[Closed] Chinese bike experiences.

I've had a FM-028 road frame for a couple years built up as a winter/audax bike. Done 8000+ miles on it and it's been great. Even did LEJOG on it with a carradice on the back.

My latest build of it has gone electric 🙂

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You need less bikes, not more YoK! ;-)))

18 months on mine, no issues whatsoever. Build was easy, and Carbonal (who I dealt with), were very good.

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got myself a flyxii 602 from aliexpress to replace my relatively heavy tcx2. i have just finished a season of cx racing on it and apart from a mech snappage due to deep sloppy mud a couple of weeks ago, the bike has been flawless all season. will continue to ride it on trails until next season and i'm also building a 2nd up as a spare too!!

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(forgive the state of my garage but its my only pic!)

Here's my 29er from eBay [img] [/img]
Great bike had two years of use before replacing it recently with a Chinese eBay full suss carbon 29er because I fancied some bounce. The hardtail stood up to all sorts of abuse. I'd buy another.

I had a FM066 SL from Hongfu bikes. Good customer service and very pleased when it arrived.

Now sold though cos I felt it was a touch too small (I couldn't decide between a 54 and a 56) and I should have gone for the larger size.

I would have another without a doubt.

Nice rig v12jat... Close to pushing button on a Chinese cx frame.. Was looking at the 602 like yours but they don't do a ud/matt version 🙁

Hard to tell from pic is yours 3k/matt ? Is yours bb30 ?

I'm now looking at F014 which looks mint and ud/matt version but bit more money ..

Cheers

Col

cheers col, my 602s are matt 3k weave, im sure i saw on a forum somewhere a gloss ud finish one that someone had received as a warranty replacement so it may be worth asking them if they can do it in a ud finish?!

Here mine from Flyxii. Less than £300 delivered from the far east and without a shadow of doubt the best "feeling" road bike I have ever had. Smooth, responsive and quick handling, which may have something to do with the straight fork and the fact it is my first carbon bike. I have crashed it once and ridden it down small staircase and nothing has exploded or fallen in half. I was able to order it with an English (proper) BB thread and a 27.2 seatpost which was the deciding factor as it is compatible with my toolbox and spares bin.

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Great stuff folks, all very good looking bikes too. Keep em coming.

NB I'm thinking of swapping my PlanetX SL for something new. One in one out...ish. Maybe a mtb later in the year.

Thanks for info v12jat 🙂 Sorry for hijacking your thread YoKaiser 🙁

Will post up soon when I decide !!! 🙂

I've got a road bike. Great so far, would happily buy another.

Do they do any hard tails that can run ss..???

Mattbike

Chinese eBay full suss carbon 29er

lots of chat on my blog http://chris-noble-mtb.blogspot.co.uk

my first chinese bike from carbonal is coming up to 2000miles, now my winter trainer, light and stiff enough. raced last season on a hongfu fm056 great quality but always a touch too long in the top tube, now my spare race bike. recently sold my road bike due to having too many bikes!

Do they do any hard tails that can run ss..???

There are a few ecentric BB30 addapters which give enough adjustment when combined with a half link.

P1 no probs 🙂

Chris, looks like you might have loads of clearance on the Carbonal. What tyres/rims do you have in there?

the carbonal is ok clearance with RaRa 2.25" but the hong fu is much better!

Ah, found the HongFu, very nice! Road bike too.

Had a 26" hardtail, was good. TT was very short, otherwise fine. Rode it, sold it to a friend who rode it, then had a huge crash and broke it (and himself).

Would definitely have another one.

I bought a Java (Chinese built italian pseudo brand) 2 months ago, £330 got me alu frame, sealed cartridge bearings all round, hollow tech bb,carbon post and bars, heavy wheels and terrible forks(but its just for holidays) defo worth a look.You will save £200 over similar spec branded bike ,ive done 700 miles so far and its a decent ride.

Chinese Ebay 29er FS before I built it up
[img] [/img] [img] [/img]

Been looking at the full Suss frames but there seems to be no info on travel ?

This thread should help

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/chinese-carbon-road-bikes-with-discs-like-wot-clubber-has-got

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Here's mine, plenty of pics!

