Chinertown
Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: Jason_BladeX on June 11, 2026, 06:16:16 AM
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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
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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.
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I second this
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25mm iw with 34mm ew is interesting!
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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.
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What is your affiliation with ZEN?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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!
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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?
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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!
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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?
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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.
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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?
I find it all distasteful but AI text mannerisms tend be overly long winded and very formulaic. It's just so obvious it's not written by a real person. Just putting their natural language into Google translate gives a more genuine result even if it gives odd grammar.
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I find it all distasteful but AI text mannerisms tend be overly long winded and very formulaic. It's just so obvious it's not written by a real person. Just putting their natural language into Google translate gives a more genuine result even if it gives odd grammar.
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?
Nothing against general AI usage in general, as a software dev I use claude code every day since it's release. But for a Bike Brand that wants to focus on quality, I expect some Attention To Detail, and having a slopped generated image with the wrong brand name is sloppy in my opinion.
Agreeing with gribs - it's a matter of taste, starting to read "you are absolutely right!" with a bunch of — will shut off my brain immediately, as the AI standard output is far far to verbose, especially for this forum setting.
I prefer brevity.
AI is also really useful for translation, I agree with you Jason! I also use it reverse to CN, but you have to tune the prompt, like "keep it short, avoid complex construction, translatite as verbatim as possible".
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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.
I was asking, because a week ago a thread "BladeX Wheels (Xiamen)" was created by the account @ZenCarbonBike, but got quickly renamed and deleted.
Must be a coincidence.
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Are you sure? that sounds weird, we actually have no connection.
I was asking, because a week ago a thread "BladeX Wheels (Xiamen)" was created by the account @ZenCarbonBike, but got quickly renamed and deleted.
Must be a coincidence.
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What I learned though the years of using and purchasing wheels/rims from china (for me and my friends):
1) If you offer complete wheelsets, don't ignore the full system. Make sure you use the right spokes and hubs for your aimed product. A deep wheel aimed for high speed and sprinting with only 18 spokes and lightweight hubs will not be liked by the high wattage user due to the lack of stiffness, even if you have the best rims in the world.
2) Spoke tension and build quality: nobody likes to touch their new wheels for maintenance and true them within the first 1000km.
3) Follow or even pioneer in technology and trends: I'm amazed that some brands up to today still have their 29mm external width road rims as flagship product. It takes time to gain credibility on your product. The reviews need to build up. So if you join a certain trend too late, you might lost the right momentum.
4) Offer a complete range of products (road, gravel, potentially mtb). Though you don't need to have each possible dimension in your range, make sure you have a popular rim profile for each discipline/target audience. It's very annoying as a consumer who is satisfied with your products, to need to find a different supplier simply because you don't have the right range.
Good luck with your business!
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Ignore the rule of 105 stuff. It's nonsense at this point.
How come?
I think even latest NERO show wheel windtunnel with CADEN, Reserve, Scope, the conclusion 1.05-1.10 is optimal. Only a few watts, yet still optimal.
For me aerodynamics is still a bit of black magic, but if you can spec the rule of 105, you should right?
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I find it all distasteful but AI text mannerisms tend be overly long winded and very formulaic. It's just so obvious it's not written by a real person. Just putting their natural language into Google translate gives a more genuine result even if it gives odd grammar.
Maybe i am just more forgiving. I would rather have someone communicate with AI rather than not at all, and I think the ability to use prompts to help formulate thoughts is an huge value add—and obviously some models are different than others. I.e., Grok sounds like a 14 year old in multiple languages.
Just glad to have another brand engaging, i guess and I feel little reason to pick them apart for using AI on a forum.
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How come?
I think even latest NERO show wheel windtunnel with CADEN, Reserve, Scope, the conclusion 1.05-1.10 is optimal. Only a few watts, yet still optimal.
For me aerodynamics is still a bit of black magic, but if you can spec the rule of 105, you should right?
The rule of 105 was designed first to select a tire for a known rim shape. The logic is not fully reversible. That and its highly shape dependent to the toroidal shape Zipp used way back when it was coined.
So while some wheels shapes benefit from it, many dont anymore. There are plenty of podcasts from more qualified people like Dan Bigham talking about this and why it is or isnt relevant.
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The rule of 105 was designed first to select a tire for a known rim shape. The logic is not fully reversible. That and its highly shape dependent to the toroidal shape Zipp used way back when it was coined.
So while some wheels shapes benefit from it, many dont anymore. There are plenty of podcasts from more qualified people like Dan Bigham talking about this and why it is or isnt relevant.
Do you happen to have a link handy when Dan mentions that? I would love to have a listen
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Hi!
Thanks for your input, now I understand why you are sensitive about AI content. As a software developer, you can easily spot it. You are right that the AI often adds too much to my input. My goal was only to make my English smooth and avoid misunderstandings, not to generate marketing fluff.
I would like to thank you for pointing it out. It makes me realize that I need to adjust how I use these tools.
Nothing against general AI usage in general, as a software dev I use claude code every day since it's release. But for a Bike Brand that wants to focus on quality, I expect some Attention To Detail, and having a slopped generated image with the wrong brand name is sloppy in my opinion.
