Bike Mechanic's Best Rated Brands - Without mentioning LOOK or Time...

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

We should keep in mind this is one person's opinion, applying one definition of a "good bike", and is really for entertainment only. This guy is not an engineer and lacks a wealth of knowledge, although he likes to play one on KZbin. The definition of a "good bike" should go beyond that of simply being easy to assemble.

[@randallsmith7885]

I see it as one data point among many. But the mechanic’s view is not trivial.

[@rejean2744]

Are you new to watching this channel ? There's not a nicer, more humble guy, doing bike videos on KZbin. Your criticisms are off base IMO.

[@mike_f]

Wow. Can only guess he pissed on your favorite brand. Yes, just one data point but for those of us that are interested in topics like build quality, expected maintenance (complex vs simple) and spares availability he's a damn good data point!

[@Mapdec]

If only a few engineers would wrench their own designs once in a while, they might improve a few things.

[@enigma1000]

I watch a lot of KZbin bike stuff and I rate Mapdec highly. I have no knowledge of Paul’s technical qualifications but his experience and knowledge as a mechanic is obvious. He responds intelligently and quickly to comments, which I like, while I understand the KZbin algorithms (at least to some extent). You always need to apply your own judgement to what you are watching.

[@Never_unknown]

That's it. He's made the final bike review video we need for the probably 5 years. 100% credible, 0% offensive.

[@Mapdec]

😳

[@hughrobinson9978]

Your comments on Rock Mountain are spot on - really nicely engineered with well thought out geometry and great finish. Love my 2022 Element!

[@kylixchi]

Thank you for your honesty and experience, rare these days, much appreciated, to know "the little things" that you would not see a one time consumer. well done!

[@eabe60094]

I can vouch for Argon18 warranty program as well: I had an issue with my frame and it was replaced with no hassle.

[@gabrielgordillo6920]

Very interested in their bikes, good to know

[@JohnKrause-m4d]

got a Focus Izalco in 2012 : still my primary bike . had a bad crash in 2016 and the rear derailleur hanger absorbed the stress and snapped , it was the only part of the bike that was damaged ; brilliant . it rides so quick and responsive and stable .

[@ciulabula1]

I had Izalco as well, one of the best carbon race bikes I ever owned, light, agile, responsive and finish was outstanding. Never had an issue with

[@jonathanhowson6420]

Santa Cruz. Threaded bb, standard 148 boost, no trunnion, lifetime warranty, free bearings for life and bearings in the links. The lowers are also designed to work with a grease gun to extend bearing life. No headset cable routing. They are just superb.

[@buffalobilly6046]

Santa Cruz focus on maintainability, strength, and quality. You cannot go wrong with a Cruz though they are a bit heavier.

[@flo8273]

@@buffalobilly6046i wouldn’t say that they are heavier. my 150mm bronson weighs 13 kg with pedals…

[@rmdownton]

I know they're a much, much smaller brand, and don't have complete bikes, but I've always been VERY happy with Banshee. Gorgeous aluminium frames.

[@m__r1100]

Agreed on Rocky Mountain - my son's Altitude has had an absolute battering racing & riding in the alps and Highlands for 3 years - and still things like pivot changes are straightforward and without drama. Frame is super straight, paint durable, good cable routing and cable ports etc

[@Mapdec]

Nice

[@Robutube1]

Thanks for this Paul - you're a brave man (brand loyalty's a fierce force!). I'm hoping that we are at the start of big brands reappraising their offerings in view of the increasing quality of Chinese components. I'm generally a believer in 'you get what you pay for' but I make an exception for bike manufacturers right now; a bit less on the ad budget and more on QA would go a long way.

[@Mapdec]

Amen to that. Although I am a champion for bringing quality manufacturing back to Europe.

[@Robutube1]

@@Mapdec I champion that too, but was hoping that the threat of competition from the east might help to drive it.

[@universe-juice]

@@Robutube1 i would say to give felt a try if your in the states. They dont advertise much at all. Dont know much about them other than what the athletes are saying and they are usually happy. Kind of upset about human powered health though

[@Robutube1]

@@universe-juice I'm in Europe as it happens, but thanks for the steer.

[@universe-juice]

@@Robutube1 👍

[@Whoadayson]

Im a little late on this one but a big thx for your honest POV on quality of brands! I appreciate hearing it although I imagine you properly stirred up the fan boys who for some odd reason personally connect themselves to specific brands mainly because they bought their product, not outve reasonable takes. Anyways, Ive been learning alot on your channel! Thx again!

[@Miraflores1990]

I've just got an Ritchey outback frame set and I am amazed about how great are the finishes. The brakes fits wonderfully and the bb is perfectly aligned

[@chrisscott8362]

I loved my Ritchey Breakaway. Way undervalued bike brand.. i Would still be riding it daily if it was not stolen.

[@whssy]

Funny to see Focus outperforming Cervelo and Santa Cruz which are other "Pon" brands. Certainly reflects my own experience too - and the reason they were my first choice when I opened my own shop.

