Recently tried five sets of grips from Ali, still cost less than one set of genuine grips from an LBS but.. they're all quite hard. Functionally they're fine, shapes are good, lock on works etc (mostly - Riderace set had some issues), just the rubber isn't as plush as the real thing from Ergon or ODI.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010807622105.html - Riderace -  Probably the softest. Still not as soft as my standard Ergons. Found these to have a little bit of play even when fully tightened down. Tolerances between the clamping ring and plastic inner are too large.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005012848120006.html - Fake ODI eva foams - softish but not much grip.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005653148373.html - ODI branded Ergon knock offs. Really like the flare at the end of the bar, increases the feeling of response and control. Grip is fine. Just harder rubber.
 
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006334986335.html -  Same compound and feel as the ODI branded Ergon knock offs. Probably from the same factory. Slight amount of play in one when tightened down.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009307672982.html - More ODI knock offs. Different oem to the others by the look and feel of them. Hardish rubber and soft bolts that rounded too easily. Completely the opposite of what you'd actually want.

Anyway thats my recent experience. Won't be buying any more Ali grips unless I know for sure they're as soft or really close to it as the real thing.

Anyone found something close to a plush feeling ODI or Deity grip on ali?

I took a look see at my Wheeltop 4 piston brake set.  The calipers look clean and likely use 16mm pistons.  They appear to be another variant of the Hope Tech E4 calipers. (These Wheeltop calipers use the same brake pads as the ProIII 4 piston calipers, and several of the other E4 variants.)

I like this Wheeltop brake lever assembly design in general.  (I have come to prefer the "Radial Levers" where the master cylinder pushes fluid straight toward the bar instead of at a pivot.)      - Versus the "Standard Levers" where the master cylinder sits parallel to the handlebar. Like the IIIPro lever set-up.

Rattling concerns:  When I pick up the Wheeltop lever assemblies, the rear lever assembly appears to be very quit and there is no play between the lever actuation piston that goes into the hydraulic assembly. 
Then I picked up the Front lever assembly and immediately notice around 2mm of play between the lever's piston that is held-in-place with a "C" ring down into the hydraulic section of the assembly!   This play in the front lever assembly lets the lever move back and forth such that if I shake it, it does in fact make a rattling sound!    Now I am wondering why the rear is stiff/firm and quiet, and why the front lever assembly has 2mm of play that allows rattling of the lever!

I don't have time to investigate why today.   Wondering if there are 2 generations of design, where I have one old design and one new, where Wheeltop knows they have a rattle issue and made changes, and I was sold one old design paired with one new design.   

In the attached images, the first one shows the area where the lever piston moves in-and-out about 2 mm allowing the lever to "move-freely" and rattle.

I enqired with one of the sellers on ali if they were aware if any rattling issues had been address. They knew nothing about it. What a bummer.

I want to be able to precisely control when my bbs02b cuts out so was lightly feathering a brake lever using it as clutch when i'm shifting. I keep losing magnets and in general am over the diy hall effect solution.

Anyone have any experience with these levers? Or any others with integrated 3 pin cut off switches?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005011942984249.html?

Yeah the look great but like i said there's a couple of videos on yt from guys that got them for initial reviews and they found issues with them having to much modulation and then the power coming on all at once late in the lever stroke as well as lose rattley lever bearings. Sounded like they had some issues that needed fixing before hitting the market.

I don't know about Balugoe MTB bars, but I use a Dodici bar, which was also cheap and works perfect on my hardtail.

Which one? Got a link?

Cheap ali carbon is making me a bit nervous after seeing trace velos latest video on randomly disintegrating Toseek seat posts.

I just installed some Toseek forks..

It's the drive side crank arm. It comes out very straight from the BB, with no bend and the arm is very square. Net effect is that you need to adjust your front mech so it only shifts as far as 0.5 mm from the arm, which iny set up, is not enough to shift up crisply. I have remedied this by spacing the chainrings inboard using a mm GXP spacer..

Works fine, but not ideal, and I needed to do this on both my bikes using them (both 11 speed Shimano). Not a problem if using a single ring of course, and you may really like the chunky styling (which I did until it hit my mech!).

Up close the Senicx just looks a higher quality product all round, in pretty much every detail. The forging, the finishing, and functionally. The chainrings are similar but even they look a little better on the Senicx. It only costs marginally more and IMO money well spent.

Note the Senicx is the same crank arm set up as you get in the GEOID PM500 (I have one of these too) and in that thread people are saying the cranks are better then the OG Magene ones.

Cheers, i'll get the Senicx all round then.

I have them on two of my bikes. Changed my cranks to 165 last year and these were a cheap way of doing that. They are OK. Not light, not outrageously heavy. Only real problems are that they are very chunky so difficult to get the front mech adjusted properly without the mech hitting the crank. Can fix it with a gxp spacer (couple of pounds).
But I would recommend a Senicx PR3 instead - I also have one of those on a different bike and it is just a little bit better in every way (lighter, miles more front mech clearance).

Thanks. I think I might go with the Senicx crank and Goldix chain rings as they have more material and that might make them a little more durable.

Do you mean the chain rings are chunky and that causes interference with the derailer? Or is it the crank arms?