How is this frame holding up so far?
Looks like a good contender for a light weight rim brake build in Q1 2023.
I know Velobuild has similar frame but it will be nice to try OG-EVKIN for change.

I don't ride on the roads as much now so I haven't been using it a whole lot but overall I'm still happy with it. Nothing really to complain about.

As a side note for anyone considering the Og-Evkin wheelset: I switched to a tubeless setup with Pirelli Cinturato Velos and they are very loose. They do hold air, but I've had a few cases where they randomly start deflating mid ride. If you're like me and you forget to top up sealant regularly I'd go for a tighter fitting tyre.

What started out as a budget commuter bike ended up with me becoming a weight weenie. Well, not really, compared to the actual weight weenies. My wallet is definitely lighter though. Short review below:

Communication from the seller was very good by aliexpress standards. Most of my messages were answered within a a couple hours. Initially I was leaning towards the tantan/seraph fm199/299 but 17" was out of stock and they weren't responsive. The bigrock frame was on backorder and I asked for no decals so it took around 15 days to ship. They asked if I was ok with the small decals and I said I was, thought they meant the generic ones but they ended up putting their small logo on the top tube which wasn't shown in the pic for this color listing. So i'd ask for no decals at all to be safe. Also I asked them to declare low but they didn't tell me they won't, so I had to pay tax. Apparently their tax free is only for the EU. When I ordered it was around 500 usd incl shipping for the 27.5" and these guys seemed to be the only ones selling it, however it got stuck in customs for 2 months(not the sellers fault) and now lexon is selling the exact same frame for about $100 less -_-.

It came in a solid box with foam on contact points. All the usual stuff is included + they include 2 'gifts' which you can choose from a few of their other items like seatpost clamps and top caps. There are no Rubber grommets on the frame so I assume its meant to be routed with full outer housing. It didn't come with placeholder tubing but routing was really easy. The holes are pretty small so if you're using a cable and a ferrule to route the brake you'll have to pull off the ferrule through the headtube first. All in all it was pretty straightforward. As usual i forgot to weigh individual parts but the total weight is 8.4kg. It could easily be sub 8kg with a lighter/rigid fork



Parts list:
Frame: Bigrock 27.5 Boost https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002838191949.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dmf1p7v
Fork: X-fusion RC32
Wheelset: Farsports FS27C T-30-30 with ZTTO M1 hubs
Brakes: Magura MT5 F and MT4 R
Shifter + Rear Mech: Deore M5100
Cassette: ZTTO Slr 2 Ultralight 11-50t
Chain: VG sports
Crankset: Racework 36t
Pedals: DMR V6
Stem: ZTTO 45mm Alu
Bars: RFR Flat bar Trail
Grips: ZTTO
Seatpost: Sixpack Menace

Weight: 8.4kg

Thanks for posting.

Though, what made you choose aliexpress rims as opposed to say, farsports, who are uci approved?

This build was just meant for me to commute to work and back, so no need anything fancy but I ended up going over budget trying to shave off weight and the advertised 260g rims on Ali were just too tempting even though deep down I knew it probably wasn't possible to have a rim that light and still be safe.

I just find it a lot easier to browse/compare/order stuff on Aliexpress as opposed to having to email the various companies. Unfortunately a lot of the more legit ones don't seem to have proper shops on Aliexpress.  Also was pretty confident in the dispute system up until last week.

Farsports completely slipped my mind when I was ordering. I do now see that they have an Ali store so maybe I'll get the replacement rim from them.

Recently I ordered a pair of carbon rims from a shop called Fiberin on Ali, These ones, to be exact: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002333489869.html?spm=a2g0s.12269583.0.0.1e11657fiU6WuL. They don't have a lot of reviews but their branding seemed decent so I figured I'd take a chance.

5 Weeks and a few enquiries later, they finally shipped it. I had to extend the shipping deadline twice to prevent the order from being auto cancelled, as I had already ordered the appropriate length spokes for these rims. They arrived in 9 days or so, with no visible issues. Wheelbuilding is the one thing I don't have the confidence in doing myself so I sent them to a reputable wheelbuilder instead.

Couple days later he messages me to say one of the rims has cracked .  I started a dispute straightaway as the 15 days were running out, and requested a refund for both rims. Later on the wheelbuilder told me he managed to build the 2nd rim so I updated the dispute to a refund for 1 rim. After a few days of no updates I messaged the seller to ask if they would be able to send me a replacement, which would be easier than getting refunded and then ordering it again. They replied saying:

"I just saw you open a dispute, when you have any problem with the item, you should discussed them with us first, then we will help to solve the problem. if you mention the dispute first, we will be very passive，it is not good for us to do anything,". As if I'd trust a random Ali store to send me a replacement after the 15 days are up.

