Chinertown
Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: Specialf. on August 02, 2026, 03:44:54 PM
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Good morning everyone, I'm writing here to get your opinion on what happened to me.
I live in Italy and ride a road bike for about 4,000 km a year.
In March 2025, I decided to purchase a set of CSC carbon wheels via AliExpress, with a 40mm profile, 24mm internal rim width, and 30mm width.
They arrived quickly, were immediately taped, and 30mm Pirelli tires with internal latex were mounted.
Everything was fine; the wheels seem very smooth and sturdy.
Now, after a year and a half of use, the front rim cracked due to a small pothole. The wheel instantly lost pressure, and I had to walk home.
I removed the wheel and mounted a spare.
I emailed CSC and purchased a new front-only wheel without any fuss, paying $100 for shipping alone, because they said they didn't have any stock in their European warehouse in Spain.
Today, a week later, the rear rim also broke.
I was left breathless.
No potholes, nor any strange, unusual routes.
How is it possible that they both broke within a week of each other?
I only have one question:
Italy is currently experiencing an exceptional heat wave with temperatures of 40 degrees. Could this have compromised the structural strength of the rim, perhaps by softening the resins or something similar, or is the lifespan of these cheap wheels really that short?
Has anyone had experience with this company's warranty?
I've contacted them now to see what to do; I'm desperate. :-[
Thanks.
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Most likely the same original pothole that cracked the front wheel also left the rear wheel with a micro crack - that now developed over the week to a failure?
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I had a similar experience with the 50×32 model with 5.5 mm carbon spokes and 28 mm tyres. I hit a manhole cover and it cracked. I opened a claim because they were only 3 months old, and after a lot of effort I won the dispute and got a full refund. I then bought a new set from them — the 45×32 with 3.3 spokes. Just to be safe, I inflate them to 5.5 bar.
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I own exactly the same wheels 40x30 (they're effective 42mm) CSC and I used +- 3500km so far without any trouble,
The only issue was connected to heavy drag of ratchet that I reduce with different springs and different setup of ratchet and a lot of grease.
I'm selling this wheelset because I improved my ride with the carbon spoke version 45mm tall with 23,5mm inner width.
I think that the warranty is very difficount to get, the responsability is connected with pothole (in Italy we have very bad road condition) and...bad luck.
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Did you hit both wheels the same pothole? Maybe rear was also damaged slightly during same ride and didn't showed up right away?
Temperature has nothing to do with carbon and resin. Carbon layups are heated to very high temps to harden properly.
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Tom Xiang just replied and said that after a year the warranty is no longer valid and that I also need to buy a new rear wheel. Do you think it's possible to return the front wheel even if I purchased it directly from the website? Is there a return procedure?
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Tom Xiang just replied and said that after a year the warranty is no longer valid and that I also need to buy a new rear wheel. Do you think it's possible to return the front wheel even if I purchased it directly from the website? Is there a return procedure?
With “WEBSITE” do you mean the CSC Wheels website? Out of ALIEXPRESS?
Anyway, it’s difficult to get a warranty:
A lot of time has passed.
It would be hard to prove that the product is defective, because it cracked after an impact.
If I can give you some advice: try to reach an agreement with the seller to get the best possible price for buying the rear one.
They had offered me to ship only the rim and let me handle the mounting myself.
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Does the wheel has pressure release channel?
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What do you mean? What do you understand by "air vent"?
There should be a hole on a side of the rim, between nipples level and the rim tape level. It serves the purpose of releasing the pressure buildup from a tire in the otherwise enclosed space.
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There should be a hole on a side of the rim, between nipples level and the rim tape level. It serves the purpose of releasing the pressure buildup from a tire in the otherwise enclosed space.
I dont think it's relevant in this situación when using latex tubes, those holes are useful to avoid spoke nipple corrosion and for tubeless safety, a non tubeless tyre and innertube are "open" through valve stem and leaky tire.
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Most likely the same original pothole that cracked the front wheel also left the rear wheel with a micro crack - that now developed over the week to a failure?
Actually, now that you mention it, it might have actually happened that way.
I might not have noticed because the tire didn't lose pressure anyway.
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I had a similar experience with the 50×32 model with 5.5 mm carbon spokes and 28 mm tyres. I hit a manhole cover and it cracked. I opened a claim because they were only 3 months old, and after a lot of effort I won the dispute and got a full refund. I then bought a new set from them — the 45×32 with 3.3 spokes. Just to be safe, I inflate them to 5.5 bar.