Agreeing with gribs - it's a matter of taste, starting to read "you are absolutely right!" with a bunch of — will shut off my brain immediately, as the AI standard output is far far to verbose, especially for this forum setting.
I prefer brevity.
AI is also really useful for translation, I agree with you Jason! I also use it reverse to CN, but you have to tune the prompt, like "keep it short, avoid complex construction, translatite as verbatim as possible".
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Thank you for your advice.
I agree. We focus on the purpose of each wheelset. Lateral and vertical stiffness are critical for a sprinting wheelset; a soft wheelset wastes power when the rider is out of the saddle.
Build Quality: Well, I have to say build quality actually starts with the rim. A high-quality rim has minimal radial and lateral runout. This allows the builder to achieve very consistent spoke tension (e.g., within 125kgf–130kgf).
A poor rim forces the builder to compromise spoke tension to get the wheel true, leading to a wider tension variance (e.g., 120kgf–140kgf). This variance is the main reason a wheel goes out of true quickly (within 500–1000km). A high-quality rim should last around 2000km without needing truing.
If anyone is interested, I'll write a detailed article to explain: Why 'build quality' isn't just about the wheel builder—it's about the rim.
Market Trends: I agree. However, I understand why some brands wait. Trends are not always correct; for example, the industry is still debating 'hookless' designs.
Product Range: We aim to offer a complete range, and we will ensure each model is developed with care.
Thanks again for the input.
What I learned though the years of using and purchasing wheels/rims from china (for me and my friends):
1) If you offer complete wheelsets, don't ignore the full system. Make sure you use the right spokes and hubs for your aimed product. A deep wheel aimed for high speed and sprinting with only 18 spokes and lightweight hubs will not be liked by the high wattage user due to the lack of stiffness, even if you have the best rims in the world.
2) Spoke tension and build quality: nobody likes to touch their new wheels for maintenance and true them within the first 1000km.
3) Follow or even pioneer in technology and trends: I'm amazed that some brands up to today still have their 29mm external width road rims as flagship product. It takes time to gain credibility on your product. The reviews need to build up. So if you join a certain trend too late, you might lost the right momentum.
4) Offer a complete range of products (road, gravel, potentially mtb). Though you don't need to have each possible dimension in your range, make sure you have a popular rim profile for each discipline/target audience. It's very annoying as a consumer who is satisfied with your products, to need to find a different supplier simply because you don't have the right range.
Good luck with your business!
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Mate, I’d recommend that you share genuine product images and not manipulated images. The brand logo is clearly laid over the image. The proportions are off kilter and the light reflection on the rim surface shines through your semi transparent logo.
My impression is that your product doesn’t (yet) exist and you’re building brand awareness. In case you need testers I’m happy to test any samples you’d like to share ;)
Good luck regardless where you are on your journey!
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Hi there,
I can take a video if you want to check the wheels, and what would the method you will use to test a road wheelset (all around maybe) if I may ask?
Mate, I’d recommend that you share genuine product images and not manipulated images. The brand logo is clearly laid over the image. The proportions are off kilter and the light reflection on the rim surface shines through your semi transparent logo.
My impression is that your product doesn’t (yet) exist and you’re building brand awareness. In case you need testers I’m happy to test any samples you’d like to share ;)
Good luck regardless where you are on your journey!
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Hi guys,
To be clear, for now, I'm not here to sell anything. We haven't officially launched our marketing yet because our product lineup is still being finalized. We have just completed the initial design for our road wheel series, and our website and technical materials are currently under development. You might notice some errors on our website and materials as we are still updating them.
Having been away from the retail market for years, I may be out of touch with some current rider needs, which is why I have a lot of questions while designing. I am here to listen and discuss. I know our initial designs may not perfectly align with every rider's needs, and that is exactly why your feedback is so valuable.
I’m not sure how this will go, but I’m trying to make the product development process more community-engaged. If anyone is interested, I invite you to review our designs and participate in the development process.
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Hi there,
I can take a video if you want to check the wheels, and what would the method you will use to test a road wheelset (all around maybe) if I may ask?
Newbie here I would like to see factory images and video to see how these wheel are made, and get another understanding.
Great resource for information here :)
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Hi there! It’s awesome to have you here. You asked for it, so here is a quick sneak peek behind the scenes!
Check out this short clip from our daily factory routine. What you’re seeing here is the compression molding stage. We put the prepped rim (with all the carbon layers precisely laid up) into the mold and crank up the heat.
Under intense heat and internal pressure, the resin melts and flows through every little gap, baking all those individual carbon layers together into one solid, super strong rim. This is exactly how raw carbon sheets turn into a high-performance wheelset!
Let me know if you want to see more of the building process, like drilling or wheel lacing. Happy to share more!
Newbie here I would like to see factory images and video to see how these wheel are made, and get another understanding.
Great resource for information here :)
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Hi there! It’s awesome to have you here. You asked for it, so here is a quick sneak peek behind the scenes!
Check out this short clip from our daily factory routine. What you’re seeing here is the compression molding stage. We put the prepped rim (with all the carbon layers precisely laid up) into the mold and crank up the heat.