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/newbie-carbon-china-bike-build-26er

So far I'm very impressed. Good service from Hongfu. I wouldn't hesitate in ordering another one! Time will tell...........

My FM 066 arrived today after a month in Spanish customs while we argued over what it did or didn't cost (waste of time that was) . Haven't ridden it yet as it's waiting on a chain and a couple of cables, but it looks nice quality and was easy to build up, no worries with non fitting headsets or cable routing etc.
Comes in at a few grams under 6kg without the chain so I'll have to fit some heavier wheels or I'll lose it in this wind...

^^^^^^

A month in customs, I think my frame was only in customs for 1 day! Did you get charged import tax?

To be fair it was my own fault. Tried to blag it as a 'commercial sample' (Hong Fu had marked it as such on the shipping note) and Customs were having none of it. It went to and fro for about a month, since they take a few days to answer any email and don't bother to answer the phone. In the end they threatened to send it back to China so I stumped up VAT on the full amount (21% in Spain) plus charges, nearly 170€ in the end.
Annoyingly this made it not much cheaper than a CAAD10 which is what I was originally going to buy. Lesson learnt...

I reckon they're getting pretty wise to people trying to blag/avoid import duties now. I'd strongly suggest just accepting the value you're going to pay and getting it rated correctly to avoid hassle.

@damitamit - gone electric? do tell...............

Royalmail charged me import duty on my frame as well. A whole £30 including the handling fee. Pretty happy with that.

back2basics - Member
@damitamit - gone electric? do tell...............

Di2 presumably.

For those with the FR601/602 build (cross).. I'm trying to track down the Top tube measurement (actual/virtual).. Normally you see 2 measurements on a lot of geometry charts.

Was looking at the 55

if its a cross frame itll be a conventional TT, so the two will be the same wont they?

Just a bit weird how they've listed it

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The top tube is an inch more than the seat tube?!

whereas the ICAN (the other chinese carbon ebay seller) has the 2:

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I've took the plunge 🙂

Have one of these on way should get it this week ...

http://www.speedercycling.com/Carbon-Bicycle-Disc-Cyclocross-Frame-FF-R014-_p32.html

giving a FR-322 a test earlier today
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Have one of these on way should get it this week ...

what size did you go for?

Medium 🙂

Can you measure it for me when u get it.

Seems weird the flyxxi version has a longer top tube than seat tube (seat tube is 55 and top tube is 56 which will be a touch too long for me)

The ICAN has a 74deg seat angle, which is very steep compared to the first one at 72.5 at 56cm, which will reduce the measured top tube (either horisontal or actual), but you'll need a much more laid back seatpost to get the same position as the first one, which will give it a longer reach to the bars.

1deg slacker is about 1cm difference at the saddle, so to get an effective angle from the BB to the clamp of about 71deg (no one uses a straight post, and allowing for a 15-20mm set back on a normal-ish 72.5deg frame) the effective top tubes would be 55+1.5=56.5, and 56+3=59. So that 56cm ICAN is going to feel a lot longer if correctly set up.

My frame, like wot Clubber [s]wrote[/s] got, arrived yesterday.

Undecided at the moment whether to deck it out in 11-Alfine, or 105.....

What's the value going to end up like if I was to get one of these as the basis for a winter bike? Is this a stupid idea compared to something alu like a Dolan Prefissio? And does anyone know of any decent Chinese offerings with proper guard mounts?

So many questions...

Hi,

Got an Iplay IP-105d cyclocross frame.

Transaction was pretty flawless. Good communication and some minor issues (fork bung was wrong size) were sorted quickly. Frame arrived in 5 days with no charges through customs (value was declared).

Build quality is good overall. The only issue was a slight alignment problem with the disc calipers. Had to put 1mm shims on the discs, not a major issue.

Frame rides really well, stiff but compliant ride. Good mud clearance. It has part mudguard fittings. No eyelets but use quick release adaptors with no problems.

Use it as a cross bike and a commuter training bike. The head tune was a bit taller than I estimated so I am using a 17 degree stem.

It is far superior to the Boardman hybrid frame it replaced but cost over a third less than a named similar frame.

