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Re: Catalog Cycles (completes) The transparency is appreciated. Some initial pointers.

1) I think you'll struggle at the price point. The Wheeltop groups will definitely hold you back - I doubt there's a single person in Australia willing to drop $12k on a bike with a Wheeltop groupset. I can walk into a 99 Bikes shop in my town and buy a Merida Reacto with Dura Ace Di2 for $10,500 - and that's a name brand WorldTour bike with a top-tier groupset and a power meter (yes - an absolute dog of a power meter, but anyway). For a cheaper brand, I could buy a Polygon Helios with Dura Ace Di2 for $7,000. If you're aiming at that price end of the market, you really have to able to supply Shimano or SRAM.

2) I can see that you're trying to go low volume, low risk (because you're building to order, so not taking any risk of stock on hand) but that means you can't make the profits at low margins that make cheaper Chinese products so appealing. It's hard to see this as anything more than buying a bunch of parts at retail prices and then assembling them - so what's the value proposition here? Why wouldn't I go to PandaPodium and order all these parts separately from a well-established and trusted business?

3) Make sure you fill out the template stuff on your website (e.g. terms of service) - when there's placeholders in there it leaves big red flags as to legitimacy. There's also no address listed - also a big red flag.

4) You've listened to the Nero Show so ask yourself this - would Chris or Jessie buy these products? Remember how long the L-Twoo eRX on his Tavelo lasted. There's some odd listings in the specs - the climbing bike specs a 10-51t MTB cassette (??), and 21mm internal width rims (come on, this is 2025!). The gravel bike (Tavelo Wild) also lists a 21mm internal width rim - way narrower than anyone wants in this day and age. Lastly - and sadly, a giveaway that you haven't had your hands on it, is that you're speccing 2.1" tyres when the frame spec is listed at 50mm clearance.

5) No power meter options seems silly given the great options available from China (Sigeyi Easton spider to pair with the Cybrei cranks).

6) Inconsistencies / typos in spec sheet. For example, looking at Tavelo Arow, description talks about a waxed KMC chain, specs mention a Shimano chain. The gravel bike lists a Dura Ace cassette when the render shows an XTR.

7) Lastly, you're probably preaching to the wrong audience here - while you as a business have to make sure that you're doing everything properly with tax on importing, GST etc., a regular punter doesn't. I can import all of my products without having to attract GST/duty (because the sellers will mark them as low value) - this means that I can build a bike for myself much cheaper than I can as a business without volume. That's obviously not your fault, but that's something you have to contend with.

It's a tough space to play in - the best way to make a small fortune in the bike industry is to start with a big one. Best of luck and it's good to be ambitious. Just keep asking yourself "what value am I adding here?" and let that be a guiding principle.

April 02, 2025, 04:32:42 AM
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Re: Sunrimoon helmets, or helmets in general - Update: they finally arrived
how many brains do you have?

Yes.

April 11, 2025, 09:28:01 AM
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Re: Thinking of Going Deeper – A More Honest Look Inside the Replica Frame Industry
Ironically, I think the effect of this thread has only been to increase interest in counterfeit frames.

I’d actually disagree — the interest in counterfeit frames has always been there, it’s just that people are now more openly talking about it.

I understand it’s a sensitive and divisive topic. Some will agree, others won’t, and yes — it’s technically illegal. I’m not denying that. Is it in the true spirit of the forum? Maybe not entirely. But the reality is that the demand is huge, whether we like it or not. And with demand comes discussion.

That’s the value of threads like this — they spark conversation, debate, and hopefully, awareness. I’m not here to promote counterfeits, but if people are going to explore that route anyway, I’d rather they be informed and aware of the risks — safety being a big one.

It’s a bit of a catch-22. You either bury your head in the sand and pretend it’s not happening, or you engage with it in a way that helps people make smarter decisions.

June 20, 2025, 01:29:34 AM
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LTK266-D-SL, race frame, 680g, <800g w/paint & metal parts (M), fits 35mm+ tires I don't think there is a thread for this frame yet. I spotted it earlier today, and while conservative in terms of design, it ticks a lot of boxes for someone looking for a frame that can handle a bit of cross, light gravel, and road riding.

