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Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
Not the least bit bike-related, but I just have to. I kind of fell in love with Hobibear barefoot shoes. Apart from the obvious barefooty stuff (thin flexible sole, virtually no dampening, no arch to speak of), they're the most comfy shoes I've worn in a long time, and by a lot. They feel soo good, it's ridiculous (but feet are different, ymmv). Now as for value: They sell in the 40-bucks range on Amazon (some as Hobibear, some as Within) and the BF crowd seems to like them at that price. On Ali, you can get some models below 25 bucks more or less regularly, and a few as low as ~15(!)* - shipped to the EU. Quality looks decent for 40 bucks, but for ~20, it's almost stellar (now, there will be lemons, but I have yet to get one; uh, shouldn't jinx it). Great value.    There are a few slightly different cuts (where overall shape and fit seems rather similar), a few different colours, textile and faux leather options. Unless you're triggered by the slight clown-shoe look that comes with a wideish ergonomically-shaped toe box, they look really nice. *) Click around a bit to stuff your search history and then check the coins discount-finder page** (discounts there only work when you "buy now"). And then click around some more. Some have the 3-20 deal on them, some go cheaper as early-bird deals and what have you, and then, some of those are listed on the coins discount page. YMMV. **) Will for some reason show higher discounts when visited through a mobile browser (probably the same with the app). December 20, 2023, 03:10:17 PM |
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Re: Can we migrate this forum to a modern forum? I'm tired of the broken pages.
Sitar_Ned is the forum's administrator. You can reach out to them via PM or email. Honestly, not much capacity at all. It's just me and I am in no way a web developer or webmaster. Just a simpleton Arkansas mountain biker that somehow figured out how to get this forum up 10 years ago. I know the broken pages are annoying... and I am sorry about that... I do try to fix them immediately when they pop up so please do let me know.. I really appreciate it. I do have plans to upgrade to the latest SMF version to fix little issues like that but I'm sorry to disappoint anyone but there are no plans to "modernize" the forum in any way. No desire to have some modern mobile-friendly, super slick, dark mode interface. Chinertown will remain old-school looking with zero ads and zero optimizations for Google search. My main goal going forward is to keep AI out of the forum as much as possible. That's just my jam but I do understand if it isn't for everyone. That said, I am certainly open and interested to hear everyone's input/advice/ideas and really appreciate it. June 06, 2025, 06:52:42 AM |
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Re: Magene P515 PES Spider Powermeter
What interface does the p515 have? I was thinking of upgrading to Elilee or sram red cranks. The P505 base has an interface that's unique to the Magene cranks and I can only assume the P515 is the same. There's no other cranks to upgrade to. There should in the near future be a carbon crank called the TEO but availability is unknown for now. June 20, 2025, 03:05:38 AM |
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Re: Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!
I’ve not tried these either but I find the fit of ykyw jerseys (https://a.aliexpress.com/_EGvfuvo) a bit odd compared to my spexcel kit (188cm 75kg skinny build). The jerseys I have are L and the material is nice but the sleeves a bit short, and the sleeves and torso are both quite loose fitting. Similar with the bibs XL are a little short.My phone jumped out of my specxel jersey pocket and got shredded when I went over a speed bump once. The jersey is quite nice but haven’t used that jersey since. July 19, 2025, 05:16:01 PM |
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Re: Spcycle New Mold SP-R088 Carbon Road Frame
