Who on BR has bought a 'cheap' Chinese carbon frame?

Tricycleboy

Does anyone think there is any resale value in these bikes? I usually like to buy something and sell it on after a while, just for something different/ upgrade more than anything.

Are you likely to be able to sell these on in a year or two?

Does it matter if they are as cheap as they are?

gb155

Tricycleboy wrote:

Does anyone think there is any resale value in these bikes? I usually like to buy something and sell it on after a while, just for something different/ upgrade more than anything.

Are you likely to be able to sell these on in a year or two?

Does it matter if they are as cheap as they are?

My FM028 and SRAM will be put together for £700, so even if I only get £300 after a couple of Summers use then I will be happy (If It lasts that long)

fungus_the_muffin_man

gb155 wrote:

Tricycleboy wrote:

Does anyone think there is any resale value in these bikes? I usually like to buy something and sell it on after a while, just for something different/ upgrade more than anything.

Are you likely to be able to sell these on in a year or two?

Does it matter if they are as cheap as they are?

My FM028 and SRAM will be put together for £700, so even if I only get £300 after a couple of Summers use then I will be happy (If It lasts that long)

Who have you gone with?

After having the bike wrote off in a crash the other week I'm thinking that it's not worth spending all that money on a bike anymore and will get something like this instead. £2000 of Bianchi doesn't look that good after it's been under the wheels of a ford Galaxyn :roll:

gb155

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

gb155 wrote:

Tricycleboy wrote:

Does anyone think there is any resale value in these bikes? I usually like to buy something and sell it on after a while, just for something different/ upgrade more than anything.

Are you likely to be able to sell these on in a year or two?

Does it matter if they are as cheap as they are?

My FM028 and SRAM will be put together for £700, so even if I only get £300 after a couple of Summers use then I will be happy (If It lasts that long)

Who have you gone with?

After having the bike wrote off in a crash the other week I'm thinking that it's not worth spending all that money on a bike anymore and will get something like this instead. £2000 of Bianchi doesn't look that good after it's been under the wheels of a ford Galaxyn :roll:

I went with Jenny @ http://www.e-hongfu-bikes.com/

Its been far from smooth though.

I ordered a FM015 on 27th February, 3 days later I was told it was out of stock, they offered an ISP frame, I refused, they offered a model without internal cabling, I refused, I was about to pull my order when they said they "Found a FM028, 60CM" but it would cost me, I paid the extra and was told it would be sent last Monday, On Tuesday I asked for a tracking number and was told it was now not being sent till Yesterday.

I emailed yesterday asking for a tracking number (more a case of making sure it was actually sent this time) and while I have been given a tracking number, EMS states there is no info on it, so I will leave it till Monday and chase up, but so far, I am not overly easy with the way it has gone TBH.

OF course, if it arrives and rides and lasts well, then the above is acceptable when you consider to cost's.

Will of course keep this updated.

Chip \'oyler

And the moral to all this is that "you get what you pay for"!

Anonymous

Just ordered some 88mm Tubs from DengFu. 330 quid including postage and paypal fee.
Front for me and rear for a mate.
Fingers crossed it goes smoothly...

kfinlay

NapoleonD wrote:

Just ordered some 88mm Tubs from DengFu. 330 quid including postage and paypal fee.
Front for me and rear for a mate.
Fingers crossed it goes smoothly...

Is there a review planned for your blog?

spanielsson

kfinlay wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

Just ordered some 88mm Tubs from DengFu. 330 quid including postage and paypal fee.
Front for me and rear for a mate.
Fingers crossed it goes smoothly...

Is there a review planned for your blog?

Blimey, lots of planned reviews, lots started..... but it's about bloody time some were finished!!!!!

Where on earth to start?!

gb155

Chip \'oyler wrote:

And the moral to all this is that "you get what you pay for"!

Of course, right now however I wouldn't be riding a carbon £5k Trek, the weather is that bad, so waiting 4-6 weeks and getting something for a fraction of the cost, is IMHO more than worth it....of course, that is assuming the quality is as good as everyone says

graememacd

Chip \'oyler wrote:

And the moral to all this is that "you get what you pay for"!

Not sure if its the same person that keeps making these comments but clearly this person hasn't seen or ridden one of these chinese carbon frames (either that or they've spent over £2k on the supposed italian equivalent!!)

Chip \'oyler

graememacd wrote:

Chip \'oyler wrote:

And the moral to all this is that "you get what you pay for"!