Under intense heat and internal pressure, the resin melts and flows through every little gap, baking all those individual carbon layers together into one solid, super strong rim. This is exactly how raw carbon sheets turn into a high-performance wheelset!
Let me know if you want to see more of the building process, like drilling or wheel lacing. Happy to share more!
Thanks I am happy to see more of the process as this is not something I have seen before and is very interesting to see.
I read everywhere it is very labour intensive process to make a rim how long from start to finish is the process to make one rim
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Glad you found it interesting! You are right, making a carbon rim is incredibly labor intensive. Most of the work is done by hand, except for the material cutting and rim drilling which are done by machines.
From raw carbon prepreg sheets to a finished rim ready for boxing, there are a lot of steps:
Material Cutting -> Layup & Preforming -> Molding & Curing -> Demolding & Initial Inspection -> Drilling -> Sanding & Finishing -> Final Quality Control
So just for the rim itself, you are looking at about 4 to 5 hours of solid work.
If we are talking about a complete wheelset (building it up with the hub, spokes, tensioning, and multiple rounds of stress-relieving), it takes even longer to ensure it stays dead true for thousands of miles.
Let me know if you want to see how we drill the holes or how a rim is checked for the runouts next!
Thanks I am happy to see more of the process as this is not something I have seen before and is very interesting to see.
I read everywhere it is very labour intensive process to make a rim how long from start to finish is the process to make one rim
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Glad you found it interesting! You are right, making a carbon rim is incredibly labor intensive. Most of the work is done by hand, except for the material cutting and rim drilling which are done by machines.
From raw carbon prepreg sheets to a finished rim ready for boxing, there are a lot of steps:
Material Cutting -> Layup & Preforming -> Molding & Curing -> Demolding & Initial Inspection -> Drilling -> Sanding & Finishing -> Final Quality Control
So just for the rim itself, you are looking at about 4 to 5 hours of solid work.
If we are talking about a complete wheelset (building it up with the hub, spokes, tensioning, and multiple rounds of stress-relieving), it takes even longer to ensure it stays dead true for thousands of miles.
Let me know if you want to see how we drill the holes or how a rim is checked for the runouts next!
Of course I would like to see more. Photos and video of the processes involved as these are interesting to see if you could post more this would be great thanks
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Glad you're enjoying this! Here is a quick clip of one of our quality control steps: the inflating test.
Before we even pump it up, our standard for the raw rim's lateral runout is already ≤ 0.2mm. By the way, good lateral runout is the key to getting a narrow spoke tension range during wheel building, and a narrow tension range is the key to a longer lasting wheelset.
Then we mount a tire and crank the pressure up to 130psi to simulate an extreme real world riding condition. Even under that high pressure, the rim must maintain a trueness of ≤ 0.25mm to pass QC.
If it shifts beyond that, it means the carbon structure isn't stable enough and it gets rejected.
Enjoy the video!
Of course I would like to see more. Photos and video of the processes involved as these are interesting to see if you could post more this would be great thanks
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Glad you're enjoying this! Here is a quick clip of one of our quality control steps: the inflating test.
Before we even pump it up, our standard for the raw rim's lateral runout is already ≤ 0.2mm. By the way, good lateral runout is the key to getting a narrow spoke tension range during wheel building, and a narrow tension range is the key to a longer lasting wheelset.
Then we mount a tire and crank the pressure up to 130psi to simulate an extreme real world riding condition. Even under that high pressure, the rim must maintain a trueness of ≤ 0.25mm to pass QC.
If it shifts beyond that, it means the carbon structure isn't stable enough and it gets rejected.
Enjoy the video!
Many thanks I will be happy to see any more photos or video you have as the process is fascinating 130psi!
Have you any videos of your wheelset finished build like the Ultra as this is what I have been looking at, I appreciate picture on website but a video clip would be better :)
Have you any Promo or Discount codes available as well?
And have you any new wheelsets/rims in development you can discuss at all? anything planned you can share?
I only ask as the technology is moving so quickly now but the time you buy something these day something new follows the next day! :-\
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Sure, I uploaded a video of the Ultra 50D. It's about the rear wheel fully built and going through the Radial & Lateral Tolerance Check. Since it's not possible to upload large files directly here, you can take a look at it on https://bladexcycle.com/tech/carbon-wheel-lateral-radial-tolerance-check
But currently, these wheels are only for rider testing right now, so it might be better for you to come back a bit later when they are fully released. You can absolutely use the coupon code for a 15% discount then: chinertown
And yes, we do have a new product under development, but the process will be quite long. The core idea is to transform the crosswind into forward torque, making you ride even faster.
Many thanks I will be happy to see any more photos or video you have as the process is fascinating 130psi!
Have you any videos of your wheelset finished build like the Ultra as this is what I have been looking at, I appreciate picture on website but a video clip would be better :)
Have you any Promo or Discount codes available as well?
And have you any new wheelsets/rims in development you can discuss at all? anything planned you can share?