So I placed another order of the same rim, and they said: why you keep the dispute, then order a new one. please cancel this order. I replied saying i'd cancel the dispute after they ship me a new one. They replied again saying they can't do anything unless I cancel the dispute. I just gave up talking to them after that.

Aliexpress proposed 2 solutions for the dispute:
- Partial refund of $27 without return (I paid $135 each)
- Full refund of $270 but I have to pay return shipping

Now even if I wanted to go for the full refund I couldn't because one of the rims was already built. And a $27 refund is ridiculous because even though it looks small crack the whole rim is unusable, which I made quite clear to Ali. They then proposed a partial refund of $70. I rejected it again and emphasized that the rim is completely unusable. They ended up just closing the dispute and refunding me $70. In the email they said: "but since the item still has a certain value, we can only give you a partial refund as compensation". Apparently they don't believe me when I say its completely unusable -_-.

This is the first time Aliexpress dispute system has let me down and also unfortunately the most troublesome, because I'm now stuck with 1 wheel and a bunch of spokes. I highly doubt the store is going to send me my 2nd order so I'll have to look for a similar rim with similar ERD. All I can say is stay far away from Fiberin

Decided to try these rims from this new store  https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002333489869.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dOWbwaw and they cracked while being built. Any recommendations on some xc rims that aren't too expensive?

Finally built the 100% Aliexpress bike I've been wanting to do for a while. Or at least, it would have been 100% if not for a couple of broken parts. Specs and a mini review below:



Specs:
Frame - Og-Evkin CF-025 Superlight T800
Wheelset - Og-Evkin Battle C45 45mm deep clincher | Ultralight Novatec FS61/62 Carbon Hubs
Tyres - Continental GP5000
Handlebars - Carbon Og-Evkin HB-011
Stem - FSA Omega 80mm
Groupset: Shimano 105 R7000
Pedals - Knockoff Shimano SPD's
Seatpost - Carbon Og-Evkin SP-008
Saddle - Og-Evkin

Weight: 7.3kg, if my Aliexpress weighing scale is to be believed

Compared to some of the chiner frames i've seen on the internet, the finishing on this frame is superb. The fork steerer was somewhat uneven but I don't think it's a big issue. My only complaint regarding the frame would be the front mech hanger screws. Mine rounded the first time I tried tightening them, and they only give spares for the rear hanger. I'd request for extras or get some better ones in advance. I bought the og-evkin wheelset mostly for convenience, but I'm actually quite happy with it. Braking feels better than my elitewheels set, and unlike the latter, these actually arrived true.

- I actually ordered the Og-Evkin SM-004 Stem but one of the threads came stripped. Thats the 2nd carbon stem I've ordered on Ali and the 2nd that has arrived like that.

- The saddle is just a random saddle being sold by a bunch of other stores as well, and its definitely not worth it. Feels really cheap and isn't particularly comfortable.

- The Ultegra SPD replicas broke literally within the first 2km, despite the decent reviews. I suppose its good that they broke fast while I can still get a refund.

I'm too casual a rider to comment on the technical aspects i.e stiffness, etc, and I haven't done a proper ride with it yet, but it does feel a bit more nimble than my old Merida Scultura, thought thats probably because it's lighter and smaller.

I was gonna ride to a nice place to take some nice photos but the crazy weather didn't allow it, so, apartment hallway it is

Bearings:

The Rear Hub Driver (Microspline) uses 2x - 6802-2RS bearings.
The Rear Hub uses 2x - 6902-2RS bearings.
The Front Hub uses 2x - 18307-2RS bearings  (for DT Swiss Bearings: HSBXXX00N2148S)

I built a wheelset using these hubs, they look great so far but replaced the bearings proactively (Japanese Bearings, EZO, or IJK).  I used DT Swiss Spoke Calculator (which was spot on for these as well when I chose DT 240S Straight Pull, 28H for the front hub) to calculate spoke lengths.

Coupled this hub with the DT Swiss EX511 Rims (29er, 28H), Sapim CX-Sprint Spokes, and DT Swiss Squorx Pro Brass Nipples (ProLock).   If I were to do it again, I'd go with the SAPIM Double Square Brass nipples instead.   The Squorx Pro Brass nipples I got are colored black, I'm assuming the coating DT Swiss used added some thickness to the nipples and it was a pain to get the DT Swiss Squorx Nipple Driver to mate with some of the nipples properly.

I've just ordered these hubs and I'm trying to calculate spoke lengths with the Dt spoke calculator. Is it safe to assume you used DT 240s straight pull CL for the rear as well?

Has anyone tried Sakya's wheels? I found them on AliExpress(Not the most reliable source, I know) and they have good reviews, not that that makes a difference on Ali. They also have frames and other stuff on their website.