[@okantichrist]

What’s a “pon” brand? Can’t you just say the word without being cryptic?

[@SquirrelHaggis]

​@@okantichristPon (holdings) is the company that owns cervelo, Santa Cruz, Cannondale, focus, GT and others.

[@TheLanorth]

And they own the brand Lease a Bike, the new sponsor of Jumbo-Visma

[@HK-yo4se]

I own a yeti Sb5 since 5 years and put some good miles on it. So far I didn't experience any quality issues. Sorry to hear you had some. That Focus is on the good list made me smile. I had a Focus Mares for 8 years and that thing was working without any issues. I sold it now for the same price, as it was new. But of cause after 8 years the groupset and wheels were replaced for brand new ones. But still I really liked that. I moved now to a Rose Road bike, simply because it was lighter. Over quality of the Rose was good. But the flat mount for the rear break caliper required some work. The caliper wasn't aligned perfectly.

[@malz3836]

I’ve got a Felt F75 2011 from new and it’s been great, BB30 has been changed many times and never creaked. I’m now using this as my winter bike and just replaced the original wheelset, now feels like new!

[@ramsden35]

Came back to this video after purchasing a Cube road bike. I can safely say (well about my bike) it’s brilliant, really well made, rides great. Also after adjusting the brake pads due to a rubbing issue. I removed the brake and noticed the screw inserts were finished with no pain over spray. Something I learnt from yourselves.

[@davidnicholson6680]

I see an astonishingly large number of old Focus Izalco Max frames out there that look basically brand new and don't have any mechanical issues. They are pretty boring looking frames but they are clearly well made and ride well.

[@wearejames1]

Great to see you give an honest and frank opinion, with good reasoning backing up your options. I was surprised(but pleased) to see Quintana Roo on the top list, as they are a small manufacturer and off the radar for many people. I owned an old Aluminium framed Quintana Roo PR Compact, the welds were smoothed with beautifully blended radii on every joint and the paintwork was fantastic, if you didn't know, you would assume it was a carbon frame😊

[@Mapdec]

I wish they still made those.

[@wearejames1]

​@@MapdecSo do I! I would buy a new one tomorrow, they put as much effort and quality into the appearance of their bikes as they did performance, something that seems to be lacking these days unless you go very high end / bespoke..

[@DP-PhD]

Ever worked on a Tommasini? I’ve had several. Always done home mechanics on them all, no good bike shop close enough to me. Never needed to bring in the experts for anything. They also ride really really nicely and never seem to ‘wear out’.

[@DP-PhD]

ps It just dawned on me that I assume you were only really talking about carbon frame manufacturing and QC. Tommasini no longer make a carbon frame. I have a VLC2 and my father a VLC3 carbon frame. Both still going strong after years. Construction internal ‘lugs’ with sculptured tubes ‘bonded’ with specific carbon layers ‘tuned’ to frame sizes, and if requested, rider preferences - stiffer, or more compliant. Anyway, very interesting video. Loved the BMC video too - such attention to detail scores big time!

[@andrewmansfield2263]

I agree that a custom build is the way to go. I bought my Cervélo R3 “on sale” in 2010 (and discovered later that it was a 2007 model) and proceeded to change everything on it until it was the way I wanted it. I should have bought the frame and built the rest myself. I would have saved a bundle. I have the equipment & experience to do my own mechanics and wheel building so over the years it’s been upgraded several times and still is my favorite ride. They’ve been slammed a lot recently for quality issues but mine has held up well for the amount of riding I do and I have no plans to buy another carbon road bike anytime soon.

[@neilashton9459]

Interestingly I did the same buying a new R3 frame online and on sale from R&A cycles in NYC. This was just before Cervelo decided to prohibit online sales so 2010 or 2011? Anyway built it up myself with Campy Record and rode the heck out of that bike. Years later the paint started delaminating arounf the BB (bsa standard) and Cerevlo stood behind it and replaced the frame (love a lifetime warranty). Even better they offered a choice - another R3 or for a few hundred $$ upgrade to a R5 which I did. My LBS swapped everything over and it was a killer bike except the now press fit BBRight Bottom bracket constantly creeked. IMO that is #1 problem with carbon frames - getting a proper BB shell which seems rare. I have a 3T Exploro and the BB is awful - impossible to get a one piece BB (ala BB Infinite) to press in due to carbon interference in the shell area.

[@shoff535]

Great video! Lots of helpful comments. I’m still riding my 2013 Wilier Zero.7, and have begun to start looking for something new. I agree Wilier’s are pricey (mine was over 10k USD when new (probably because it was their lightest weight frame at the time (w/o pedals ~6.6kg). Also, I’ll add that mine has been pretty trouble free.

[@MichaelYeates-v1g]

Would be great to have a similar list on steel and titanium bikes. These seem to becoming more popular lately

[@Mapdec]

Maybe. Steel bikes can be bent and cut by mechanics to work and tubing tech is pretty static, so there is little difference now other than little craftsmanship details. Ti is too difficult to assess. Poor welds only really manifest after a few year of riding when they crack. Although lots of Ti bikes lack adequate bracing and become very flexy.

