Chinese Import Carbon Bars & Bottle Cages

mr_goo
mr_goo Posts: 3,770
edited October 2011 in Road buying advice
I have seen the discussions about importing the naked carbon frames from China via Ebay. But has anyone ever bought the bars or bottle cages? If so what are they like?
The bars look particularly tasty for the money, is there a catch?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carbon-Road-B ... 617wt_1149

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Full-bike ... 500wt_1127
Always be yourself, unless you can be Aaron Rodgers....Then always be Aaron Rodgers.

Comments

  • whitebait01
    whitebait01 Posts: 610
    I bought some cages from here: http://www.linkdelight.com/DB905-2x-Car ... arbon+cage

    Took a while to arrive (couple of weeks?). That was a few months ago and they still work fine and look cool, in a carbon way.
    Ribble Audax - FCN 5
    Dedacciai Pista - FCN 3
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    I have a couple of the carbonzone cages to go on my new winter bike which I have just bought the last of the parts for (inc carbonzone frame). They are very nice - just not had a chance to test them yet.

    I also bought some bars but rushed and bought 42cm rather than 44cm ones. A mate bought them to fit to his bike and loves them. They certainly look the part although not the integrated ones like you linked to. Quality looks very good (although I prefer my PRO Stealth Evo ones - but at £250+ its hardly a fair comparrison). Go for it if you are 100% sure of the size you need.
  • dudos
    dudos Posts: 10
    edited October 2011
    Post removed, it was pointless.
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Oh good grief - we're not back to this "chinese carbon frames break" again are we?? Show me a thread where one has broken on someone please - i've yet to see one. I have however seen "proper" brands with breakages though - including a Cube MTB frame that fractured for no apparent reason with me following the guy.
  • dudos
    dudos Posts: 10
    Just saying I would not race on them that's all, and I said it was my own "faith" not based on any experience, (mine or others). Maybe it was a useless post, I'll remove it.
  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    Wirral_Paul wrote:
    Oh good grief - we're not back to this "chinese carbon frames break" again are we?? Show me a thread where one has broken on someone please - i've yet to see one. I have however seen "proper" brands with breakages though - including a Cube MTB frame that fractured for no apparent reason with me following the guy.

    Paul, do you not realise, if you pay for a companies marketing budget to tell you they use super duper really hard to break carbon, and that their frames are stiff, fast, and light; and pay for them to pay others to ride their frames - then their carbon becomes soo much better and their frames don't break!!! Even though they buy their carbon from Toray (or wherever) just like the Chinese do!! :lol:
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Sorry Dudos - i just see so much written on "cheap" carbon frames with them all getting lumped into the "cheap chinese crap" category. Most of these chinese frames come from just a few large companies such as XPA................. who also just happen to make the Planet X Nanolight.

    You'd think that China was still a 3rd world country sometimes - they're way ahead of the West in many areas though and whilst there is some rubbish frames coming out of China - a little research soon finds the reputable suppliers.

    Taiwan is also one of the best in the world when it comes to carbon fibre technology. I'd take a Taiwanese frame over one made in Italy every time (in fact my Moda frame and the rims from my Boyd full carbon wheels are both from Taiwan
  • Canny Jock
    Canny Jock Posts: 1,051
    Wirral_Paul wrote:
    I have a couple of the carbonzone cages to go on my new winter bike which I have just bought the last of the parts for (inc carbonzone frame). They are very nice - just not had a chance to test them yet.

    I also bought some bars but rushed and bought 42cm rather than 44cm ones. A mate bought them to fit to his bike and loves them. They certainly look the part although not the integrated ones like you linked to. Quality looks very good (although I prefer my PRO Stealth Evo ones - but at £250+ its hardly a fair comparrison). Go for it if you are 100% sure of the size you need.

    Sorry for the thread hijack but does the frame/forks take 25c tyres, with clearance for crud guards?
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Its still a bare frame sat in my spare room at the moment i'm afraid. I have some new 23mm tyres which were delivered today so could pop them on the wheels in the morning and get some measurements. - not sure how much the depth of the tyres varies from 23mm to 25mm.

    I need to do this to fit mudguards myself. I was under the impression that 25mm tyres were not so good with the Crud Guard 2 mudguards
  • Canny Jock
    Canny Jock Posts: 1,051
    It depends - I have them at the moment on my Ribble winter, the rear is no problem at all, the front is a little tighter but OK. My nice bike (Willier Izoard) would probably just about get away with 25's and crud's too. There needs to be 5mm clearance with whatever tyres you have fitted for them to fit.

    I use my bike for commuting and really appreciate 25's on terrible London roads in the dark.

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