I've noticed that the PMT Kora 3.0 is claimed to have a Virginia Tech helmet safety rating of 5 stars, but on the Virginia Tech site they list it as 3 stars..... doesn't provide too much confidence.

I know, why buy a helmet from China?  But wait, much of Chinese product is as good, in some cases better than traditional brands.  So are there any helmet brands worth noting.

PMT, namely the PMT Kora 3 has caught my attention, not available everywhere but looks interesting if not a tad heavier than market leaders. Also, sometimes the Chinese products come in more interesting/brighter colours.

I'd like to discuss brands worth considering, and any experience with the PMT brand.

Strange I raise this topic because as a very experienced rider I always tell people 'do not buy a helmet you haven't tried on, helmets are about personal fit and comfort is king'..... however, online shopping has meant that very few LBS stock many models, so it's hard to find anywhere to try on many models.

I've had these for a few years https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001124774929.html?.  Contact the seller and he'll tell you which lenses to order separately, then they match the orders and send you complete glass.  They have been brilliant, a few friends have bought the same.  I have them in multi-focal with surprising thin and light lenses.

I've been looking at those cleats! Can you share more about how they feel different? Is the float less smooth? Do they clip in less reliably? I would love to save the money, but not sure how much I'd be losing out on.

Speedplay cleats have an adjuster for the float, this is controlled by two metal screw/bolts. On the Aliepress cleats, these screws/bolts were plastic and just didn't work, so it was impossible to adjust the cleat float, which is part of the reason I use Speedplays

I went with a Waltly frame, design based on a frame from a well-known brand.  My friend did the same, but he had his design tweaked by a Sydney bike fitter for a small fee (CAD files supplied), then Waltly built to the tweaked design.

I've setup my bike so I have two sets of wheels, one road, one gravel.  My next 'in progress' change is to update the bike so I can quickly swap normal forks for suspension forks.

My only slight regret is that I didn't get a mix of Matte and Gloss finish with a personalised design to make the frame even more aesthetically unique.

Carbon v Ti..... I love carbon for my lightweight road bike, feels snappy, especially for climbing and changing speed.  Note that my road bike is only 6.5kg. The Ti is so nice to ride though, rolls smooth, feels sturdy and should last forever. My Ti bike is sooooo nice for gravel days, especially longer gravel days, or longer road rides where it’s not ‘race pace’.  TBH, I'm using my Ti bike much more than my road bike, even for roadie group rides, just because of the comfort.

Cheji bib shorts, does anyone know the difference between the two models?  I've had older Cheji before and really like them, comfortable and lasted a long time. However, then Cheji seemed to disappear, and now they're back with a new Aliexpress store.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008761784076.html - I have purchased these and really like them, comfortable and good quality, I did a 120km ride in them a few weeks ago. Long ride, sweaty, but very comfortable.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008777419352.html - This model is very slightly more expensive, but I can't understand the difference. Would love to hear feedback if anyone has tried them.

I'm hoping Cheji add this model to their Aliexpress site. https://www.chejifactory.com/products/bib-shorts-men