[@BikeLife154]

Giant’s Aluminium TCR frames used to be so well finished it looked like carbon. I bought one in 2011 and I couldn’t see any welds. Now they’re rough as old boots. I own a Caad12 and CaadX and even though the welds are ok, not brilliant, there is just something next level about the finished frames. They are amazing! However, I can’t say the same about bb30 and 30a! I’ve replaced both BBs and feel they’re now complete after years of creaks.

[@janeblogs324]

Even the best weld becomes weaker when ground (concar instead of convex) but once ground down you can't tell if it was a booger weld originally, you also have to input a lot of heat to make those oversize welds which are often 6x larger than the tube thickness

[@chriswright9096]

I remember looking at the welds on an aluminium TCR in the store - probably around 2005. And I was struck by the finish, as you say. I didn't buy it though. I was worried it wouldn't hold up over time if the bike was ridden a lot (as I planned to do). I just worried they might have been sacrificing strength/durability. Sounds like yours is doing fine though.

[@hectorkidds9840]

I've a CAAD12, and lovely to ride, but the rear triangle was never very well aligned, and the bridge was welded a bit low so it could only take a 25m tyre. I bent it in a low speed crash.

[@MikeBarbarossa]

Old Klein frames are the same

[@EmilBMWable]

I've owned multiple second hand Cube bikes and I didn't come across any issues. No bottom bracket creaking. I recently bought a new Cube Agree 2022 and so far it had zero issues.

[@kevingaskin5084]

Your right on parts for Specialized future shock £450 for the shock which I think is extortionate also I had a bottom jockey wheel collapse on my roubaix it smashed the rear mech and cage I told them that t he cage was a long cage and I was told that they don’t do that one anymore so it’s got a medium cage now so will that alter the spread of gears or not

[@valmorell]

Interesting fun video thanks. You are giving us a distillation of what you see in the real world. Valuable in a different way to a single owner saying their open mould no name has been fantastic. My personal experience is a little different, especially with Giant, but so what, I am just a sample of one.

[@sight4sound]

Canyon owners; are Canyon headsets still an issue? I have a 2018 Ultimate, it eats up a set of bearings every year or so and they are really expensive to replace.

[@happydays8171]

Thank you for this. Scott and Cannondale are made at the same factory. Have a 2017 Scott Foil, great bike. Just bought a Specialized SL-8, put it together from the frame, didn't have any problems getting parts in my spot in the US. So far it's exceeded my expectations.

[@TimSchulzks]

Having a Cannondale SuperSix Eco CX- perfect bike. Had an Orbea Orca Aero -lots of problems. Therefore I would not stick to his opinion that the big brands are problematic

[@happydays8171]

@@TimSchulzks Agreed. Bought a used 2011 Madone in 2012, mfg by the designers and engineers themselves. They'd make bikes for their race team members, then anyone else who wanted to pay the price. That bike, a little stiff, but wanted to shoot out from underneath you when you got on it

[@javiersmith2216]

Colnago still makes the 8 sided gilco tubing master x light and campy groupsets still include rim brakes. Cant go wrong

[@andrehendrik]

very informative, thanks -- any thoughts on Open?

[@grahamcollins6810]

I have two Cube bikes from when I had limited funds (still working well) and a Look 785 (which is just amazing 6 years on) - this corelates with your lists, by luck rather than any judgement on my part!

[@SaschaRissling]

Can you do a video on how canyon just doesn’t do steerer tube expanders and works with this stupid wedge system and how people, or even the factory, fuck up those steerer tubes and (then canyon is sometimes refusing warranty?)

[@Mapdec]

It’s a good point. Always thought direct brands should only use very standard set ups because they rely on home mechanics.

[@SaschaRissling]

I'm having steerer tube problems for the second time with canyon. This time it's on my Speedmax trip bike. I wanted to fit a new stem because there's only go up to 90 mm. After 6 months of use, I removed the stem and found a small piece of metal pressed into the tube between the stem and the tube. No crack, but a 2×2 mm dent in the carbon. Then I looked inside the tube and saw very strange-looking carbon. Many fibers and imperfections in the top layer of the inside steerer tube. My endurace fork looks perfect inside. I can build bikes up and down, but have no idea what “uncracked” carbon can or should look like. Filed a warranty report. Let's see what they say. Furthermore, the entire stem was PLASTERED with carbon paste, like a very, very thick layer. I don't get it. This might have possibly damaged the steerer tube when actually torqued to the canyon-prescribed 5 nm. The stem came with an angle from the factory, so I had to straighten it. I use a €130+ wera torque wrench. Can't wait for them to blame a steerer failure on me. They talked me into buying a crash replacement fork for my road bike once. But i cant blame them, i'm pretty sure i cracked with an amazon basics torque wrench. Went with a proper expander plug on my road bike. Should have done this on the speedmax as well when i unpacked it. I think a lot of direct to consumer customers dont have the knowledge or tools to be on par with what can happen to such a bike. I love the concept but if friends ask me if they should buy a canyon i'd rather tell them to not do it and go LBS instead because just as you said "too many what ifs" Thanks for reading my rant if you do. @@Mapdec

[@Mapdec]

@@SaschaRissling if everything is set up well it would be hard to crack a steerer tube by over torquing bolts.

