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« on: October 02, 2024, 01:10:52 PM »
Little background info: I've been an early adopter on chinese parts ~8 years, started with wheels from light bicycle then framesets. I've been cycling since childhood but started getting serious in my adult years starting with mountain bikes then transitioned to road and gravel. I've spent a ton of $$ already and have ridden a few OEM brands. Was really impressed with the light bicycle wheels so this gave me the confidence to explore framesets. In 2019 i bought a 650B carbon hardtail frameset from Ebay and built it up. It's been ridden hard over some rough trails with zero issues. In 2020 i bought a LightCarbon LCR015-D which was my current bike until getting the SL8 replica 2 months ago. It's getting to a point now where the Chinese products are so damn good that i don't buy OEM bikes anymore. Even the accessories like chainrings, handlebars, etc.. i've had zero issues. When it came to this frameset i was a little skeptical but more curious since this was a replica of a current popular frameset. Was it possible to get similar performance for a fraction of the cost? So far i have to say yes. Durability remains to be seen but i've been hammering the crap out of this bike with no ill effects (i weigh 190lbs). It's a size 52 built up not really weight weenie but with pedals, cages and computer mount about 6.8kg. My long time bike mechanic says everything looks really good, only issue was the headset cover provided is cheap and flimsy and caused it to bind up there but he fixed it with some shims. I have included some internal pics but the frameset looks really clean inside from what i can tell, no sharp edges when running my fingers inside the BB, headtube, seat tube. I'm really blown away by how this thing rides and performs, it seems to have the same qualities as all the reviews given. If you're interested just search for light road frameset on Aliexpress, you'll know what it is when you see it. Colored me impressed!!
Build 8/2024
Frameset: 52CM Replica frame (685 grams) came with fork (345 grams), seatpost, 1 piece handlebar (no mounts), der. hangers, headset accessories
Wheels&Tires: Light Bicycle AR56, GP 5000 S TR 700x28 tubeless with Muc-Off valves and sealant
Drivetrain: 1x Force AXS 10-28, Rotor Qarbon 50T, Rotor 165mm Kapic Carbon, Stone 110BCD Rotor Adapter, Token BSA BB, KMC Gold/Black X12, Speedplay Pedals
Brakes: 2024 Force, Ashima 160/140mm rotors
Shifters: 2024 Force
Bartape: Deda Carbon
Seat: S-Works Power 155 Mirror
Cages: Arundel Mandible