I only ask as the technology is moving so quickly now but the time you buy something these day something new follows the next day! :-\
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Sure, I uploaded a video of the Ultra 50D. It's about the rear wheel fully built and going through the Radial & Lateral Tolerance Check. Since it's not possible to upload large files directly here, you can take a look at it on https://bladexcycle.com/tech/carbon-wheel-lateral-radial-tolerance-check
But currently, these wheels are only for rider testing right now, so it might be better for you to come back a bit later when they are fully released. You can absolutely use the coupon code for a 15% discount then: chinertown
And yes, we do have a new product under development, but the process will be quite long. The core idea is to transform the crosswind into forward torque, making you ride even faster.
Great thanks for the videos super interesting stuff.
Well the new product certainly sounds interesting.
Can you share anything yet? When do you hole to have it ready yet?
Is it like one of these wavy profile wheels?
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Hey guys, just finished a quick photo shoot for our latest batch. Here are a few high-res shots of the rims and the branding details.
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Thanks! I’m glad you liked the content.
As for the new project, it’s still in the early stages. The 3D modeling and initial CFD data look promising, but to clarify, it’s not a wavy rim profile. Instead of just trying to 'cheat' the wind like traditional rim shapes, we're experimenting with an integrated windmill-inspired geometry. The goal is to use the rim surface itself to create a pressure differential that potentially turns crosswinds into a source of positive torque.
I’m currently debating how much detail I should share at this point, but I really like the idea of turning this into an 'Open R&D' project. There’s something special about designing with the community's input rather than just dropping a finished product later.
Let me refine a few things on our end, and I'll see what I can share soon.
Great thanks for the videos super interesting stuff.
Well the new product certainly sounds interesting.
Can you share anything yet? When do you hole to have it ready yet?
Is it like one of these wavy profile wheels?
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Well this brand has definitely piqued my interest :)
There's not a huge amount of owner feedback out there yet, which is understandable as they seem fairly new to the market,
But they appear to be doing some interesting things and offering a lot of performance for the money.
Has anyone here actually ordered a set yet, or got a set on the way?
I'd be interested to hear some real-world feedback once people start putting some miles on them.
Things like build quality, ride feel, hub performance, spoke tension, long-term reliability, and how the wheels compare to some of the more established Chinese brands.
The specs look good on paper, but that's only half the story. It would be great to see some owner photos and hear some honest opinions from people who have actually taken the plunge.
At the moment it feels like one of those brands that could either be a hidden gem or simply too new for much feedback to be out there yet. Either way, it's certainly caught my attention.
Problem is they so much out there I am dicovering now its makimg it so hard to choose!
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Hey Everyone
I thought I’d add a proper update here now that I’ve actually got some meaningful riding on these wheels.
Disclosure first: these wheels were supplied to me free of charge by BladeX for testing. I didn’t approach BladeX asking for a wheelset — Jason Xiang, the founder of BladeX, initially contacted me around the beginning of June, so we’ve now been speaking for roughly 3 months.
When Jason first contacted me, I’ll be honest, I have never heard of the BladeX name and there was notimg online when i had a look maybe a few YT video from mayb 10 or so years ago and some instagram stuff.
Over the last few of months we’ve subsequently had a lot of conversations — not just about the wheelset he sent me, but about BladeX itself, where the company has been for the last few years, the wheel market generally, hubs, spokes, rim design, CFD, lateral stiffness, testing and some of the products he’s looking at developing in the future.
One of the things I initially asked him was why, considering BladeX has apparently been in the industry for quite a long time, there was relatively little recent visibility internationally. His explanation was that much of their business over recent years has been OEM/B2B, manufacturing and supplying products for other companies, rather than concentrating on building BladeX as a consumer-facing international brand. He’s now looking to change that and put more focus back into BladeX itself.
It’s also worth addressing something that’s already been mentioned in these threads: the current rim profile isn’t being presented to me as a proprietary BladeX design. Similar/identical profiles are available elsewhere, and I actually know somebody riding what appears to be the same profile from another wheel company. I’ve discussed that directly with Jason and he doesn’t deny it.
His current philosophy is essentially that there’s nothing inherently wrong with using a proven open-mould rim, an existing hub and available spokes if the combination produces a good wheel at the intended price point. At the same time, he’s now working on proprietary rim development and has been showing me some of his CFD work and ideas around rim profiles, side force, crosswind behaviour, rim stiffness etc.
We’ve also had quite a lot of discussion about eventually treating a wheel as an integrated system — rim layup and stiffness, hub flange geometry and spacing, spoke angle, spoke dimensions, lacing pattern and tension — rather than simply buying a rim, hub and spokes independently and assembling them. That’s obviously future development, though, not something I’m claiming about the wheelset I’m currently riding.
The wheelset and the initial problem
The wheelset Jason sent me uses the very narrow/lightweight 3.1 mm carbon spokes, which was one of the things I was particularly interested in testing because there’s been plenty of discussion on Weight Weenies forum about these newer skinny carbon spokes and whether the continued reduction in spoke dimensions and spoke counts compromises lateral stiffness as many of the superlight weight wheels on the market are no using these kind of spokes
Unfortunately, the wheels didn’t have a completely straightforward start.
When I initially mounted them, I found play in the wheels when they were fitted and clamped into the bike. We spent quite a bit of time going backwards and forwards trying to establish exactly where it was coming from.