Here are some photos from my recent rides, did about 40 miles of riding so far this week as part of some shakedown rides. I've run into a few issues, but I've either resolved them or they're being resolved -- with one small exception. Starting off with the easiest issue, the stem preload was a little loose after ~20 miles or so of riding. I only noticed this when slamming on the brakes as I was arriving home, anyway, that was easily resolved. I did use a torque wrench this time to get a sense of how much torque is being applied this time, and yeah, only about ~2 Nm of torque was necessary to remove all play, and then another 1/8th of a turn for some safety margin. I'm keeping an eye on this, and I have a longer stem plug coming for some extra insurance. The second issue I wrote about in my previous post, I'm missing the wedge washer that goes between the seat post and rear bolt so I'm unable to tighten that bolt with any confidence that it won't destroy the seat post. So I've resorted to tightening that bolt juuuust tight enough so as to maintain tension on the saddle rails. Anyway, this has led to my seat slipping slightly back, leading to a stretched out position and numb hands during the ride. The replacement SL8 seat clamp is coming Monday though, so this should be resolved soon. The third issue was that I experienced a chain drop when shifting from the small ring to the big ring. My carbon crank took a nice scrape from that, but thankfully I realized the chain was falling off pretty quick and stopped immediately, with no apparent damage to the frame or other components. This last issue is the result of a combination of a few factors: (1) synchro-shift on Di2 being too eager to over-shift to shift into the big ring, in addition to the fact that I was shifting under load while climbing, (2) my misunderstanding of the front derailleur alignment for 105 Di2, which follows a different system of setting limits from mechanical and ultegra/DA Di2, and (3) apparently the front derailleur hanger doesn't allow for the front-derailleur to be mounted tight with a slight toe-out (which is how 105 Di2 is aligned) -- it's mounted with a very slight toe-in, and there's no way to totally straighten the derailleur unless I was able to mount the FD further inboard somehow. I've mitigated factors 1 and 2 by adjusting the synchro-shift logic so as to only shift 1 gear instead of 2, and re-aligning the front-derailleur to the best of my ability. Factor 3 will be a massive pain to resolve, as I'm not even sure there's a bulletproof way to fix it. Maybe a soft shim / PPF to allow the mount to tilt slightly more in the front? Anyway, I believe I've mitigated the issue mostly by getting the alignment as best I could with the FD toeing out just the slightest and getting the micro-adjustments FD and RD perfect. Anyway, on to the good news -- the bike rides super quick, much quicker than my old chromoly steel bike, which this build has at least 10 lbs on. I'm setting new PRs with massive deltas on all of my local climbs, which is so satisfying. I'm certainly the limiting factor for this frame, it goes super quick. At the same time, the ride feels relatively dampened, so I will say it doesn't feel as "lively" as I thought it would, being such a light frame, I guess there could be some flex in the frame or it could be my choice of tires, which I know isn't the best in terms of rolling resistance. I'm happy with that, though, as I want a light, comfortable endurance-style whip to put down more miles this riding season. And on today's 20 mile ride, there were literally zero surprises with the bike  I'm absolutely smitten with the build and can't wait to take it out again.
July 20, 2025, 01:12:53 AM |
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Re: Spcycle New Mold SP-R088 Carbon Road Frame
My frame also turned up yesterday to UK (also 58). Seems ok but my concern is when installing headset (I ignored the crown race, so from bottom to top, went bearing, bearing, c clip, top cap) there is play. I haven't cut fork so can only add a stem and push down firmly. Even so, when done, there's play in top bearing set up. Any ideas, before I contact SP? July 25, 2025, 12:32:50 AM |
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Re: Spcycle New Mold SP-R088 Carbon Road Frame
That doesn’t look right how does the built in crown race look? Yup, I had the same issue with my 105 FD. Even with the support screw backed all the way out, it installed with some toe-in and I couldn't pivot it outwards on the mount. I haven't come up with a fix yet, but it does shift fine without chain rub after I gave the FD adjustment extra attention. July 25, 2025, 12:11:55 PM |
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Re: Spcycle New Mold SP-R088 Carbon Road Frame
How does it look with fork installed? Had the same thoughts with the bearing. But installed and with preload it looks like it should. July 26, 2025, 09:55:20 AM |
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Review: Balugoe Carbon Handlebars – 370mm Drops / 325mm Hoods