[@randallsmith7885]

Great review! The shop I bought my Moots from is run by two guys who work on the bikes. And when I asked them about Moots, they approached it like this video. And bottom line was that they know that a Noots is ready to assemble with a minimum of machining, adjusting and adapting to get it running correctly. Other brands can be difcerent. I had a mechanic show me a brand new Time bike that he could push the press fit bottom bracket in by hand. It was loose in the hole. No one is perfect, it seems.

[@Mapdec]

The Time BB causes a few issues like that. It’s more common that the BB is undersized than the time shell oversized. Did they measure them both? We have discovered that Enduro BB don’t fit.

[@randallsmith7885]

@@Mapdec not sure what they did about measuring the BB shell. Your point is well taken- it could have been a Bottom Bracket manufacturing issue as opposed to the bike frame being out of spec.

[@rob_cd]

Happy to see Argon 18 on here. Just had a beautiful Gallium 18 Pro frame built up. Also, their customer service is aces.

[@invalice123]

I can agree with Basso. Almsot there, but I just see issues. Bianchi seems to have screwed LBS margins by raising prices? Is the margin on them any good compared to similar tier brands?

[@Mapdec]

No one is getting rich on the profit margin on any brand.

[@erictrelz3519]

Thanks for the insight. As a consumer who is not dealing with "issues" with these brands on a daily or regular basis, it is great to learn what a real mechanic believes.

[@aquicktake]

I have a 2006 carbon Orbea Orca with mechanical Sram Red... 8 hours a week on the trainer and 100km on the weekends... wonder how many frames will have a life that long (17+ and counting) that are made today??

[@gersonFls7]

What do you think about BH? Is it a good Quality brand? Have you build or had problems with a RS for example?

[@sprossi46]

Agree with you on Look, love mine. I fitted Fast Forward Ryot wheels, really impressed with them

[@Mapdec]

Smart choices. 😍

[@jameshancock18]

I bought a pinarello f5 off the back of a bike fit, was the only bike that would fit my measurements. I agree they’re overpriced and I probably paid 20% extra for the name but I was aware of this at the time. The thing fits perfectly, rides well, looks stunning AND it’s got a threaded bb which was a huge thing for me. The quality of mine seems great, granted everything was faced and cleaned up before I collected it so not sure the way it arrived at the shop before

[@jamsxr]

Threaded BB isn’t necessary for a well made frame 😉

[@jameshancock18]

@@jamsxr true but it’s far easier to install and a better design in my opinion

[@KurtisPape]

I own 4 carbon bikes, my highest quality frame is my 2017 Giant Defy, never heard a single creak and the BB is like new after 14,000km, the inhouse carbon wheels were terrible though. I own a Marin and a Polygon and both frames feel bullet proof but are typical mass produced overseas carbon quality with minor paint defects, derailleur hanger and brake calliper alignment problems and a tight pressfit bb on the Polygon. Can't complain with the value though. The my 4th bike a Cannondale Jeykll, typical having proprietary front and rear suspension, terrible paint job that chips really easy. Other than that has been a nice bike.

[@Mapdec]

Sound like they all fit perfectly in the ‘it depends’ category. Glad you found a good one.

[@KurtisPape]

@@Mapdec thanks for taking the time to read my comment!

[@531c]

I've a 2022 Fairlight Strael. Very well designed, built and put together. Cant fault it.

[@cjohnson3836]

Hope to get a secan in the next couple years. Have to support a company that puts out a 100+ page tech doc for a frame

[@edmundhodgson2572]

Good one, its easy to say what's bad, but a different matter stepping up to say what you would recommend!

[@LosihoTTT]

I think the most important thing to come out of this video is, the quality of the bike shop & mechanic / builder is arguably more important than the brand on the down tube. Having purchased a few different brands of bikes from different shops, when i go shopping now i have a close look at the details - does the BB shell look sound, how are the cables cut & routed, how clean & neat is the bar tape job, etc etc. Little details separate an average mechanic from a great one.

[@Mapdec]

Right on!

[@neilk22]

I haven’t experienced better after sales support than specialized and giant bikes. I feel when the “factory” runs a dealer network in a particular country, you best believe that there is a far more predictable claim process as compared to smaller importers taking controversial decisions and alienating their clientele. I’m not a fan of direct to market brands like canyon and rose, as there literally is no feeling of after sales, not to mention the weird interaction it creates with your lbs having to support a bike they didn’t recommend, out make any margin on.

[@jdmcdorce876]

I'm not sure how to balance the level of after sales support with the actual need for after sales support. "Claims" typically fall into the categories of defects in materials and workmanship, so this can easily be classified as fixing screw-ups that shouldn't have happened in the first place. I can, however, see the benefit of the dealer network for repair following rider associated incidents and long term maintenance items (which are typically consumer-paid items), particularly if brand-specific parts are involved.

