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Re: Spider mounted power meter advice
Looks like Sigeyi spider is a good place to start then! Thanks for the suggestions.
September 17, 2022, 06:37:21 PM |
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Re: Any thoughts on the 145% Chinese tariff on purchases?
They stopped delivery of b2c shipment above $800 from what I read
April 20, 2025, 10:07:36 AM |
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Re: Seraph Bikes Superlight 836g X68 - Alternative to SL8 Fakes?
Can one of you folks doing a build put a set of calipers on the headset bearings and confirm the size. It's your lucky day  I have measured the outer diameter of at least one bearing it's 49,5mm. So I think it's safe to assume any headset bearing set for the SL8 will work. Also the SL8 seatpost from Hylix works in the TT-X68, so I think in general we shouldn't worry to much about spare parts but more about having a fake SL8 May 08, 2025, 01:04:40 AM |
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Re: Seraph Bikes Superlight 836g X68 - Alternative to SL8 Fakes?
I don't want to be argumentative, but trade dress isn't that simple. First the design has to be so unique that it has what is known in the law as "acquired distinctiveness" ie immediate association with the brand. The shape of an sl8 is so similar to other modern bikes with aero features that, speed sniffer aside, I highly doubt it could be demonstrated to have acquired distinctiveness. Second, as to the one aspect that arguably does, the speed sniffer, it has a functional purpose. Trade dress protection does not extend to any aspect of the product that has functionality - anything that is essential to the use or purpose of the product or that affects its quality. You'd have to file for either a design patent or a full patent to protect that. Until the matter goes to a court, its not like these issues can be settled, you could easily argue that the speed sniffer does not serve an essential purpose to the function of the bike. A design patent would most likely cover the shape while any functional element would be in a utility patent. Furthermore, if the SL7 patent was prior art as you speculate than this copy is still an IP violation. Not sure what you are trying to really say when claim there is no specific patent that has been awareded on the SL8, But none of this is the point. The point is that the premise of this thread is based on a pile of lies from TanTan. This is what I take issue with, not the existence of counterfeits—afterall, buyers have plenty of places to find those. Again, I wasnt even trying to take a shot at anyone who bought the frame; just at TanTan. Think of it as a business and commercial issue. Pretty sure you are based in either the US or Europe. Given what you know now—if you were to start a business selling an open mold frame:
I ironically am in the middle of filing some IP paperwork. Have a great weekend all! June 07, 2025, 04:11:52 PM |
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Re: Thinking of Going Deeper – A More Honest Look Inside the Replica Frame Industry
I am ideologically opposed to counterfeits and believe frames like the X68 risk being deemed counterfeits, even when not branded. However, I do like this thought experiment, and even the information so far is going a long way towards dispelling the rumors that these are simply frames that fell off of a truck. At a high level, we need to remember that the load of a modern carbon frame is carried through its external structure, which is why it is referred to as a monocoque frame. Regardless of the construction method, if you can build a frame that passes ISO testing, it's likely to feel remarkably similar; the shape of that structure will be the most significant factor in determining the stiffness of the frame. Details like layup and wall thickness can make a difference, but they are an order of magnitude less important. That said, the most significant issues with counterfeits of high-end frames are that I don't get the sense that the people doing the replication understand where the original designers made tradeoffs to achieve the performance of their frames. Remember a lot of these frames have known drawbacks like the lack of front-end stiffness of the SSE, front-end performance and reliability on Factors, and seat tube / seat post clamp + stay cracking issues on the Dogma F12 and F. Given that the outside form has a significant influence on the structure of the frame, its not a surprise that replicas seem to suffer from the same issues, potentially at a higher rate. I think VB even stopped making their Dogma clone. My questions to a replica builder would be to understand if they identified any potential weaknesses in the original design and how they managed that. I am guessing they don't think about it at all as they are focused on the form, and it's better to buy an original open mold where some engineer thought about and made decisions, conscious of the tradeoffs they were introducing. To me, an analogy is that the replica is having a Frank Lloyd Wright replica house built op top of a waterfall with the help of an architect, but without a review by a structural engineer. The open mold is a structurally sound McMansion with little architectural involvement. June 20, 2025, 01:31:56 PM |
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Re: Seraph Bikes Superlight 836g X68 - Alternative to SL8 Fakes?
my feeling on SL8 sizing is that it should in almost all cases be sized with the use of at least a 100mm cockpit in mind and preferably a 110mm cockpit. the bike is just butter when the fit is right.