I've been racing across road, gravel, XC and cyclocross for nearly 10 years. I’m a smaller statured rider with narrower shoulders, so I’ve been looking to go narrower at the front end of the bike for a while - both for comfort and aerodynamics. These bars from Balugoe on AliExpress ticked a lot of boxes on paper and had a decent number of reviews, so I decided to take the plunge and write something up for others who might be weighing up the same decision. To give some context, I have a BEng in Product Design and Manufacturing and I’ve worked in cycling design, manufacturing, and retail - specifically on high-end additive manufactured components used in elite competition. Why these bars? I wanted to replace my Deda Superzero carbon bars (40cm, ~£250 RRP) with something narrower. I chose the 370mm (drop) / 325mm (hood) option from Balugoe, which looked like their best-selling model. The store has been trading on AliExpress since 2017 and seemed active. With some app discounts, I paid £60 all-in including shipping. Delivery and Packaging Delivery was faster than expected. The order tracked all the way through until it reached Evri in the UK, and customs clearance was smooth. Packaging was solid — bubble wrapped inside a felt sleeve, then wrapped again inside a mailer. No cardboard box, but no damage either. Simple and effective. Finish and First Impressions The finish is matte black paint — not raw carbon, which would have looked better in my opinion and potentially shaved off a few grams. Branding is discreet and hidden once the bars are installed. The overall impression is clean and well thought out. They came with some rounded, aero-style bar end plugs that look a lot like the ones from ENVE’s SES range, which was a nice surprise. I weighed them at 235g on kitchen scales — bang on with the Superzero carbon bars they replaced, despite the narrower profile. Specs and Construction Width at drops: 370mm Width at hoods: 325mm Weight: 235g Internal routing ports: Through the rear of the clamp (for TiCR/ACR/DCR systems) and underside exits if you’re not routing through the stem Inside the cable ports, the carbon looked clean and free from wrinkles or flashing. The drop markings were also some of the best I’ve seen — easy to use, aligned well, and helped dial in the lever placement quickly. Installation I installed these on a Pinarello Dogma F using the TiCR internal routing system — same as Deda’s ACR/DCR setups. No issues with routing hydraulic hoses through the bar and into the stem. Clamping areas felt solid, and the bars didn’t creak or shift under torque. There's no printed torque value, but the build didn’t feel sketchy at any point. Ride Impressions I’ve done 140km on them so far, mostly on rolling terrain and rough UK roads. No surprises — the bars performed well. The narrower position is honestly the most comfortable I’ve ever been on the bike. I felt more relaxed, my shoulders weren’t fighting the position, and it made staying aero a lot more natural. On descents nearing 70km/h, the narrower width felt composed, not twitchy, and gave me the confidence to stay low and carry speed. Out of the saddle sprints in the drops still felt stable. Any narrower and I think it would’ve started to feel too nervous, but 370mm seems like a sweet spot for balancing aero and control. Support I messaged the Balugoe store once pre-purchase and got a prompt, useful reply. I haven’t had to reach out since, so can’t comment on ongoing support or issues resolution. Final Thoughts For £60, these bars are a bit of a steal. Obviously, you’re not getting ENVE-level prestige or long-term brand reputation, but the execution is solid and performance is on par with much more expensive options. If you’re a smaller rider, a woman, a teen, or just someone who wants to go narrower without compromising stability, these are worth a serious look. For the broader-shouldered, they also offer wider sizes. I’d love to see a raw carbon version offered in the future — that would elevate the aesthetic even further and might win over a few more skeptics. But as they are, these are well designed, well finished, and far better than I expected at this price. If anyone’s on the fence about ordering, happy to answer questions or provide more photos. Always happy to test and review more products with an honest, engineering-led eye — especially when brands are trying to bring decent quality gear to a wider audience without the premium price tag. July 26, 2025, 05:17:35 PM |
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Re: Can we migrate this forum to a modern forum? I'm tired of the broken pages.
Honestly, not much capacity at all. It's just me and I am in no way a web developer or webmaster. Just a simpleton Arkansas mountain biker that somehow figured out how to get this forum up 10 years ago. I like your vision, just keep this forum the way it is! I believe most of us are happy as long as there are no broken pages and the connection is fast. July 31, 2025, 12:46:31 AM |
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