Things I like:
  • 35mm Tire clearance This is conservative. I expected 4mm of clearance with 35mm tires. I have measured ~8mm of clearance with 33WAM tires and ~6mm of clearance with 37mm WAM tires
  • Pretty standard road geometry--chain stays at 410mm are a little longer than I would like, but still plenty short Yes. It handles and climbs like a very good road bike. Very TCR like.
  • Designed to mimic the Giant TCR in terms of stiffness numbers and feel (per the information listed on the website for the Permeants St-09 version)
  • UDH
  • T47i (85.5mm)
  • Weight, they are claiming 760g frame and 325g fork including metal parts for a matte painted bare frame and like 20g more for a transparent green Time style paint. The seatpost weighs 98g and appears to use Ritchey-style hardware. This is likely >250g lighter than something like the SP cycle R088. EDIT: Given the weights posted here, S and M frames should be sub 800g with accessories and lighter-weight paint jobs. These weights have been verified and are realistic. The 680g marketing weight for the bare frame is also likely a very real number. Frame seems to match up well numbers wise with the Seka Spear RDC and the Elilee Blize XXE. Absolutely bonkers at this price.
  • Claimed T1100, T1000, M65 blend. If true this is a nice high-end blend of medium-mod / high-strength and high-mod fibers
  • Standard 1.5in headset Based on what we have seen so far, your best option is probably to buy a FSA No55R (40x51.8x8mm 36°/45°) headset separately and look for a FSA compatible stem / one-piece barstem
Things I don't like:
  • Only one fork offset across the range, they should have a 50mm offset for the smallest 2 sizes IMO
  • Stacks are a little high for a true race bike in the L, XL, and XXL.
  • I personally think a few more MM BB drop would be nice, assuming a 30mm or 32mm tire size rather than 28mm will be run with this frame.
  • Does not come with good rubber accessories. There are no rubber plugs to block the holes for unused mechanical cables for the FD or for the RD routing if wireless. The seatpost clamp cover looks like it was inspired by a napkin. See the notes below in the "Things to consider when ordering this frame" section for alternatives.
I have no idea about the price, but overall this looks like really nice option for a build. The price for the bare frame (no headset or thru-axles) with clear coat is currently $610/unit. We should expect this to fluctuate based on demand, availability, and currency conversion as we are dealing with a factory here.

https://www.ltbikes.com/index/products/view/id/421.html

EDIT: Now that these bikes are out in the wild, I have added comments in red

EDIT2: Adding content to this post to reflect some build hints and purchase configurations.

Things to consider when ordering this frame:
  • Sizes S, M, L, XL, and XXL are now available to order and appear to be shipping to customers. This is an expansion of the range, as originally only S, M, and L sizes were offered. Alisa at LTK indicated that they needed to see demand before they expanded the offering, so it seems like we were successful.
  • Speaking of Alisa, her contact is: longtengalisa@163.com. You can also contact her through the contact fork at LTbikes.com.
  • You can also find a similar site Longtengbike.com, which leads you to Rex who is active on this forum.
  • The frame is also available from Permants as the ST-09, Tideace as the CR266-D, and Haideli bikes as the CR266-D. Eddy from Haideli is also here on the forum.
  • Per above, it seems like sourcing an FSA ACR No 55R LS headset is probably something you should do. FSA also sells the following headsets that are similar; FSA ACR No 55R STD (compatible but uses a different upper bearing, has slightly less internal space than the LS and cant quite do as tight of a hose bend as the LS), FSA no. 69 SRS (Compatible), FSA no 69/DUAL/56 SRS (not compatible, i think).
  • LTK does sell an integrated barstem, but given current reviews, you are strongly advised to purchase a different bar. The LTK integrated barstem appears to use a proprietary spacer stack (poorly made and heavy). The barstem is also ~100g heavier than competitors in similar sizes, and there are doubts regarding the supplied bearing and C ring. Alternatives in this thread include the Tavelo Avro (@klrdd's build) and the XMCS one-piece (@BeeMC's build). The latter might be attractive because it does not require an adapter to interface with the FSA ACR headsets.
  • My own build uses a two-piece bar and stem. The obvious choice here is the FSA SMR stem, but it is a bit heavy for a build like this. There are custom options available to integrate in lighter stems, incl. the Kalloy Uno, with this frame.
  • Based on the contents of the thread so far, it seems prudent to order from LTK, the frameset + thru axles. This will come with one SL UDH hanger, an FD mount, both 7mm and 9mm saddle mount hardware, and an integrated seat post wedge.
  • The standard clear appears to be tinted dark to hide some of the rough areas. On request it appears you can order a "clear clear" vs. the standard "black clear." Not sure what to make of this, but its likely informative to folks who want to get that "raw carbon" look.
  • This frame does NOT include a Di2 battery mount. @Oker_s as a 3D printed solution and he as offered the .stl file to interested folks. I also believe the larger size Shimano one should work.
  • An alternative seatpost clamp cover that fits aesthetically well is the one for the 2021 Giant Defy. Part No. 1724-SPSHIM-901. The cover looks great on the front, but it has additional overhang on the rear. Most people would consider this to be a significant upgrade over the original. Credit to @Oker_s for the find. A second alternative is to print one out of TPU. An STL file with my design is attached to this post.
  • If you need to block up holes in the frame (e.g., the mechanical FD cable opening), I strongly recommend Tesa's Sugru. It's cheap, easy to mold into a plug that looks good, and removable with a pick or a set of tweezers.
  • While some of the supplied accessories and rubber parts are low quality, the overall frame is high quality, and the few that are built have very impressed owners. Hopefully, more will be built and ridden, so we can see if this frame really belongs in the conversation for the best open-mold road frames available.
Build Inspo from this thread:
"Official" build from @Eddy-haideli. Size S