July 01, 2025, 08:39:24 AM |
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Re: Castelli Espresso Bib shorts Equivalent
No exact equivalent, but here is my overview of best pads available on Aliexpress. Elastic Interface chamois catalog: https://www.elasticinterface.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024_Elastic-Interface-CHAMOISTECH_241218.pdf Paris HP is pretty high in their range. You can get original from Darevie, Hiserwa, Rion for $25-40 which is great value. https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EIg72UQ https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EQkDnWQ Darevie has seamless legs that are very elastic. Hiserwa is not for everyone - legs are tight and extremely long. Raudax and other cheap brands offer fake Paris HP pad for less than $20, but I'm not sure about quality. Ronde HP is currently on sale for $39(Cheji): https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EGfIhui Road Performance Force Men might be the best pad recommended for ultra long rides. $45 from Rion looks like great deal: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EQS0jhy Ykywbike with the same pad is $80+, although it does have better design and fit. https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Ev8BZC6 Ykywbike offers Endurance 2.5 and other black EI cushion for $65. https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EQSURwQ Couldn't identify those in catalog but I've found other brand charging $140 for the same pad: https://www.victorychimp.cc/en-us/products/out-there-mens-cargo-bib-shorts-olive. Ykyw is also using ,,Belgian'' pads recommended for 7/8h+. They are likely produced by Veon Insert and should be very good, since well known red Cheji pad is made by Veon and has rating of only 5h. https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EwwkoJG Lameda, Santic are top brands that also use EI pads, but their prices are not that good. Another Italian manufacturer available on Ali is Dolomiti Pads. Rion claims to use the same chamois as pro's from Intermarche-Wanty team: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EzdLzAq Other Dolomiti pads with 120kg/m³ density and 8h rating: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EIjb3Z4 https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ExQ0nZM But the thickest and most dense(200kg/m³) chamois on Ali is... chinese no-name used by Fualrny: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EGYnPNy Design suggest it was inspired by Elastic Interface Road series and it's really comfortable. Straps could be more elastic. It's so thick that you risk looking like wearing adult diaper. But for $11 it's definitely worth checking out. Rion is using EU sizing, for other brands I recommend taking one size larger. I used affiliate links, that doesn't affect your price. But if you do mind, clear your cookies before ordering. August 01, 2025, 06:23:21 AM |
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Re: Seraph Bikes Superlight 836g X68 - Alternative to SL8 Fakes?
Most influencers do demand payment or referral codes with a kickback to generate content and then fail to disclose it. They are fundamentally different than cycling journalists in that regard, and most people have fallen for it. While Patrick should disclose his business relationships if they go beyond providing a frame to review as a matter of serving the viewers on his channel, the way I see it, he can do what he wants, and I can call it out as shilling or astroturfing or marketing or whatever. August 14, 2025, 11:38:43 AM |
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Re: Seraph Bikes Superlight 836g X68 - Alternative to SL8 Fakes?
Measuring the Stack is clear to me. But how to measure reach in a way I can compare it to the X68. I other words, form where tot where do I measure? Look at these charts, wouldn't it be easier/better to measure effective toptube? You have 3 contact points on the bike, the pedals (centered around BB), the saddle and the bar (or hoods where most people have their hands). The top tube doesn't really say anything about any of the contact points. BB is the only contact point you can't adjust, so measure the other contact points relative to the BB. Make sure saddle is reasonably close to where you want it, adjusting the saddle is easy. Put more effort into the bars, they are more complicated (and expensive) to adjust if you need to change integrated bars because the stem is the wrong length. The problem with the geometry chart is that it only tells part of the story. It only tells you about the frame and not about the complete bike and the extra parts needed to make the frame fit your body. If you have the geometry chart for your current bike you can compare stack/reach between the frames and then you can compare how many spacers and what stem length you need to get the bars in the same position as on your current bike. If you don't have the geometry chart for your current bike you can measure from the BB to the bars/hoods and calculate spacers and stem from the X68 geometry. If you measure to the hoods you'll have to compare the handlebars too (reach). Could be worth looking into it though, would be annoying if the bar is in the correct place but the hoods are 1-2cm off. I think the Roval Rapide clone bars are quite compact. August 18, 2025, 03:30:52 PM |
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Re: Seraph Bikes Superlight 836g X68 - Alternative to SL8 Fakes?
Glad to see they didn't give you special treatment, like prepping the brake mounts etc. Thank you gents. I'm trying to really temper my expectations now that I've ridden a few TanTans and a few high-end Western brands. The GR201 gravel bike from TanTan is great. But their X38 Scott Foil RC clone was hilariously sloppy. I did a dry fit of the BSA bottom bracket for each cup. Despite the minor debris in the frame threads, I was actually able to fully thread both cups just by hand with no hinderance. BB Infinite would approve! That's a good sign. I also have a genuine SL8 15mm setback seatpost that I'm tempted to try and install LoL My Genuine SL8 (Pro) size 56 Frame: 827g Fork: 397g Seatpoast: 169g Total: 1393g My X68 came in at a total of 1538g. A +145g difference in weight. I'm hoping that difference is more carbon rather than more paint  EDIT: I forgot to remove both thru-axles when I weighed the frame and fork. Frame: 895g Fork: 399g Seatpost: 187 Total frameset: 1481g....actually only 88g heavier than a genuine SL8 October 04, 2025, 09:24:12 AM |
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