Not sure if its the same person that keeps making these comments but clearly this person hasn't seen or ridden one of these chinese carbon frames (either that or they've spent over £2k on the supposed italian equivalent!!)

My comment was aimed at the buying process (see quote below) not the quality of the frames (although I doubt they're as good as a handbuilt Crumpton, Parlee, Viner etc)

"Its been far from smooth though.

I ordered a FM015 on 27th February, 3 days later I was told it was out of stock, they offered an ISP frame, I refused, they offered a model without internal cabling, I refused, I was about to pull my order when they said they "Found a FM028, 60CM" but it would cost me, I paid the extra and was told it would be sent last Monday, On Tuesday I asked for a tracking number and was told it was now not being sent till Yesterday.

I emailed yesterday asking for a tracking number (more a case of making sure it was actually sent this time) and while I have been given a tracking number, EMS states there is no info on it, so I will leave it till Monday and chase up, but so far, I am not overly easy with the way it has gone TBH."

graememacd

Fair comment, although thats just one transaction. My frame arrived within 5 days of being ordered with no problems whatsoever.

Muztard

Chip \'oyler wrote:

graememacd wrote:

Chip \'oyler wrote:

And the moral to all this is that "you get what you pay for"!

Not sure if its the same person that keeps making these comments but clearly this person hasn't seen or ridden one of these chinese carbon frames (either that or they've spent over £2k on the supposed italian equivalent!!)

My comment was aimed at the buying process (see quote below) not the quality of the frames (although I doubt they're as good as a handbuilt Crumpton, Parlee, Viner etc)

You're absolutely right you get what you pay for when it comes to the supplier. But it shouldn't deter anyone from ordering from the often quoted suppliers like carbonzone, Dengfu etc.

If I buy a something from Waitrose I reckon the buying experience and the returns experience will be much better than if I bought the same item from the local market.

The local market will be a shed load cheaper but I'd much rather shop at Waitrose.

Anonymous

I've ordered my wheels from Dengfu and it was a very straightforward process, a pair of 88mm tubs with red hubs and nips. 518 USD all in. (330 quid) They say they will be shipped in next 2-5 days.

Monty Dog

I don't think anyone is trying to say that a $500 frame is the equivalent of a Parlee, Crumpton etc but for the huge majority of cyclists they're probably more than adequate for the job. My stance on this is that anything that cuts through the marketing BS is a good thing - if people are happy to pay 3x price for what is effectively a paintjob and an often useless warranty for the sake of peace of mind, then don't let me stop them.

CarbonCopy

NapoleonD wrote:

I've ordered my wheels from Dengfu and it was a very straightforward process, a pair of 88mm tubs with red hubs and nips. 518 USD all in. (330 quid) They say they will be shipped in next 2-5 days.

looking forward to hearing about how you get on with these Nap

tour newbie

I've been tracking my RB004 from carbonzone and according to EMS...

"Your item was handed over to Customs 2011-03-14 18:10:00"

Should I be worried about being stung for import duties or is this just a formality?

kfinlay

Going by the info on this and RBR threads it should be a formality, bare in mind everything goes through customs anyway.

graememacd

tour newbie wrote:

I've been tracking my RB004 from carbonzone and according to EMS...

"Your item was handed over to Customs 2011-03-14 18:10:00"

Should I be worried about being stung for import duties or is this just a formality?

I've got the same frame ordered from carbonzone, don't worry about the customs thing, the paperwork that comes with it states a value of something like $100 so they probably won't bother

gb155

RIGHT...after a delay and stock issues my order was changed to a FM028, it has a triangular top tube, internal cabling and BB30.

It arrived yesterday , wont get chance to ride for a few days yet, however the quality "seems" outstanding ! Will post up a full review, but I am 90% sure I will end up getting a TT frame from them next, it really does seem that good.

PS No customs chargers

slunker

Been looking at this thread for a while now and I'm going to buy one of these frames.

The only problem I have is from what supplier and what type of frame.

I want the frame to use for road racing so light and stiff would be best. Also looking at the different suppliers it looks like the same frames have different model numbers.

So which would be the best frame for me to race on and from where.

Thanks.

mcj78

gb155 wrote:

RIGHT...after a delay and stock issues my order was changed to a FM028, it has a triangular top tube, internal cabling and BB30.

It arrived yesterday , wont get chance to ride for a few days yet, however the quality "seems" outstanding ! Will post up a full review, but I am 90% sure I will end up getting a TT frame from them next, it really does seem that good.