Speaking with Jason his opinion was that it maybe the bearing so immediately he sent a complete set of replacement bearings to the UK by FedEx and offered to cover all associated costs.
Once the bearings arrived, I took the wheels to a local bike shop and had all of the bearings replaced, including the freehub bearings. The labour which, which BladeX reimbursed.
That appears to have completely solved the play.
Riding them
Since getting the bearing problem sorted, I’ve now put approximately 150 km on the wheels.
I’m running Goodyear Eagle F1R tube-type tyres 32mm and these WAM on these is 34mm
The first substantial outing was the Cotswold Classic on Saturday, which wasn’t exactly a gentle first ride. There are some pretty tough sections with gradients reaching around 17%, so there was plenty of climbing and out-of-the-saddle loading.
I then used them again yesterday on a faster group ride.
I’m around 78-80 kg, and one of the things I’ve deliberately been interested in is lateral stiffness because of those 3.1 mm spokes.
So far, I personally haven’t noticed a stiffness problem with this particular wheelset.
That’s relevant because I do own another carbon-spoke wheelset where I can induce slight front rotor rub during harder out-of-the-saddle efforts. That particular wheel uses a 2:1 front lacing arrangement with similarly lightweight carbon spokes. So I do have something to compare the BladeX wheels against.
With these, I’ve not noticed obvious rotor rub, unusual movement or anything else that has made me question the lateral stiffness so far.
I’m not claiming that 150 km proves anything about long-term durability, and I’m certainly not claiming I’ve scientifically measured the stiffness. This is simply my experience riding them.
There’s a lot of discussion about wheel stiffness where somebody grabs a wheel and pulls it towards the chainstay and decides whether it’s stiff. Personally, I’m much more interested in what happens when I’m actually riding the bike — climbing out of the saddle, sprinting, cornering and putting load through the front wheel.
At around 80 kg, after the Cotswold Classic and a faster group ride, I haven’t personally found the 3.1 mm spokes problematic on this particular wheel build.
I’ll keep putting mileage on them and update this thread rather than calling this a review after 150 km. I’m particularly interested in seeing whether spoke tension remains stable, whether anything changes as the mileage builds, and how the wheels behave during harder sprinting and fast group riding.
So at the moment I’d describe it as a problematic start caused by the hub/bearing issue, followed by a positive first 150 km once that was resolved.
And since the wheels were supplied to me, I think it’s important to be completely transparent about both sides of that story. The bearing problem shouldn’t have happened, but equally I can’t fault the way Jason personally dealt with it.
I’ll keep adding updates here as I get more distance on them.
Wheels Specs:
https://bladexcycle.com/product/road-ultra-60d/
Rim
Depth 60mm
Set Weight 1234g±30g (1194g Actual)
Wheel Weight F: 566±15g/R: 668±15g
System Weight Limit 100kgs
Optimized Tire Size 30-32mm
Compatible Tire Size 30-50mm
Max Tire Pressure 70 PSI(4.8 BAR)
Rim Depth 60mm
Set Weight 1234g±30g
Wheel Weight F: 566±15g/R: 668±15g
System Weight Limit 100kgs
Optimized Tire Size 30-32mm
Compatible Tire Size 30-50mm
Max Tire Pressure 70 PSI(4.8 BAR)
Rim Weight 440g
Internal Width 25mm
External Width Bead 32mm
External Width 34mm
Hole Count 20
Material Torayca™ T700 + Torayca™ T1000
Rim Finish UD/Clear Coat
Tubeless Compatibility Yes
Hubs
Model Ultra(Carbon Spoke)
Count 20/20
Weight 270g(F: 84g/R: 186g)
Bearings F: 2 S&S Ceramic Sealed/R: 4 S&S Ceramic Sealed (These were swapped for steel)
Freehub system Rachet 54T (Was told last night wheels noisy as fuck ;D so may need some grease ;D)
Spokes
Model Ultra 1.8g
Weight 1.8g(Nipple Excluded generally 2.1g)
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Thanks for the report. I'm curious about how the play in the hubs could possibly be missed during wheel building. Seems like it would be near impossible to properly true the wheels with such play. How true were they after the bearings were replaced?
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Thanks for the report. I'm curious about how the play in the hubs could possibly be missed during wheel building. Seems like it would be near impossible to properly true the wheels with such play. How true were they after the bearings were replaced?
It was around 2mm of movement at the rim, so we’re not talking about the wheel moving around massively.
The way I noticed it was once the wheels were fully mounted on the bike. I always grab the top of the wheel and physically rock it from side to side to check for any play. That’s when I could feel it.
If the wheel was simply mounted in a truing stand and spun to check radial/lateral true, I honestly don’t know whether you’d notice it. Even when moving the wheel around off the bike, the play wasn’t particularly obvious unless you were specifically looking for it.
I’m also not sure how reasonable it would be to expect a wheel builder to check that their hub supplier had fitted a bearing with the wrong internal diameter by 1mm. The explanation I was subsequently given was that a 14mm ID bearing had been fitted where the hub required a 15mm ID bearing.
Once the correct bearings were fitted, the play disappeared and the wheels remained true, so thankfully it was a relatively straightforward fix.
