Seraph Bikes Superlight 836g X68 - Alternative to SL8 Fakes?

[jerozilla]

How many no brand frames have you owned and used? None

Which supplier did you buy from? None

How did you choose the supplier? None but what due diligence can you carry out really from reading online reviews None as they are merely opinion based with no real  facts

What are the conditions of the workers in the factories that produce for specialized? well i would like to think and an educated  guess are the conditions are what you would expect from a brand like specialized as you have to remember reputation is everything.


So answer these questions for me yourself?


Most counterfeit  goods bought are generally in tandem with organised crime its generally a given in some cases but obviously not all

Specialized literally has workers striking saying they weren't paid/worked in horrible conditions.

[Serge_K]

I'm new to the forum and to the whole chinese cycling world, please take this into consideration.

I was going through the messages on this thread and similar ones and noticed that the safety aspect of buying those "heavily inspired" bikes (or straight up clones) isn't discussed much. Are those Seraph/TanTan clones really safe to ride?

And maybe a bit off-topic, but are there good value for money chinese brands that don't bother about copying frames (do their own or open molds), but are solid and can be trusted regarding quality and safety? I know about the ones such as Tavelo, Seka, Yoeleo, Winspace and etc, but those seem to be a bit "pricey" already

The book "factfulness" should be read in schools. It reminds us that things move on, whether we pay attention to it or not. China used to be very poor and unskilled. Now you can't count the interviews of very switched on people who point to China no longer 1. having cheap labor 2. only knowing to copy 3. only making crap (think Apple CEO, Uber CEO, Microsoft CEO, and so on).
You can also look at the case of gopro vs DJI & Insta360. Gopro (USA) is as good as dead, and failed on multiple fronts (drones, remaining the GOAT of action cameras). DJI & Insta360 (China) are leading the way now, doing both the production and, importantly, the innovation.

From that, you will find crap made in China, but you will also find the high end. This forum is about identifying the good factories from the bad ones.
Yes, Tantan is safe, but no, they're not perfect (lots of QC problems reported here). To be fair, they are a big animal churning out a lot of frames, so statistically, maybe we should expect a high number of duds, assuming a constant dud rate across the industry.
Most factories do NOT produce copies / fakes. I ride an open mould, for eg (Long teng 268, i posted about it many times). Also, because of aero design & UCI rules, frames tend to look alike now more than a few years back though.
Long teng, Speeder, xiamen carbon speed, velobuild are names i'd recommend. I wouldn't buy from Winow for various reasons.
And to be sure, paying more is absolutely no guarantee of getting more for your money. A lot of chinese pseudo brands are selling for 1k what you can get from another one for 500, minus the paint job. Often, you will find, unsurprisingly, that the "brands" promoted on youtube are the worst value (yoeleo is one perfect example of a 500 frame sold for 1000 because of the marketing / branding / referral codes).
This forum is truly a great resource.

[LowPaceKingdom]

First Test Rides with the Tantan TT X 68 – Clipless Pedals, Comfort & Di2 Shifting

Hey everyone,

I’ve done two test rides on my new Tantan TT X 68, each around 30 kilometers. Here are my first impressions:

First Ride:
The goal was to get comfortable with the bike, especially since it’s my first time riding with Shimano SPD-SL (blue) clipless pedals.
I rode at a relaxed pace, did a few sprints, and tested the gear shifting.
Tire pressure was around 3.5 bar, and the ride was extremely comfortable.
Shifting issue (Shimano Di2 105): I had some trouble shifting to the highest cog – maybe I pressed the wrong buttons. Solution: I reprogrammed the button layout in the app → now the shifting works perfectly!

Second Ride:

I felt much more confident with the clipless pedals.
Tracked the ride with the Adidas Running App.
Tire pressure this time was 6.5 bar, still comfortable.
I’m very cautious in corners, as I want to avoid any crashes – especially with clipless pedals, it’s something new for me.
The first 15 km didn’t feel much faster than usual.
Pace: about 2:00 min/km (~30 km/h), estimated Zone 3 (FTP).
I have to push myself, but I can maintain the pace for a long time as long as I’m well-rested.
On the way back: After 15 km, a random cyclist appeared, and I was able to draft behind them.
Speed test: We held a pace of 1:45 min/km for about 2 km, and I was able to keep up very easily – even while chewing gum!

Comparison to the ROSE Backroad GRX810 EQ Carbon:

The Tantan TT X 68 feels significantly lighter and is a bit faster, especially in sprints – likely due to the clipless pedals and the overall sportier setup.
Design: The Tantan looks way better to me and has a very modern and sleek appearance. It stands out massively – and in a positive way! I’ve already gotten several looks and compliments for it.
Shifting: The electronic Di2 shifting makes the Tantan feel smoother and faster.
ROSE Backroad: My ROSE Backroad is definitely more of an all-rounder bike – with mudguards, a durable frame, and more suited for longer, more relaxed rides. I’d say the ROSE is better for versatile touring, while the Tantan focuses on a more sporty approach.

Opinion from the Bike Shop:
I also got the opinion of a guy at a bike shop. When he looked at the Tantan TT X 68, you could see that it really put a big grin on his face. I think that says it all.

[Takiyaki]

My beef with this is less about the counterfeiting and more about the laziness. Id be much more interested in this if it WASN'T an SL8 clone. Aero front/downtube, thin horizontal top tube, round seatpost, dropped seatstays, threaded BB. A real "do it all" bike with aero, comfort and low weight. I think with optimization they could get that frame unpainted down under 800g. Im tired of the proprietary seatposts and clones. I think Tan Tan, Velobuild etc need to start leaning more into originality.