casually, who love them for their reduced weight and low spoke count look. Meanwhile, competitive road racers (not just those that have a racing license, but those contesting Pro 1/2 races) are more in the middle. Many are showing initial excitement, then negativity, or moving back to big-brand wheels over time.

I think a huge part of this is understanding your market, what trade-offs you want to make to sell to your customers, and tuning the product accordingly. Because of how much money some casual riders spend and how tight on budget some serious racers are, this is independent of price.

Rather than splitting your product lines by price and weight, I would split them by use.

• A "Pro Racer" product line that is focused on reliability--it should be good enough to handle a pro crit and a mixed surface road race (e.g., road with some cobbles or gravel segments/sectors mixed in). This product may have internal nipples and require professional service. I would also take some cross-sections of popular high-end race tires (e.g., Conti GP5000 S TR, Pirelli Zero Race SLR) on these rims and have someone run basic CFD on them, just showing that the rims work well aerodynamically with the tires
  
• A "Ultralight Climber" line focused on the lightest wheel you can deliver to customers who want a strong wheel that is also cutting edge in terms of weight
• A "Privateer Racer" line focused on a reliable wheel that can be maintained and trued with a few tools at home and wear parts that can be sourced from local bike shops. /li]
  

Details like locking nipples are probably something to also spend a little on to avoid photos of your products with loose spokes on the internet.

Ignore the rule of 105 stuff. It's nonsense at this point.

[xrider91]

Details like locking nipples are probably something to also spend a little on to avoid photos of your products with loose spokes on the internet.

I agree with this. I'm considering carbon spokes for the first time...rightly or wrongly, I've decided that self-locking nipples are a must have for me to buy a set.

[Jason_BladeX]

Hi there!

You’ve hit the nail on the head regarding the 'classic trade-off' dilemma. When riders see aggressive pricing from some Chinese suppliers, their first thought is usually: 'Where did they cut corners?'—and locking nipples are exactly the kind of detail that often gets sacrificed.

To be clear, we don't trade off build quality at BladeX. There are plenty of 'ultralight & ultra-cheap' wheelsets out there, but frankly, we can't—and won't—compete on that. We design our products with durability as the foundation. We prioritize the 'hidden' details that ensure long-term reliability; for instance, all our wheels—whether built with steel or carbon spokes—exclusively use Sapim Secure-Lock or equivalent self-locking nipples. We know that saving a few dollars here isn't worth the cost of a user’s trust or the brand damage from a single viral photo of a failed build.

Take our Core series as an example. We intentionally use high-quality Toray T700 to keep costs accessible, rather than pushing for T800/T1000, which can be unreliable if the layup isn't optimized for durability. We pair this with reliable Pillar 1423 spokes and Secure-Lock nipples, rather than cutting corners on components essential for performance. The only trade-off is some extra weight, but it’s a lineup designed for riders upgrading from alloy who need something they can truly rely on.

Previously, we categorized by price and weight to keep things simple, but your feedback is eye-opening. We are definitely going to reorganize our product lineup on website based on intended use. I’m planning to add a new category menu that groups our wheels into the classes you suggested—'Pro Racer', 'Ultralight Climber', and 'Privateer Racer'—so riders can find what fits their riding style without guessing.

I really appreciate this perspective—it's exactly the kind of guidance I'm looking for as we refine our next generation of designs.

Jason

One of the challenges I see with many Chinese factory brands — and many newer brands in general — is that they sell products they believe are technically proficient but are developed without input from riders or shops.

For example, if you look at WW (I saw you posted over there, too), there is a pretty stark difference in the feedback some lower-cost Chinese brands are getting depending on the user's proficiency. Riders who build wheels, shops, and mechanics have given pretty negative reviews on a few carbon-spoked, light rim wheelsets that are well-loved by posters who seem to ride more casually, who love them for their reduced weight and low spoke count look. Meanwhile, competitive road racers (not just those that have a racing license, but those contesting Pro 1/2 races) are more in the middle. Many are showing initial excitement, then negativity, or moving back to big-brand wheels over time.

I think a huge part of this is understanding your market, what trade-offs you want to make to sell to your customers, and tuning the product accordingly. Because of how much money some casual riders spend and how tight on budget some serious racers are, this is independent of price.

Rather than splitting your product lines by price and weight, I would split them by use.

• A "Pro Racer" product line that is focused on reliability--it should be good enough to handle a pro crit and a mixed surface road race (e.g., road with some cobbles or gravel segments/sectors mixed in). This product may have internal nipples and require professional service. I would also take some cross-sections of popular high-end race tires (e.g., Conti GP5000 S TR, Pirelli Zero Race SLR) on these rims and have someone run basic CFD on them, just showing that the rims work well aerodynamically with the tires
  
• A "Ultralight Climber" line focused on the lightest wheel you can deliver to customers who want a strong wheel that is also cutting edge in terms of weight
• A "Privateer Racer" line focused on a reliable wheel that can be maintained and trued with a few tools at home and wear parts that can be sourced from local bike shops. /li]
  

Details like locking nipples are probably something to also spend a little on to avoid photos of your products with loose spokes on the internet.