[@mikeytek]

Good bike brand for me a brand that I don't have to ever contact their support team lol

[@neilk22]

@@jdmcdorce876for road and to a degree gravel bikes I agree, but for a mountain bike it’s a non negotiable-just too many wear and tear components and actual frame damage that occurs for me to not consider proper after sales. And I end up applying the same bias to road and gravel anyway just because I do feel loyal to brands with proper after sales, so it’s a friendship-circle kind of thing 😂

[@neilk22]

(Paul speaks about Yeti in his review which are beautiful bikes that I would not touch with a barge pole due to poor after sales)

[@nikko5709]

Have you ever worked on a Origine bike ? They are highly regarded here in france and I would like to have your opinion but I don't know if they are available in the uk.

[@Mapdec]

I can’t say I have seen one.

[@MarkLRandall]

Take this with a grain of salt. I've owned two Cervelo and a Specialized, no issues. My girlfriend has a Felt TT bike which has been nothing but trouble. Her Trek and Specialized, no issues.

[@rusty2222]

I still love my Jam even after one main pivot bearing cover corroded itself onto the bearing race leading to much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[@rantingwrench]

Having dealt with a number of brands over the years, I now wrench at a Trek store. We have our fair share of bikes coming through from the factory with issues, be they QC or design oversights - not surprising given the huge scale of the company, even if it does drive us mechanics nuts sometimes! The thing Trek do better than anyone else I've worked for or with is support at every level. Bike builders and mechanics at the stores are all skilled and held to a high standard, so bikes leave the shop in good condition. Any issues are generally spotted and resolved before the customer takes the bike away. If an issue arises later, Trek's warranty and crash replacement is unusually generous and efficient and we always try to minimise downtime and inconvenience for the customer, because Trek considers their direct owned stores as 'hospitality' businesses first and foremost. I suspect Trek aren't necessarily 'better' bikes than a lot of brands, or even more consistent, but customers tend to be happier with how issues are dealt with (or they are caught before that point) so they don't get to you as frequently as an IBD.

[@rcg9573]

Larger scale is no excuse for poorer fab or QC of a larger volume producer. In fact, larger volume producers of a given product have less excuse for inferior fab or QC than a smaller volume producer because they have large economy of scale cost advantages over those smaller volume product producers so the funds are absolutely there to invest to have superior fab and QC processes. Inferior QC and fab quality of a larger mass producer versus smaller volume producers is entirely the result of the attitudes of both the management and BOD of those firms. Their attitude is that they have made a conscious business decision to not take the same level of pride in their produced product than a smaller volume producer with better fab and QC processes. The money is there to be better, but the attitude is not. The attitude is to maximize ROI by producing the cheapest quality product possible, while maintaining sales volume levels.

[@Mapdec]

Clearly they are going in the right direction here, and you are doing a great job at keeping the QC fails off the roads and trails.

[@rantingwrench]

@@Mapdec Yes, I’ve been really impressed by their approach to customer service and how the workshops are run. And I’m not just saying that because I work for them! Fresh bikes arriving with problems out of the box do make me wonder about factory QC and assembly processes sometimes, but at least they don’t usually get to the customers.

[@rantingwrench]

@@happydogg312 I'm honestly really surprised. Dare I ask which shop...? ;)

[@DanG87123]

Wouldn't touch felt with a barge pole, I waited 5 months for a replacement frame only to be sent a completely different model

[@Mapdec]

Oh. Was it a warranty that they didn’t have stock off? Did you get a better or more modern frame?

[@janeblogs324]

I still doubt them since they dropped bmx and MTB manufacturing

[@Monty41-f6h]

Have you guys worked on any fairlight bikes? Any thoughts on them?

[@Mapdec]

Just a couple.

[@pyorailija84]

Thank you for the video! You are doing a great job 👏 I just have two comments/suggestions: - Your microphone had a noticeable background noise (as somebody already mentioned). - Could you please make a similar video, but something along the lines of "Common bike frame fabrication mistakes/errors/faults"? It could help us assess a frame and know what to look for. Sadly, not everybody lives in a big city or knows a good mechanic nearby. Final note: I am considering buying a Fairlight Secan 2.5. I keep all my bikes for 10+ years, unless they get stolen :/. Hopefully you will get your hands on more of them in the future 👍

[@Mapdec]

Thanks. Keep watching the channel. You will see all the examples of what to check.

