Chinese Carbon MTB Forums
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Re: Alternatives to Winspace/Yoeleo/Seka/Elves?
There are very few options that can offer you a buying experience comparable to Winspace. And the reason why Chinese brands have so few serious offerings in this segment is because the four most popular bikes domestically are the Giant TCR, Giant Propel, Merida Scultura and Merida Reacto! On Chinese forums, literally every topic discussing the top sub-15K RMB domestic frames has someone suggesting the sub-20K TCR Advanced SL because the Giant is just too darn good in every aspect. Winspace - The new T1550 is way too similar to your current T1500, sure you'd be satisfied with it but it wouldn't feel 'new' or make for meaningfully different content from your existing T1500 videos. The new Lun Mega wheels are sick tho Elves - I honestly think that the new Falath EVO is a bit of a dud and rate the whole brand a tier beneath Winspace but I suppose it'd make for well performing content considering the interest in them Seka - Nightmare buying experience and geometry mismatch aside, they are still the most serious brand coming out of China right now. The Exceed is a proper frame and the standard layup has the best bang for buck. And now that Cam has given up on reviewing it, you can capitalise by taking all the english language mindshare on YT. There are rumours that they'll release a new climbing frame (Afield update?) but nothing concrete. Elilee - Very serious high end products but I think they still need some time to get on top of everything and mature their production process as they recently had to revise BB finishing on the Blize due to an out of spec pre-production frame. Come back to it in half a year? Their crankset though is absolutely solid and there's been zero negative feedback to my knowledge. Pardus - They only sell complete bikes and the only way to get your hands on a 'new' frameset in China is to buy one dismantled from a complete. Now that the groupset shortage has receded it's even harder to buy a Pardus frameset because the incentive for reselling a groupset doesn't exist anymore. So this brings me back to Giant. Why not just get a TCR or Propel? Sure they don't feel 'exciting' as an established brand but there's a reason why they're the biggest in the world. I've also noticed that there isn't much ownership content of them on the internet so perhaps you could capitalise on the TCR's cult following like the Allez? Do keep in mind that they'll probably release a next gen fully integrated TCR soon for '24 MY March 25, 2023, 07:13:13 AM |
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Re: Carbonda Cfr 1056
Hi all. I wanted to share a pic of my completed CFR1056 build as well as thank everyone for the contributions to this thread that helped me figure it all out. This is my first bike build, so there was a ton of learning in the process. A particular thank you to "2old2mould" for sharing his file for design that I leveraged in communicating with Wing. Details on what I ended up with: The big stuff: Frame: FM1056 Size M. (I'm 5'10 w/ 32" inseam and not super fit/flexy). Internal routing. 2-tone paint glossy. Bottom Bracket: BSA-68 Groupset: Shimano 105 r7000. Hydraulic disc brakes, 11 speed. Wheels: Elitewheels ENT Disc. 45mm depth; 28mm external width. Tubeless compatible. Tires: Continental Grand Prix S TR - 28mm Power Meter: Stages L Side for Shimano r7000 Stem: FSA SMR ACR Stem - 90mm Headset: NO. 55R 1.5" ACR STD Handlebar: Ritchey WCS Streem Internal Routing Handlebar Pedals: SHIMANO PDM520 Clipless SPD The little stuff: Hydraulic Hoses: Shimano SM-BH90 Disc Brake Hose Shifter Cables: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 Shift Cable Set Tubeless Tape: Zukka Tubeless Tape 23mm Handlebar Pads: Selle Italia Bar Tape Shock Absorbing Pads Bar Tape: Domain Cycling Handlebar Tape & Bar Ends (94" x 1.2") Build Learnings: Building the bike was an adventure and YouTube intensive. I had three major issues. First, an end cap for the front wheel hub went missing during the build, and since I didn't know better, I didn't realize a part was missing. This required finding a replacement. As the wheels are from a China based company, that took a lot of work to get sorted out. Checking for loose pieces everywhere before throwing out packaging would have saved me from this. Second, the original lock ring I had for the front brake rotor was too large and rubbed against the fork. I had to swap to a TRP Centerlock ring that was angled (narrow on the outside edge) to create space. Third, the holes for the rear brake caliper were slightly misaligned. This created rub between the brake pads and the rotor even without squeezing the brake levers. My local bike shop was unable to fix this issue, and Wing wasn't responsive. After ~50 miles of riding, the brake pads wore down a bit to allow free movement, but it feels like riding into a headwind until that happens. Will be annoying with each new set of pads. Fourth, while I wanted to go fully integrated, I wasn't sure on fit and feel. So I used the semi-integrated cabling route through the stem to allow some extra cable length. Once I've dialed everything in, I may go through the effort of routing through the handlebar directly and going fully integrated. I did have my local shop complete an inspection/tune on the bike before riding it, and they found a few mistakes I made and corrected them. I highly recommend going that route if this is your first build or you lack 100% confidence in your skills. Overall, great experience. March 27, 2023, 05:06:25 PM |
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Re: Lightcarbon: New LCR017-D (or Yishun R1058-D)
Nice! How much did you pay for the frame? 590$ frame (30$ discount), 147$ (shipping to Germany including taxes), 37$ PayPal fee, 100 custom painting. October 10, 2023, 02:36:48 AM |
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Re: Yishunbike R1058-D
Ello, My R1058D has finally arrived. Size 59cm. They also said there was a month delay because of that mould issue. Ordered about 4 months ago. Ordered in gloss black. Ordered without handlebars (plan to order the lightcarbon superlight T1000 bar as it is the same price but lighter and they are all made in the same place anyway). Comes with thru axles, compression plug, headset, spacers, seatpost thingy. Quality is great, everything has been faced and masked when painting. BB is perfect. Theres a small amount of roughness in the headtube which I will sand, asked Melinda about this and she said it is ok. Plenty of clearance. Photos with a 28mm tyre. October 26, 2023, 04:48:24 AM |
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Re: All-around Racer Speeder SC-R52D or Yishun R1058D
I am in a similar situation as you but I did not get a response back from my inquiry to yishun. Did you just use their inquiry form online? kitty is always responsive to me. try her. kitty (dot) jiang (at) yishunbike (dot) com December 02, 2023, 03:28:14 AM |
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Re: All-around Racer Speeder SC-R52D or Yishun R1058D
Yes, Kitty is great, bought two frames with her, one of them had paint damage and she is extra supportive.