Obviously, if I’d purchased the wheels myself I’d have approached it in much the same way. A problem isn’t ideal, but if the company identifies it, supplies the correct parts and covers the cost of putting it right, I’m personally fairly reasonable about these things. Jason had also made it clear that if the bearings didn’t resolve it, the wheels would have needed to go back.
Thankfully that wasn’t necessary and the replacement bearings solved it.
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I'd be interested if you could make some wide-shoulder gravel rims. Specifically with 26-27mm internal, 43-46mm external. This would provide a smooth transition for 44c+ gravel tires, similar to the NEWMEN or DUKE racing wheels, as well as ROVAL.
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Thanks for your detailed feedback, Stephen — this is actually where I first came across it.
I guess this is exactly the value of real-world testing by end riders. Even though we do lab tests — impact tests, fatigue testing, stiffness measurements — how a wheel actually feels on the road is just as important. Plus, real riding often surfaces issues we missed, or new ones we hadn't considered.
Before we deliver the final products, all of this feedback helps make them more reliable. Either way, we'll always stand behind our products and take responsibility when something goes wrong.
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Let's address what happened with the bearings. First off, like most wheel makers, we don't manufacture our own hubs — that's a completely different engineering specialization.
Initially, the hubsets were designed with steel bearings, which worked great. However, there's always market demand for ceramic options, so I wanted to run some tests to see how they'd perform. I asked our supplier to make samples using TPI ceramic bearings, specifically requesting TPI because they have a great track record in DT Swiss hubs.
We built and tested those wheels, and initially they felt solid. But when Stephen received his test wheelset, he noticed some play in the hubs. I immediately suspected a bearing tolerance issue, something I've actually run into a couple of times with newly launched DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs in the past. When I pressed the supplier, they admitted the entire batch of TPI bearings they received had the same defect.
Looking back, it boils down to two problems:
1, that specific batch of TPI bearings had quality/tolerance defects.
2, the supplier installed the wrong bearings in that batch without flagging it themselves.
Stuff like this happens during new product development. That's exactly why I wanted to share this process openly, most end-users only ever see the polished final product, but the messy trial-and-error behind the scenes is where the real engineering happens.
It was around 2mm of movement at the rim, so we’re not talking about the wheel moving around massively.
The way I noticed it was once the wheels were fully mounted on the bike. I always grab the top of the wheel and physically rock it from side to side to check for any play. That’s when I could feel it.
If the wheel was simply mounted in a truing stand and spun to check radial/lateral true, I honestly don’t know whether you’d notice it. Even when moving the wheel around off the bike, the play wasn’t particularly obvious unless you were specifically looking for it.
I’m also not sure how reasonable it would be to expect a wheel builder to check that their hub supplier had fitted a bearing with the wrong internal diameter by 1mm. The explanation I was subsequently given was that a 14mm ID bearing had been fitted where the hub required a 15mm ID bearing.
Once the correct bearings were fitted, the play disappeared and the wheels remained true, so thankfully it was a relatively straightforward fix.
Obviously, if I’d purchased the wheels myself I’d have approached it in much the same way. A problem isn’t ideal, but if the company identifies it, supplies the correct parts and covers the cost of putting it right, I’m personally fairly reasonable about these things. Jason had also made it clear that if the bearings didn’t resolve it, the wheels would have needed to go back.
Thankfully that wasn’t necessary and the replacement bearings solved it.
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Thanks for your detailed feedback, Stephen — this is actually where I first came across it.
I guess this is exactly the value of real-world testing by end riders. Even though we do lab tests — impact tests, fatigue testing, stiffness measurements — how a wheel actually feels on the road is just as important. Plus, real riding often surfaces issues we missed, or new ones we hadn't considered.
Before we deliver the final products, all of this feedback helps make them more reliable. Either way, we'll always stand behind our products and take responsibility when something goes wrong.
the ai slop is not helping convince me to buy your products
Just resist the urge to send this sh*t, please. respect us.
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so 18mm and 21 mm inner width in 2026 that is a bold choice, and 25mm as does everybody else, cheaper. And the same crappy OEM hubs as everybody else, good luck
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I'm gonna interject here the AI comment is a bit small-minded to be honest.
I've spoken with Jason quite a lot and English clearly isn't his first language! he is Chinese ffs . He's a Chinese manufacturer trying to communicate with an English-speaking audience, so if he uses AI to help translate or structure his posts I don't really see the problem myself. AI does not write for you. You have to feed the information in and it essentially re writes the reply.
I'd rather a company communicate openly and explain what's happening than stay silent. The important thing is whether they're honest, respond to problems and stand behind their products when something goes wrong.
And for the second comment:
The comment about inner widths and hubs is equally strange to me.
Pretty much every wheel brand uses OEM hubs and rims in one form or another. Very few companies actually manufacture their own hubs from the ground up, including a lot of premium brands.
As for internal width, not everyone wants a 25mm internal rim. Different riders, tyres and use cases suit different designs. An 18mm or 21mm internal rim isn't automatically bad just because wider rims are popular at the moment.