[@mikekrasovec6390]

I don't know about the modern Bianchi bikes but I've had less than stellar experiences with them. My 1991 Bianchi osprey had developed fatigue cracks at every possible place. At all of the lugs, cable stops, dropouts on the frame. Every joint was absolutely overcooked and thus brittle. I warrantied it at the end of 1994 with another osprey - which had the rack mounts break off of the rear dropouts on a tour in 1997. Then I worked at a Bianchi shop 1999-2000 and they were ok - but ok. I wouldn't buy another Bianchi. Im not sure if you're familiar with the brand "Marinoni" but they're excellent - although not the most durable paint. The same shop that i worked at that sold Bianchi was also a Marinoni dealer. Marinonis' came as bare frames that the shop built up - and the shop sold a lot of them (80 frames hanging up in the shop with a handful built up) and every single one built up perfectly and rode great. They had perfectly clean lugs and fillet brazing at the dropouts. Absolutely beautiful bikes in function and appearance. My 2000 squadra built up with Columbus spx tubing (the smaller used slx pipes) is still brilliant after 100,000 miles with perfect headset, bottom bracket, threads... but a bunch of scratches. That said all of my bikes get scratched up to hell because it's there to serve a purpose vs looking pretty. They're a small Canadian brand who doesn't advertise or sponsor any teams. I'd rate my Marinoni a solid step above Colnago in terms of metal work but down a couple of notches paint wise. Marinoni is also solid for the $$$. They all had perfectly faced head tubes/bb shells, chased threads, alignment, seat tubes... Giuseppe Marinoni did all of the welding/brazing and he has to be in his upper/mid 80s but is still innovating with tig welding, titanium and carbon fiber. Check them out.

[@sandy_knight]

I don't know much about road bikes but I'd assume Colnago are at least strong as the Road Bike Party 2 video was all filmed with the same bike and the only 'mechanicals' they had were a couple of punctures. Regards SantaCruz dropper post cable routing, I expect it varies depending on the frame/model but my Nomad 5 works flawlessly and having fitted the post myself I know it's very easy to push the cable through. If it makes a difference I'm running a OneUp V2 post which, like most posts, uses standard gear cable. Maybe a hydraulic actuated post like a Reverb would be harder to install?

[@flyingnorseman]

Like Santa Cruz too but their lower link VPP needs a lot of maintenance. Every 25 to 30 hours you have to take it apart, clean and grease it or it will squeak. Also found the design and metal quality of their pivot axels lacking.

[@LysergicCasserole95]

What do you think of Decathlon's bikes? I've fixed up several and they're great for the price.

[@macht4turbo]

I'm happy with my Orbea Alma now, but it came with a semi integrated headset and the top headset cup was lose...had to send the bike back and they installed an internal headset, which as far as it seems was supposed to be installed all along. Also my rear thrue axle head broke, lol. Lifetime frame warranty though.

[@TimSchulzks]

On my Orbea Orca Aero after 4 years, the paint went off at the backside. Poor paint quality

[@StreamBikesNL]

Thanks for sharing!! What I find as a mechanic is that the paint on Cube bikes is quite fragile and not very durable, other than that they offer a good price vs quality balance.

[@thedownunderverse]

I find the same with Giant. Chips easily

[@DS-um9hi]

​@@thedownunderverseagree with the giant comment. My friend has a cheap giant commuter and if you breathe too hard on it the paint flakes.

[@JonathanMallett]

As a bike mechanic, where would Vitus fall within your grading system? They are good value for money, if one only looks at the spec on paper, but it's very difficult to find a mechanic's opinion of them, for some reason.

[@konigsegg_1to1]

@mapdec we need a short or something on this… Feels like a quickly growing brand that more and more will buy…

[@feedbackzaloop]

@@konigsegg_1to1 home brand of Chainreactioncycles - no wonder the growth, but rather falls into category of bikes to sell you transmissions and basic wheels

[@neilk22]

Vitus was a top brand in the 90s, my first alu bike was a vitus which at the time, in a world of Reynolds tubing, was super high tech.

[@Mapdec]

They are the house brand of CRC now I believe. They fall in the inconsistent, made in generic factory etc category.

[@JonathanMallett]

@@Mapdec yea they are wiggle/crc. I was just wondering if you've had any in for servicing and wondering what your mechanic's opinion of them was. Thanks for the response 🙂

[@PoorWorksmanship]

What do you all think of Norco? I've seen generally good things from them but they don't seem to have much market penetration and can't find many reviews.

[@iainhampson3442]

+1 for Quintana Roo, amazingly underrated bikes, mainly TT bikes but I have a 2010 QR Split road bike that is still going strong, fantastic bikes, also I can vouch for Argon 18, had a TT bike by Argon and it was amazing.

[@dmbambino]

I’ve owned a pair Eddy Merckx bikes that were bought pre Ridley takeover. One was their endurance road bike, which I sold last year, and the other a gravel frameset. The fit and finish, engineering thoughtfulness (like in and out cable routing) as well as overall build quality cured me of a long standing Italian bike addiction. Hope that’s continued to be the case the last few years.

[@dionisiuskusuma1462]

I wonder what do you think about De Rosa? Rarely I find YT cycling channel talking about them

[@winjinsinjon]

I'm riding a 2015 Norco sight at the moment I'm a heavy rider and i honestly cant fault the bike for an old bike im very impressed how well built the bike is and how well it rides.

[@markrushton1516]

Reading today about the Giant case and the Cheshire cyclist. Fork issue and Giant admit liability

[@TheMXinsidE]

Just got a cube stereo one44, does anyone have any links/resources for the pivot servicing?