Ignore the rule of 105 stuff. It's nonsense at this point.

[Jason_BladeX]

Hi! We are both based in Xiamen, but we have no formal affiliation or common connections. We’re two separate operations focusing on our own R&D paths.

What is your affiliation with ZEN?

[zealot128]

Oh, another wheel-brand from 厦门 (Jimei)
I count more than 30 existing wheel-brands from Xiamen, so that is a really busy and competitive market! How would you describe your value proposition in that kind of environment?

One initial point of critic from my side is your over-boarding use of AI, like your last response is clearly AI generated with lots of "—" and your "Warrany" AI Logo has even your own name's letters mixed up: https://bladexcycle.com/wp-content/uploads/5-year-warranty-shield.webp - I would suggest to keep it as authentic as possible or change your prompting. Anyways, I wish you good luck for the ventures, maybe at one point in the future we can meet in Xiamen!

[Sakizashi]

Oh, another wheel-brand from 厦门 (Jimei)
One initial point of critic from my side is your over-boarding use of AI, like your last response is clearly AI generated with lots of "—" and your "Warrany" AI Logo has even your own name's letters mixed up: https://bladexcycle.com/wp-content/uploads/5-year-warranty-shield.webp - I would suggest to keep it as authentic as possible or change your prompting. Anyways, I wish you good luck for the ventures, maybe at one point in the future we can meet in Xiamen!

This forum loves violating western copyright / trademark laws with AI mockups that include branding and break Chinese AI use guidelines (not sure if we consider them laws yet? Someone from China would know) with unwatermarked AI images — but someone who is not a native English speaker uses it to translate and formulate text so they can communicate, and we hate it?

[Jason_BladeX]

Hi there! Thanks for pointing out the issue with that image, good catch. You're absolutely right; we should be more careful with the quality and authenticity of our content, regardless of the tools we use. AI is just a tool, but the responsibility for the quality ultimately lies with us. We’ll get that fixed ASAP.

Regarding the Xiamen 'wheel brand' landscape, you’re spot on, there are way more than 30 if you count every small player. However, I look at it this way: Xiamen is indeed the industry hub, and being in a 'busy' market is what drives innovation.

For BladeX, my value proposition isn't to be just another brand in the crowd. It’s to bridge the gap between 'factory-direct' and 'rider-centric' design. Most brands here focus on volume or price; our goal is to focus on technical authority and transparency. We want to open up the design process, share our testing data, and build products based on the feedback from riders like you, rather than just chasing the latest aesthetic trend.

It’s definitely a crowded market, but I believe there’s always room for a brand that is truly willing to listen and iterate on the details that actually matter on the road.

I’d love to take you up on that offer—next time you’re in Jimei, let’s have a seat and share some tea.

Oh, another wheel-brand from 厦门 (Jimei)
I count more than 30 existing wheel-brands from Xiamen, so that is a really busy and competitive market! How would you describe your value proposition in that kind of environment?

One initial point of critic from my side is your over-boarding use of AI, like your last response is clearly AI generated with lots of "—" and your "Warrany" AI Logo has even your own name's letters mixed up: https://bladexcycle.com/wp-content/uploads/5-year-warranty-shield.webp - I would suggest to keep it as authentic as possible or change your prompting. Anyways, I wish you good luck for the ventures, maybe at one point in the future we can meet in Xiamen!

[Jason_BladeX]

That is a fair point, I appreciate you calling that out.

Honestly, my English is not very good. I use AI tools to help me translate and formulate my text so I can join the conversation here without much confusion. My goal is not to flood the forum with fake images or marketing content. I am just a person who loves creating nice products and wants to share what we are doing at our factory.

I will be more careful about the AI look in the future and try to make sure our content is authentic. I think I would much rather earn respect through the quality of our wheels and the honesty of our design process instead of some polished AI images.

Thanks for your perspective, it is good to hear. If you come to Xiamen one day, I invite you to have tea with me.

This forum loves violating western copyright / trademark laws with AI mockups that include branding and break Chinese AI use guidelines (not sure if we consider them laws yet? Someone from China would know) with unwatermarked AI images — but someone who is not a native English speaker uses it to translate and formulate text so they can communicate, and we hate it?

[Jason_BladeX]

Speaking of product quality, I just finished the inflation/pressure tests for our latest batch today. Instead of just talking about it, I’d rather show you what we are working on.

Testing is the part I care about most. The more rigorous our testing is, the fewer issues we see down the road. If anyone has questions about our testing standards, rim wall thickness, or stress distribution data, feel free to ask. I am here to be transparent.