Where did you buy it? From the website directly or from AliExpress?
Didn't you consider using an internal sausage?
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Did you hit both wheels the same pothole? Maybe rear was also damaged slightly during same ride and didn't showed up right away?
Temperature has nothing to do with carbon and resin. Carbon layups are heated to very high temps to harden properly.
exactly, I think that's exactly how it went, I'm only realizing it now.
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There should be a hole on a side of the rim, between nipples level and the rim tape level. It serves the purpose of releasing the pressure buildup from a tire in the otherwise enclosed space.
I think I understand what you're talking about. Is it a small hole visible on the outside of the rim? I should check more closely, but yes, I seem to remember it because I've always wondered what it was for.
I'll check further.
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I dont think it's relevant in this situación when using latex tubes, those holes are useful to avoid spoke nipple corrosion and for tubeless safety, a non tubeless tyre and innertube are "open" through valve stem and leaky tire.
I mounted them tubeless with puncture-proof liquid inside, 30mm tires inflated to about 4 bar.
I weigh 90 kg.
If I were to reassemble them, I already have some inserts at home to fit inside, like the ones used for mountain bikes; we call them "sausages."
With those, if you get a puncture, the rim doesn't immediately touch the ground, and even if you hit an edge, it's less likely to hit the rim edge and crush the tire.
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Basically, even today, Tom told me that I'm out of warranty and need to buy a rear wheel as well.
I acted impulsively and quickly bought just the front, but I was wrong, because if I'd bought the set right away, I'd only pay shipping once ($100).
I suggested returning the front and then buying a front and rear set from them, but I'm afraid the return shipping costs will also be paid by the buyer.
They might be able to help me out, but if they don't, they're really bad people. This is already the third set I've bought from them, plus other accessories.
Anyway, trying Ali, they say the warehouse where I bought the goods, which was in France, has been closed and now they have one in Poland, and in any case, they still charge the same shipping cost of $100 or more.
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Basically, even today, Tom told me that I'm out of warranty and need to buy a rear wheel as well.
I acted impulsively and quickly bought just the front, but I was wrong, because if I'd bought the set right away, I'd only pay shipping once ($100).
I suggested returning the front and then buying a front and rear set from them, but I'm afraid the return shipping costs will also be paid by the buyer.
They might be able to help me out, but if they don't, they're really bad people. This is already the third set I've bought from them, plus other accessories.
Anyway, trying Ali, they say the warehouse where I bought the goods, which was in France, has been closed and now they have one in Poland, and in any case, they still charge the same shipping cost of $100 or more.
The store in Poland has been closed; there are France and China. For wheel sets shipped from European stores there is NO shipping cost. For wheel sets shipped from China there is a shipping cost (seller method shipping) of about 100 USD. At the moment there is a 60 USD bonus if the total spend exceeds 475 USD.
I read that you were running tires at 4 bar and you weigh 90 kg – that’s a very low pressure. When you hit sharp-edged potholes, it’s very easy for the rim to bottom out and crack. I weigh 75 kg and inflate to 5.5 bar.
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The store in Poland has been closed; there are France and China. For wheel sets shipped from European stores there is NO shipping cost. For wheel sets shipped from China there is a shipping cost (seller method shipping) of about 100 USD. At the moment there is a 60 USD bonus if the total spend exceeds 475 USD.
I read that you were running tires at 4 bar and you weigh 90 kg – that’s a very low pressure. When you hit sharp-edged potholes, it’s very easy for the rim to bottom out and crack. I weigh 75 kg and inflate to 5.5 bar.
I don't think so. I don't know what country you're from, but if I tried to do the same thing myself, I'd definitely pay the $100 shipping costs. Tom and I spoke again this morning, and he offered me a single rim for $150, including shipping and taxes. Crazy. I'll return the front wheel as well and buy a new set elsewhere.
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The store in Poland has been closed; there are France and China. For wheel sets shipped from European stores there is NO shipping cost. For wheel sets shipped from China there is a shipping cost (seller method shipping) of about 100 USD. At the moment there is a 60 USD bonus if the total spend exceeds 475 USD.
I read that you were running tires at 4 bar and you weigh 90 kg – that’s a very low pressure. When you hit sharp-edged potholes, it’s very easy for the rim to bottom out and crack. I weigh 75 kg and inflate to 5.5 bar.