@bedampft DuraAce Di2, "Mixtape" vinyl wrap, and Giant Contact SLR Bar + Stem. Size L


@sakizashi SRAM 1x Rival E1/D1 mix all-road build w/ kalloy uno stem and Hope RX2 calipers. Size M


@klrdd Sram Force E1 AXS roadbuild w/Tavelo barstem. Size L


@BeeMC Lightweight Sram mix w/ XMCS barstem. Size S


@TidyDinosaur Flyweight sub-6.2kg build with Avian barstem. Size S


u/sundayvacation from r/chinesecarbon. AXS mix, LB Aria wheelset, Tavelo barstem, Pantone Warm Grey 8C paint. Size M


@Halfshark Di2 build w/ riser barstem. Size M


@MARIOVL Permeants St-09 Di2 build. Size S


@alexgaignard Di2 build with LTK barstem and AeroRaptor Wheels. Size M


@OGLuka, Di2, Magene TEO carbon crankset, Light Carbon HBR17 barstem. Size XL

June 29, 2025, 12:36:26 AM
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Re: LAMEDA CYCLING APPAREL I have a bunch of inbike items (4 jerseys, 4 bibs gloves and a now destroyed buff I think) which is a sister brand with seemingly the same stuff but a different logo (similar to what geoid is to magene) and besides premature wear on the summer bibs, I am very very happy with them
March 18, 2026, 12:01:19 PM
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Re: LAMEDA CYCLING APPAREL
Ho aperto questo argomento visto che non c'era, semplicemente perche penso possa essere utile a tutti quelli che sono interessati a questo marchio di abbigliamento cinese per scambiarsi tutte le varie opinioni.

Questo è un post del gruppo Facebook "Chinese Bikes, Wheels and Accessories" della settimana scorsa.



Questo è lo stesso account che gestisce il gruppo QuickPro pubblicizzato nella tua firma, quindi è ovviamente tu.
Sei chiaramente un ambasciatore del marchio e ricevi una commissione quando le persone usano il tuo codice sconto. Venire su un forum per avviare una discussione su un marchio di cui sei ambasciatore (senza dichiararlo) con la scusa di "voler avviare una discussione sul marchio" si chiama sockpuppeting. In passato delle persone sono state bannate da questo forum per aver fatto esattamente questo. Le tue azioni gettano discredito sul marchio.



This is a post from the Facebook group "Chinese Bikes, Wheels and Accessories" from last week.



This is the same account that runs the QuickPro group advertised in your signature, so obviously it is you.

You are clearly an ambassador for the brand and receive a kickback when people use your discount code. Coming on a forum to start a topic about the brand you are an ambassador for (without declaring that you are one) under the guise of 'wanting to start discussion about the brand' is called sockpuppeting. People have previously been banned from this forum for doing exactly that. Your actions discredit the brand.

March 21, 2026, 07:11:19 AM
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Re: Spect Strada Asked Aerofor about the Strada frame and custom painting. First they said they offer "custom service", whatever that means, they even asked if I have a design idea. I’ve presented my idea and they’ve said they do not do custom painting at the moment, but they do plan it in the future. So not really sure if this is a translation problem or if they are just bi-polar ;D

Anyway, then they proceeded with sharing photos of their Mira frame I didn’t even ask for, so feel free to check the photoalbum: https://ibb.co/album/rkrDPZ. A bit of an overspray on the BB, not really sure if I would use this as a marketing material xD.

They’ve also confirmed both frames use FSA ACR headset, they’ve also hinted there is a gravel frame coming.

May 18, 2026, 03:03:26 AM
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Re: Quick Pro ER:One I found a beautifully painted ER One on Buycycle and bought it immediately. I can’t wait to build it up and ride it.




May 20, 2026, 03:34:13 AM
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Re: Spect Strada Don't tempt me man  ;D ;D
May 20, 2026, 04:57:54 AM
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Re: Spect Strada Managed to finalize my order today after a few days delay with the PayPal link.
In the end I decided for size 51 with 120mm cockpit and the silver/white colour. Coming from a Scott foil in XS and 110 stem. 170cm if someone is interested.
Seatpost will be 15mm offset, don’t think they will have the zero offset Seatpost in time. Priorities are getting the first batch ready hopefully till end of June.

Will keep you guys posted, first chine frame for me but my girlfriend had since last spring a QuickPro Er One

May 26, 2026, 01:41:42 AM
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