December 02, 2023, 07:04:04 AM |
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Re: Yishunbike R1058-D
Well, today I received the first pictures of my frame, paint job was done by Yishun and don't ask how I got them convinced to do so Looks great! impressed you convinced them to paint it December 11, 2023, 06:22:05 AM |
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Re: Yishunbike R1058-D
So the build went pretty well, I had some minor issues inside the bottom bracket area, which I provided to Yishunbike for a safety check, but it seems that these are only Resin bubbles on the connection from the back triangle & I had to sand down the headset plastic bearing cover as Patrick did on his Yishunbike. nice 612 
January 18, 2024, 08:11:12 AM |
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Re: Yishunbike R1058-D
I've not made pictures during the build. What are you interested in? Like the breakdown of parts that you've used and the wheelset. I already have a Yishun agent (Melinda) and she's really nice and helpful. I ordered R086D and RSL50D wheelset from her. January 18, 2024, 09:23:11 AM |
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Patty's Long Rant and Guide To Affordable Frames
I’m going to be honest here: I very much miss the glory days of this forum during the pandemic years. It was a perfect storm. People were stuck at home with extra discretionary income and free-time, while major bike brands were dealing with fulfillment delays. The rise of Chinese alternatives during this time brought so much excitement to this forum. Forum members were passionate about helping each other, and the overall vibe felt like a positive community of budget-minded enthusiasts. You could easily spend hours each day reading pages upon pages of new posts. The forum was basically a party everyday. I’m lucky to have joined during COVID. Now I don’t proclaim to be perfect or infallible to constructive criticism. Quite frankly, the support of this forum is a large reason why my YouTube platform even exists. I cannot thank you all enough. Sadly, a lot of the super experienced members don’t come here as often anymore. Perhaps the negative vibes these past 12 months ran them away or just simply their needs changed. Who knows… What I do know is I plan to keep supporting the forum as long as it makes sense. I’ve started to review more mainstream bikes, but my heart will always have a place for affordable Chinese frames/wheels. It’s how I got my start (Yoeleo R6). I wanted to write up a quick guide for anyone looking to jump into the world of “cheap” Chinese bikes. While I made a video on this very topic over a year ago, a reminder never hurt anyone. PLEASE feel free to add your insight and guidance below. Step 1: Passion Project vs Functionality As a cycling reviewer, I obviously don’t have any emotional attachments to my bikes. Except for my believed T1500. To me it’s about being functional and fast. If the “best” frame for (my) price range and riding style only offers matte black…I’ll take it every time. Custom paint means nothing to me if the frame is either a noodle or destroys my back. But I’m a performance-first person. Step 2: Riding Style and Geometry Can you slam your stem? Cool for you. Do you prefer an endurance style bike? Also very cool. Geometry is critical obviously. I cannot stress seeking a professional bike fit enough. Or just comparing your current bike to your target bikes using something like Geometry Geeks. Step 3: Budget vs “True” Budget If your budget is “only $600” for a frame, ask yourself if an extra $300 will be significant to you a year from now. How about an extra $500? How about two years from now? Buy nice or buy twice. Might be worth spending the extra money if you plan to keep your bike for longer than two years. But be warned: cheap bikes are addicting. Step 4: What is your “pain” threshold for cheap bikes? Cheap bikes are cheap bikes for a reason. Sort of. The value-add for these types of bikes is you are willing to put in the work yourself to troubleshoot, should bike build problems arise. If you do however find yourself frustrated, fear not! The forum is here to help. Typically the more you spend, the less potential for problems to arise. Or the brand will be faster to rectify. Unless you’re Yoeleo…  Patty’s Brand Picks $500 - VeloBuild - Custom paint, decent customer service, and solid provided hardware. Both the VB-177 and CX002 are very solid frames for the price. Won’t be the best performing frames ever, but they are “good enough.” You won’t get dropped from a race or fast group ride due to these frames. $1000 or less - Yishun/Light Carbon - No question one of the best affordable brands/frames you can buy without spending money on a Winspace. Sadly…paint options and frame availability may be questionable since (Yishun) is setup for B2B. But the quality and performance is all there. Fit and finish is really good, except for the plastic headset dust cover on my particular application. $1600 or less - Winspace - The T1500 has been talked about to death now for 4 years so there really isn’t anything left to cover. If you have the budget for it…buy it. Proven race bike. Fit and finish on par with the major brands. Wheel Brand Recognition - Elite Wheels, Winspace, and Magene - All 3 brands are great at what they do. The main thing these brands all have in common is they offer solid customer service. Each of them secretly lurk these forums, which means they are making an effort to listen to what customers want. Despite the fact Yoeleo makes solid bikes too, their customer service has been awful (again) based on customer feedback sent my way. Unfortunately my dealings with these brands for reviews does not translate to me being able to escalate customer complaints. Always remember the forum is here to help. There are no stupid questions if you’ve taken a little bit of time to research previous threads and watch a few YouTube videos. The more honest and transparent we all are with our questions, the quicker and meaningful the responses will come. Spend the love! January 25, 2024, 04:12:15 PM |
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