Regards

The ICAN has a 74deg seat angle, which is very steep compared to the first one at 72.5 at 56cm, which will reduce the measured top tube (either horisontal or actual), but you'll need a much more laid back seatpost to get the same position as the first one, which will give it a longer reach to the bars.

Cheers

So I fit a ridley 52 (56 normal) and I also ride a 54 kinesis crosslight (the old size down myth) and a 56 road bike.

I think i need a top tube around the 55 mark (after measuring my road bike)

Should i go for the 55 based on that?

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I would
My FR-322 has a shortish top tube though but with a 110mm stem it seems fine 58cm frame

Do any of these carbon cross frames not have a sloping top tube?

Need to get my head around what thisisnotaspoon said

Can you measure it for me when u get it.

Seems weird the flyxxi version has a longer top tube than seat tube (seat tube is 55 and top tube is 56 which will be a touch too long for me)

Will do 🙂

Arrived yesterday .. Quality/finish is second to none 🙂

Size medium

Top tube 53 actual/54 effective/virtual

Chap on here selling same frame in large tricky disco ?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-carbon-cyclocross-disc-frameset-1

Do any of these carbon cross frames not have a sloping top tube?

Propper cross frames are designed to be carried on your shoulder, hence won't be compact.

Need to get my head around what thisisnotaspoon said

Your saddle should be positioned relative to the BB. So a steeper seat angle needs a more laid back seatpost (or the saddle moving back on the rails).

So 2 56cm top tube frames, one with a 72deg seat angle and the other 74deg, on the 74deg the bars are effectively ~2cm further away as they're the same distance from the seatpost on both bikes, but on the 74deg version your saddle needs to be 2cm further back from the post than the 72deg version to get the same distance behind the BB.

Now built and to say I'm impressed is an understatement !!! Finish/quality is spot on... Have a few tweaks to make with steerer length and still to apply bar tape..

[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7352/13306009344_72ec58c3ca_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7352/13306009344_72ec58c3ca_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/54931015@N07/13306009344/ ]image[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/54931015@N07/ ]Plus one2010[/url], on Flickr

Bought from these guys

http://www.speedercycling.com

Dealt with Tracy and my endless questions were dealt with promptly 🙂

Anyway I'm off out for a cx blast 😀

What sort of price do ypu pay for a frame(set)?

I love my Flyxii hard tail, had it over 18 months and its never missed a beat. All the stuff like head tube and BB shells were immaculate and not a single problem was encountered when i built it up. Nice balance of stiffness and compliancy as well. Soon to be parted out between a new 29er and a Giant Trance this winter.

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$399 frame/fork
$100 shipping

I paid extra for seatpost about $40-50 I think can't remember ??

Worked out just over £400 shipped and I never got stung on any import/tax etc 😀

I paid £267 delivered (took 6 days) for frame & forks

Looks great plusone!

i really want the non disc version (as i have a set of non disc tubs)

It seems they do the canti version but it's different sizes/geometry to the disc

That medium you described sounds perfect for (54/55 top tube).. around 56 (horizontal) is too long i reckon

Speedcycling non disc geometry

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Cheers Trickydisco 🙂

I was never getting discs on a cx bike ... I'm a convert already 😉

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It's going very well

Far too many road bike pictures on this thread already, and then someone goes and posts a picture of a fixie!!!!

PlusOne - Is it going to stay singlespeed ??

Can I see a mech hanger - and if so, how are you keeping the chain tensioned?

EBB in a PF BB I suspect

Yes no plans for gears but you never know 😉

I'm running a "beer components" ebb(frame is bb30) I may remove hanger reckon it will protect the carbon so may leave it on 🙂

Ah, so a BB30 shell is large enough for an EBB? Learn something new every day.

It's something I'd considered but by the time you add the BB cost to the frame it starts being a bit expensive which for me would be the exact opposite of why I was buying a Chinese carbon frame

I'm really torn at the moment. Do i go for one of the Chinese carbon frames or i'm very tempted by the Guerciotti X Crow on planet x at the moment.

plus one

Have you had chance to thrash it round? Does it feel still?