+1 on that, 4 bars is much too low, I run around 4.5 bars and I weigh 65 kgs and it's already kinda soft
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I don't know what country you're from
italia
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For those complaining about pressures have a look at the Silca pressure calculator. Their recommendations don't change much for increased weight with 30mm+ tyres. At 95kg I'm running just over 4bar with 35mm WAM tyres.
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I'm not complaining, and I don't need to check anything. From experience I'm sure that with a tire at 4 bar, a 90 kg cyclist, considering the bad road conditions, manhole covers etc., has a very high probability of bottoming out the rim on the road. It wasn't a performance or efficiency discussion, just about preserving the wheelset — and by running a bit more pressure the tire absorbs impacts better. Then, if the Silca calculator guys pay for any damage to the rim, I'll run the pressure they recommend.
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We're a bit off-topic with the pressure issue.
That wasn't the point we were discussing, but rather the solution to the main problem: whether or not the supplier would be willing to accommodate me.
It seems not, especially since, having ordered only one wheel individually, I now have to pay another shipping fee for the second wheel.
There's no way to communicate; I always get no-delivery orders.
In fact, he keeps emailing me links to purchase directly from China.
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The store in Poland has been closed; there are France and China. For wheel sets shipped from European stores there is NO shipping cost. For wheel sets shipped from China there is a shipping cost (seller method shipping) of about 100 USD. At the moment there is a 60 USD bonus if the total spend exceeds 475 USD.
I read that you were running tires at 4 bar and you weigh 90 kg – that’s a very low pressure. When you hit sharp-edged potholes, it’s very easy for the rim to bottom out and crack. I weigh 75 kg and inflate to 5.5 bar.
Hi, I'm also replying to your PM, and thank you in advance.
In the first ad, the wheels mentioned have carbon spokes, and they don't work for me. Mine have steel pillar spokes, and they're also discounted because they have a narrow rim, which probably won't appeal to anyone.
Then it says shipping is free, but be careful, because it says you'll have to pay customs fees when you pick up the package, which is an unknown amount.
In the second ad, however, it specifies that shipping is paid, and indeed the price is high, net of discount codes that can be used later.
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I'm not complaining, and I don't need to check anything. From experience I'm sure that with a tire at 4 bar, a 90 kg cyclist, considering the bad road conditions, manhole covers etc., has a very high probability of bottoming out the rim on the road. It wasn't a performance or efficiency discussion, just about preserving the wheelset — and by running a bit more pressure the tire absorbs impacts better. Then, if the Silca calculator guys pay for any damage to the rim, I'll run the pressure they recommend.
I'm telling you that as someone who is 95kg and riding on roads in England that running 65psi on modern wide tyres on modern rim widths doesn't result in a high probability of bottoming out. If it did I'd expect to have had pinch flats running aliexpress TPU tubes or perhaps I'm just lucky/careful.
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I'm telling you that as someone who is 95kg and riding on roads in England that running 65psi on modern wide tyres on modern rim widths doesn't result in a high probability of bottoming out. If it did I'd expect to have had pinch flats running aliexpress TPU tubes or perhaps I'm just lucky/careful.
Hi, I agree with you, but I use tubeless and to avoid the risk this time I'll use specific foam inserts that protect the rim.
Thanx
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Hi, I'm also replying to your PM, and thank you in advance.
In the first ad, the wheels mentioned have carbon spokes, and they don't work for me. Mine have steel pillar spokes, and they're also discounted because they have a narrow rim, which probably won't appeal to anyone.
Then it says shipping is free, but be careful, because it says you'll have to pay customs fees when you pick up the package, which is an unknown amount.
In the second ad, however, it specifies that shipping is paid, and indeed the price is high, net of discount codes that can be used later.
I posted some listings that I was looking at myself. I didn’t check whether any of them have metal spokes. The fact that the ad for items shipped from China says you might have to pay duties is normal (because of the new European rules), but if you select the seller’s shipping method, DPD, taxes and duties are already included in the price. You don’t pay anything else.
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I posted some listings that I was looking at myself. I didn’t check whether any of them have metal spokes. The fact that the ad for items shipped from China says you might have to pay duties is normal (because of the new European rules), but if you select the seller’s shipping method, DPD, taxes and duties are already included in the price. You don’t pay anything else.
yes certainly but if you notice the price always goes up by those famous $100, basically the game is always the same, like on Amazon and eBay if you want free shipping the product costs more including the shipping costs in the price.