PS No customs chargers

Looks good - you'll need to post more pics once it's built up, I really fancy one of those myself! Which model were you originally looking at?

Cheers,
John

Justatheory

I wonder if Bike Radar will ever review any of these frames? If they did and concluded they were every bit as good as the branded equivalents it would seriously undermine some of their biggest sponsors.

I am very interested but have a number of concerns:-

Are the frames backdoor jobs from the same factories using the same molds?

Do they use the same quality resins, glues, cloths etc?

I've heard the carbon layup determines ride characteristics, so how do these companies achieve this with their frames? Or is it the frame research, design and build process not as complicated and scientific as manufacturers would have us believe?

What I really want to know is - I know it looks like a Madone/Pinarello but is it a Madone/Pinarello shaped frame with very different structural characteristics or is it in fact an actual Madone/Pinarello minus the decals? In a nutshell would the Madone copy be indistinguishable from the Madone in ride as well as appearance?

From a purely aesthetic point of view they aren't really my cup of tea but I'm not stupid...if these frames really are just non branded equivalents of their branded counterparts, I can put up with it!

Anonymous

My wheels have been in customs since the 18th. Getting a bit worried about getting stung

mattsy666

Has anyone on here had any custom decals made for these frames and how did they turn out (pics)?

Also, anyone got the frame custom sprayed?

Surfr

slunker wrote:

I want the frame to use for road racing so light and stiff would be best. Also looking at the different suppliers it looks like the same frames have different model numbers.

So which would be the best frame for me to race on and from where.

I and a lot of other people seem to be racing the FM015. the FM028 is the slightly more relaxed/sportive/comfort version of the same design it seems. I can't vouch for the other designs but I've done 3 races so far on my FM015 and its plenty stiff for my 75Kg frame. I can wind it up into the 30s on the flat and this morning I had it at 47MPH on a welsh B road descent with ropey tarmac and it was solid as a rock. I'm overwhelmed by this bike so far, really, amazed what 290 quid will buy.

I'm saving for a FM018 TT frame next, after my Yishun 50mm tubs

gb155

Justatheory wrote:

I wonder if Bike Radar will ever review any of these frames? If they did and concluded they were every bit as good as the branded equivalents it would seriously undermine some of their biggest sponsors.

I am very interested but have a number of concerns:-

Are the frames backdoor jobs from the same factories using the same molds?

Do they use the same quality resins, glues, cloths etc?

I've heard the carbon layup determines ride characteristics, so how do these companies achieve this with their frames? Or is it the frame research, design and build process not as complicated and scientific as manufacturers would have us believe?

What I really want to know is - I know it looks like a Madone/Pinarello but is it a Madone/Pinarello shaped frame with very different structural characteristics or is it in fact an actual Madone/Pinarello minus the decals? In a nutshell would the Madone copy be indistinguishable from the Madone in ride as well as appearance?

From a purely aesthetic point of view they aren't really my cup of tea but I'm not stupid...if these frames really are just non branded equivalents of their branded counterparts, I can put up with it!

Bike radar would NEVER review one, as you say, would under mind the sponsors too much.

My Chi-Done :-) seems to be a Madone, but that's in looks, until I get it out on the open road (hopefully tonight)I cant say for sure if it is built like one, but I FULLY intend doing a proper review on it and answering those questions

gb155

mattsy666 wrote:

Has anyone on here had any custom decals made for these frames and how did they turn out (pics)?

Also, anyone got the frame custom sprayed?

That was my next question

Anyone who has gotten one of these painted, PLEASE post up pictures, I have asked for a paint job on a TT frame that i'll order once I have tested the road bike out but want to see the quality before I order

gb155

mcj78 wrote:

gb155 wrote:

RIGHT...after a delay and stock issues my order was changed to a FM028, it has a triangular top tube, internal cabling and BB30.

It arrived yesterday , wont get chance to ride for a few days yet, however the quality "seems" outstanding ! Will post up a full review, but I am 90% sure I will end up getting a TT frame from them next, it really does seem that good.

PS No customs chargers

Looks good - you'll need to post more pics once it's built up, I really fancy one of those myself! Which model were you originally looking at?

Cheers,
John

I ordered the FM015, Its more aggressive and would suite me slightly better, but owned a BB30 CAAD9 I thought there is no issue in having something a little different

nodachi1

So after 14 pages and lots of interest, I was wondering which chinese carbon frames are equivalent to which well known, more expensive brands - I've lost track? :shock:

In particular, which one is the Pinarello Dogma?

And has anybody tried the cyclocross frames?