[@Forthetimebeing72]

QuintanaRoo are part of American Bicycle Group and Litespeed Titanium. All amazing bikes.

[@dpeka225]

In a sea of marketing talk points and regurgitated press releases, it is nice to hear someone’s true opinion - even if I may not like what I am hearing. Keep it up. At the prices some of these brands demand, we should demand better quality, construction, and serviceability in return.

[@Mapdec]

Well said!

[@Gamertagyeohz]

Incredibly lovely video. Any thoughts on Budget Brands from the likes of Decathlon aka Van Rysel and Polygon?

[@Mapdec]

In the inconsistent slide

[@MrLebo55]

I'm interested in purchasing a fast and comfortable road bike. What would you recommend from Time and Look brand bikes. I currently have a BMC time machine entry-level cycle

[@Mapdec]

Look 765

[@andreemurray7039]

I'm lucky I have 2 S-works which are old 10years but I look after them and still enjoy riding them at the end it is personal

[@likelight6495]

I am running a Yeti SB150 since a couple of seasons... yes the outside BB shell could be better, that was disappointing. The inside is nicely faced and I have no issues and even markings on the axle though. The integrated headset tolerances as well as all linkage and rear center alignments seem to be perfect though. Disassembly of the frame is really thought through, fun and can be done pretty quickly, the frame hardware is of very high quality and most bolts are titanium. Swapped two bearings (big ones inside the dog bone) in 3 seasons, the others are fine. More importantly, it rides beautifully, the suspension does exactly what I want and the whole frame seems to be very consciously engineered with flex that it tracks the ground in turns and in off camber. Very well engineered product, implementation not perfect but good. Know someone with the new SB120... seems to be improved but the new prices are outrageous.

[@stephenradford-hancock3825]

@Mapdec - Appreciating this is too small-a-brand to make the list, but i was wondering if you had a view on Fairlight bikes? I'm currently umming and ahing between a Mason Resolution or Fairlight Strael - so would be great to know if you've seen any Fairlights come through the shop and had thoughts on their quality?! Many thanks!

[@Mapdec]

Yes. We have seen a few fairlight. They are very nice.

[@GlennCarton]

Do you have an idea how the quality is from a factor bike? Tempting to buy one.

[@Mapdec]

Not as good as they think it is.

[@kalousr96]

I would like to hear your opinion on YT bikes, I had two of them and till today I'm amazed how well are they built.

[@Mapdec]

Yeah. The new stuff seems good. Easy to work on.

[@shaneveivers3807]

Hi Paul any thoughts on Polygon Particularly the Helios A8x Thanks love the Chanel and your insights , fantastic work

[@Mapdec]

Very broad range to draw comment on. A lot depends on the dealership

[@shaneveivers3807]

Thank you for your reply , love the channel and can’t wait for more content in 2024

[@danharvey3096]

Good review and some pretty valid points.. Although i was looking to see where you would place YT.. I'm riding a 2016 YT Tues & theyre still using the same suspension linkage now as then because the design was so good! Now i bought it 2nd hand with all the suspension bearings redone, & new headset etc. But for the money you get such a good bike, & ive almost never heard of anyone cracking a YT Tues Aluminium frame, but ive heard of lots of eg of other frames being cracked. So atleast the frame construction is quality. Also it came standard with DT Swiss "YT 2020" wheels, which are rebranded FR1950 rims on DT Swiss 240 hubs. Currently a rear wheel of a FR1950 Classic costs $300 - $400 USD.. For these wheels to have come standard on their "budget" Downhill bike is amazing value.. Now as for working on them, i cant comment, because mine had been pulled apart & repainted, the proprietary headset replaced with a common FSA headset, & all the frame bearings replaced.. But considering its a 2016 bike, & looks & performs just as good as brand new bikes, despite it having been through 3 or 4 owners.. That is to me testament to how well theyre built.. I would be interested in your opinion thgough if youve done work on them from recently new, before any upgrades or hardware replacement..

[@Mapdec]

I haven’t seen a recent one. They seem to have fallen out of favour. They always used to be known for cracking rear swing arms. That is a few years back though.

[@dejankolsek3336]

Did you ever seen or repair Commencal bikes? I am interested in their 365 gravel, but not sure for quality.

[@autiebleSam]

Commencal is one I'm interested in because they've got high-end alloy frames and every bike model they sell, they offer an a la carte frameset you can either configure before buying a completed bike or get just the frame to do a custom build.

[@steppings5645]

On the plus side, there's never been a better choice of garbage to spend your hard earned on!

[@Mapdec]

😂

[@tintansigloXXI]

Alguna opinión sobre Mérida??

[@tinniswood2577]

Cinelli XCR polished, a thing of beauty ❤

[@Mapdec]

Oh yeah.

[@mikekrasovec6390]

Can confirm my xcr rocks.

[@Jim_Murphy_69]

The Cinelli XCR is manufactured by Cicli Barco, they are the absolute masters of working with stainless steel.