Ultimately the things that matter are rim quality, build quality, reliability and after-sales support. That's what separates a good wheelset from a bad one, not whether the hub started life with an OEM manufacturer.
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Pretty much every wheel brand uses OEM hubs and rims in one form or another. Very few companies actually manufacture their own hubs from the ground up, including a lot of premium brands.
Of course, but sourcing an appealing, reliable product lineup is exactly the brand's core job: that's where they earn their margin. Saying "everyone uses OEM" is not a free pass; the question is which OEM parts they pick and how they vet them.
Ultimately the things that matter are rim quality, build quality, reliability and after-sales support. That's what separates a good wheelset from a bad one, not whether the hub started life with an OEM manufacturer.
Rim quality: fine, most rims are decent these days.
Build quality: sample size of 1 on this forum = 100% failure rate. That bearing mismatch was a basic error.
After-sales support: Not a single C1-C2 speaker?
Reliability: still unknown.
You admit you've spoken with Jason a lot and got FedEx spares overnight at no cost. That's not how every retail customer can get treated.
So genuine question: are you defending the wheels as being good enough, or are you defending the VIP experience you received?
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Of course, but sourcing an appealing, reliable product lineup is exactly the brand's core job: that's where they earn their margin. Saying "everyone uses OEM" is not a free pass; the question is which OEM parts they pick and how they vet them.
Rim quality: fine, most rims are decent these days.
Build quality: sample size of 1 on this forum = 100% failure rate. That bearing mismatch was a basic error.
After-sales support: Not a single C1-C2 speaker?
Reliability: still unknown.
You admit you've spoken with Jason a lot and got FedEx spares overnight at no cost. That's not how every retail customer can get treated.
So genuine question: are you defending the wheels as being good enough, or are you defending the VIP experience you received?
Ahh, no surprise, this is exactly the kind of reply I was expecting from my forum post 😂
The OEM point isn't really what I was defending. I'm not saying it's a free pass at all. My point was simply that the vast majority of the industry works this way. That's just a fact. The important part is which suppliers are chosen, the quality control, the build quality and the support behind the product.
My original comment was mainly in response to the AI criticism. I've spoken with Jason quite a lot and English clearly isn't his first language. He's a Chinese manufacturer trying to communicate with an English-speaking audience. If AI helps him translate or structure a response, I honestly don't see that as a major issue. I'd rather a company communicate openly than stay silent.
As for the treatment I received, obviously I can't guarantee every customer would get exactly the same experience, but I would however expect them same as a paying customer . But speaking to the man, I'd like to think they would. The bearings were supplied because there was a genuine issue to resolve and the alternative was returning the wheels. From my conversations with him, I don't get the impression they're only interested in helping reviewers or forum members.
There are many good products on the market today, and to be honest I've had very few issues with any of the wheelsets I've owned in recent years, whether they were supplied for review or purchased with my own money. The whole "free wheelset" thing is actually quite new for me. The vast majority of wheels I've ridden over the years were bought and paid for by myself.
I'm also under no obligation to say anything positive. I don't get paid for this. Yes, some companies have supplied wheelsets, but nobody is paying for the tyres, discs, cassettes, and all the other bits that I have to buy myself to actually build, ride and test them properly that includes the time spent.
Any company that has supplied me with wheels, I've spoken to directly and done what I consider reasonable due diligence before forming an opinion. That includes asking questions, discussing specifications, looking at previous customer feedback and understanding how they handle after-sales support. But due diligence only goes so far.
I'm not here defending BladeX as the greatest wheel company on earth. I've got a sample size of one wheelset and I've been open about both the good and the bad. The bearing issue happened, I reported it, they addressed it, and the fix worked.
If a product is poor, I'll say it's poor. If there's an issue, I'll report it. That's exactly what happened here. I didn't hide it or gloss over it.
Ultimately, you can take what I say at face value or not, that's entirely up to you. I honestly couldn't care either way. I'm simply sharing my own experiences and opinions based on the products I've used. I'm not trying to convince anyone to buy anything, and I'm certainly not here to act as a company's marketing department. Time and real-world use will tell the true story.
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I appreciate the honest reply. I'm not questioning your integrity, I'm questioning whether your experience is representative.
And let's be honest, it's a delicate topic. We are all scouring forums in order to get the best unbiased information.
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I appreciate the honest reply. I'm not questioning your integrity, I'm questioning whether your experience is representative.
And let's be honest, it's a delicate topic. We are all scouring forums in order to get the best unbiased information.
That’s a fair distinction, and I understand why you’re questioning whether my experience is representative of an ordinary paying customer.
The honest answer is that I cannot prove every customer would receive exactly the same treatment. I can only report what happened in my case: there was an issue, I raised it, replacement bearings were sent, and the problem was resolved. I would certainly expect a paying customer to receive at least the same support. It would be completely backwards if somebody spending their own money were treated worse, but until other customers report their experiences, neither of us can know that for certain.
I also completely understand why people approach reviews of supplied products with some scepticism. That is reasonable. However, receiving a wheelset doesn’t automatically buy a positive opinion from me. I’m not paid for my time, and properly using these products still costs me money. Recently, I’ve bought four sets of tyres and three sets of discs for different wheelsets. I also have a full-time job, a family and a life outside cycling.