[@androidandyb]

Thoughts on Lapierre? Particularily the Xelius?

[@Mapdec]

Just thinking. I don’t think I have seen a Lapierre for a long time. Weird. Their mountain bikes used to be very popular

[@davehoover8853]

OPEN, do you have much exposure?

[@smithbrownjones]

I know I'm 8 months late to the party...but on the off chance I might get an answer... I'm thinking about buying a Koga Worldtraveller S next Spring...anyone have any experience with Koga...?? 😁

[@Johnnyknox1234]

Hey Paul, I have a Fuji Jari and wonder what your thoughts are on the brand? My personal opinion is similar to what you said about Focus. I very rarely see the brand reviewed or even mention in this region.

[@Mapdec]

They are pretty rare here too. Of the handful I have see I can’t say I had any complaints. Obviously didn’t stand out either. Sorry.

[@RideTheAlps]

I own a Pivot Firebird 22. I must say, the paint job was not flawless but good. But I am German living in Switzerland, maybe this adds to the critics here. 😂 I had some issues with the chain slapping through the cut-outs in the chain stay protector and damaged the paint completely. No internal cable routing support, annoying. Or the routing clamps can be overtightened and are not working so well. Or the rouing of the rear break hose around the bottom bracket - argh… But no creaking at all and a very balanced bike. Rocky Mountain would be my next one on the list. And maybe Ibis.

[@francisthecooldownroad342]

yep pivot bearing problem cube stereo 140 HPC tm race I replaced them now but the ones in the frame are hell . Some I D howto do

[@rickybarker4023]

Thoughts on nukeproof. Very common bike out on the trails and good value generally.

[@Mapdec]

I doubt they would survive a nuke

[@Bill-qf7tn]

Thanks for your honest thoughts I work on my own bikes no bikeshop for 125+ miles have to use internet to order - information makes expenditures wizard

[@jimwilliams2239]

Hi Paul. Any thoughts on Ribble Cycles? I'm tempted by an Endurance SL R (with 20% off at the moment) but not sure about build quality, or quality control?

[@Mapdec]

What are you willing to sacrifice for the low price?

[@jimwilliams2239]

@@Mapdec In an ideal world - nothing. But budget is a serious factor. I'd like something a little more exciting than my Rose Team GF Four, and a little lighter, but all builds I look at are north of 5k.

[@stepheneaston8354]

@@MapdecMy first “quality” bike was a Ribble. It’s ok but initially made a noise. Took it to a mechanic last year and they had fitted a wrong bolt. I then needed to change the thru axle (my fault: I stripped it with a hex tool! Although that was a bit easy to do) and it was really tricky to source the right one. Quality control seems inconsistent and some of the parts are a bit non standard. Hambini seems to ream them. Rightly I think. Feels that private equity ownership has not helped their quality. Great video, by the way, as all of yours are.

[@Mapdec]

@@stepheneaston8354 🙏

[@aspia11]

but what about Stevens (Germany), Canyon (Germany), Falkenjagd ( Germany), Parapera (Germany) or 3T (Italy)?

[@Mapdec]

I don’t have enough knowledge to comment

[@Lovepastaloverice]

Just wondering where does Tommasini rank in that chart? I have never owned anything other than two Looks (585 and 231) so I don't have too much comparison. Is tommasini on par with the better tier brank bikes?

[@Mapdec]

😳. I have never heard of Tommasini bike.

[@Lovepastaloverice]

Fair enough and thanks for the reply. Guess I am too old to remember tommasini then. Keep up with the good work@@Mapdec

[@Grant-bu4nj]

What do think of Festka bikes …?

[@Vasyapetrov666]

What about inhouse big retailers brands? Like Nukeproof, Vitus, Rockrider, triban etc and value brands like planetX or vodoo, dolan?

[@Mapdec]

I think I coved those in the AI bicycle brand segment.

[@Maxibsa]

What do you think about Stevens ?

[@AlanForest]

I can definitely testify to Felt through my purchase and proven performance of my 2023 Felt Broam 30 absolutely an amazingly versatile bike it’s nothing short of a drop-bar beast the high quality parts and components that adorn this phenomenal bike as well

[@universe-juice]

Have a Felt AR advance. And i cant figure out why more people arent riding them? Just a really nice bike. Light and lively but robust at the same time. Hard to explain. Very hard to ride with a broken leg. But im doin it some how? Oh BTW, this video is what i want. Can you do wheels next?

[@Mapdec]

I did a couple of wheel vids like this. Maybe I will do one more brand specific. Glad you are healing fast

[@universe-juice]

@@Mapdec oh cool, checking it out now. Im looking for a shallow rim for my AR but i want something stupid stiff. Was thinking Bora's?

[@alansymonds1]

What is your opinion on Lapierre ?

[@dickieblench5001]

It's about time you had a good look at these brands

[@Chimy1423]

Hi! Anything about Chinese brands like Winspace, Sake, Yoeleo, Elves and others. Many blessings and thank you.

[@Mapdec]

File them under the faux brand section. Just too inconsistent to draw an opinion.