Realistically, very few people could afford to buy ten different wheelsets purely to review them. Companies supplying samples is therefore a necessary part of how lesser-known products get tested. Many of the same people who criticise reviewers for accepting samples also understandably won’t risk buying an unknown product until somebody else has ridden and reviewed it.
I’ve been buying Chinese wheels with my own money since 2019, beginning with the original rim-brake Winspace Hyper 50 after owning Zipp 303s. Since then, I’ve bought wheels from Winspace, CRW, XM Carbon Speed and various smaller manufacturers. Receiving review samples is relatively new for me, and I still judge each product by what I actually experience.
Most modern carbon wheels are fundamentally pretty good. The real distinction often becomes quality control, specification and, most importantly, what happens when something goes wrong. No warranty is completely ironclad, whether the product comes from a small Chinese manufacturer or a major established brand. The larger brand may provide more confidence, but customers still sometimes have claims refused or handled badly.
Regarding my original comment, I wasn’t really defending BladeX or promoting its wheels. I was defending Jason against what I thought was an unnecessarily dismissive comment. He is Chinese and English isn’t his first language. If he uses AI to translate his thoughts or structure them for an English-speaking forum, I don’t see anything inherently disrespectful about that. The substance of what he says can still be questioned without attacking the tool he used to communicate it.
For complete transparency, I use AI myself. I dictated the substance of this reply into it because I simply don’t have time to sit in front of a laptop typing long responses. I use AI in my everyday life and at work, and I’ve used it for several years. I’ll dictate or draft what I want to say, use AI to improve the structure, spelling and grammar, then read it through and change anything I’m unhappy with before posting it.
They are still my thoughts, experiences and words; the tool simply helps me present them more clearly and saves me time. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. If somebody objects to the use of AI on principle, that is their issue, but using it does not automatically make the information dishonest, meaningless or “AI slop.”
You’re entirely entitled to question whether I’m biased, and you’re welcome to message me privately if you ever want to discuss any of this. All I can do is disclose how I obtained a product, report the good and bad honestly, and let people make up their own minds. In this instance, the wheels developed an issue, I reported it publicly, BladeX addressed it, and the solution worked. That is the experience I can genuinely report; time and wider customer feedback will establish whether it is representative.
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(My primary language is Chinese and my English isn't particularly strong, so I sometimes use AI/translation tools to help me communicate clearly in English. The technical information and opinions are my own.)
Hi everyone,
I'd like to share some updates regarding hub supplier evaluation for future BladeX wheels, and ask for your real‑world feedback.
I've been disconnected from the end market for years because I've been focused on OEM work. I'm eager to reconnect with the end‑user community, so any suggestions you may have are very welcome. All input will be taken into serious consideration.
Over the years we have worked with DT Swiss and Taiwan‑based hub manufacturers, and we rarely ran into hub‑related problems. But following the earlier bearing‑related issues we encountered, I've been reassessing our hub suppliers.
This experience has made me realize how critical supplier reliability really is. Quality control matters as much as hub design itself.
So we need to be extremely careful when selecting our next hub partner. My current preference is to work with OEM factories that already have large‑volume real‑world deployments and proven reliability.
H‑Works seems to has a strong reputation among riders, and their facility is geographically close to us. So I reached out to Carol and arranged a factory visit.
Here are several things I would like to share from my visit:
1. H-works have a full range of CNC machinery and testing machines. They also have wheel road‑test machines to test hub performance when built into wheels.
2. Carol explained their internal production approach for bearings: they machine dedicated hub bodies and control the bearing seats matched to the exact specification of ceramic or steel bearings they use for each build.
3. On the topic of titanium hubs, which some riders are curious about: Carol told me they have produced Ti hub samples in the past, though there are notable drawbacks:
- CNC machining speed is very low; one machine can only produce around 10 pieces per day.
- Titanium swarf created during CNC machining can present a fire risk, so the machining process requires careful monitoring, something I had not anticipated.
4. For their sub-220g ultra-light hubs, they are keeping production tightly constrained and actively gathering real-world rider feedback before wider release.
I also toured another pure play OEM factory that supplies hubs for Elitewheels. This manufacturer does not sell direct to consumers, so it is not widely known within enthusiast circles.
I would love to hear your real‑world experience:
- Has anyone here used H‑Works hubs long‑term?
- How has reliability been?
- Has anyone used the carbon‑spoke hubs from Elitewheels?
- Are there other Chinese OEM hub manufacturers you would recommend I evaluate?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Have you checked THRIndustries? Their R2 hubs is actually good. I have them on my wheelset atm from DFS and it's pretty solid
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Hi, thanks for sharing! I'm not familiar with this name, and I googled it, it looks like they're based in Taiwan?
Have you checked THRIndustries? Their R2 hubs is actually good. I have them on my wheelset atm from DFS and it's pretty solid
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I have contacted the person from THR hubs. Their hubs look great in appearance and have a high quality feel, with an appearance similar to Chris King. Can I ask how many km it has been ridden on your bike?
Have you checked THRIndustries? Their R2 hubs is actually good. I have them on my wheelset atm from DFS and it's pretty solid