Cheap Carbon Pros and Cons | Cheap Road Bike Build

[@h.p.734]

Bikotic, I've got a feeling that your channel will only grow more important as time goes by. Taking a look at all the bikes, their prices, the popular 'meta' of bike design year by year as well as talking about the current state of the bike industry has got to provide so much insight into what things looked like, in the future. I find this to be true already with your old videos. I almost forgot just how "cheaper" bikes were just 5 years ago. Please never stop!

[@bikotic]

thanks!

[@dchan328]

Thanks Bikotic for the cheap carbon frames vid. Bought a knockoff Pinarello Dogma F12 and knockoff NSW 454 wheel set from Taobao for 5900 rmb ( $850 USD ). So far- 15 months and riding over 7500kms with no problems 👍🏼

[@bikotic]

good to know!

[@arcboutant]

I did it. Started a couple of years ago and due to pension finished last March. Carbon frame ,forks, wheels, handlebars, seat, groupset levers and rear drop arm. Total cost £1204.40. Totally chuffed with it, runs great and the cable operated hydraulic disc callipers work good too.

[@AirwolfCrazy]

I purchased my carbon frame from Alliexpress and many of the other parts came from there too. I also purchased parts from my local bike shop, online bike shops, and even Amazon. I found the proces of the build to be a challenge. It was a chance to learn and stretch my knowledge and skills. I also like that I can mix and match parts (within reason) to find what I like. After a lot of research and learning I now have a bike I know in and out and can maintain it myself. I know not everyone likes doing mechanical work and prefers to have it done for them. To each there own. I have liked being able to buy the individual parts. It would be nice if the brand names would sell parts instead of whole bikes.

[@robcalkelme]

A heartfelt THANK YOU for taking the time to probe into the Scott eride 10 , 2022 and 2023 ! Fantastic ! PS : tic tac boxes 😂 excellent !!! Best Wishes , Merry Christmas , Happy New Year !

[@maxbucky24]

Great to see a well explained version of the factory vs shop pros and cons rather than just saying all Chinese stuff is crap. I love my lexon xc mtb which looks suspiciously similar to a Scott

[@samuelmundula2216]

2 years, 15,000 miles later on my Yoeleo R11 and nothing but love. The finishing kit isn't the greatest (seatpost clamp is tricky to loosen if you wanna remove the seatpost, same thing for the saddle clamp) but overall it's been an amazing ride.

[@fennec13]

Given the huge prices we are seeing from so-called legit bike brands - if I wanted a carbon bike nowadays I'd definately go for a frameset from Winspace, Yoeleo, Trifox, Trigon, ICAN, Seka, Elves... Yoleo looks and Ican looking amazing at the price point they offer.

[@johnyblamounth9142]

There are few more brands worth checking out Farsports, Lightbicykle, Og-Evkin, VeloBuild, Hongfu or Dengfu. They're or were OMS for Western brands.

[@DanTuber]

Elves and Winspace are not exactly cheap. By the time you buy all the parts and build it you're not saving much. Trifox, Ican and Seka are questionable quality.

[@apair4002]

Add more cheap brand that enter LTD race such POLYGON and PARDUS.

[@chevyyyyyyy]

The Trifox’s down tube to the head tube connection is thin carbon so it compensate with filling in that part of the frame with some sort of plastic.

[@JFomo]

I would choose the Seka out of all those brands. In saying that, a Cervelo Soloist frameset cost about the same so I'd probably choose that over the Seka.

[@tomahoks]

Used Canyons here in Finland are in the price range of New ones! It is a sellers market now.

[@atgnicyclist]

It’s the Seka Exceed for me. Great geometry, nice stack height and reach means few spacers and it can take a full mechanical groupset internal. T47 bottom bracket, choice of seatposts and they supply the headset spacers to use a normal bar and stem with internal cabling.

[@iddra1868]

A few months ago I was looking at a Dengfu frame which has pretty much the exact same geometry/shape as a 2021 Addict RC Pro. You could just buy the Syncros handlebars and a Di2 groupset separately. Pretty crazy how you could rebuild the bike for almost 1/3 the price, just without the sick paintjob!

[@davidsips9532]

Great video! I was also looking into building up a chinese frame because of the high bike prices, but the good frame still arent cheap. And I found a new tcr advanched 2 for 1700 euros so just went with that

[@edpilling4955]

The older Supersix bikes on rim brake, had very little wheel/tyre clearance at the back. Even 25 width tyre was pushing it. I owned one

[@bikotic]

cheers! easy to forget stuff like this!

[@ab763]

can vouch for my yoeleo r11, also not a huge fan of the seat post or seat clamp but its been a fantastic bike. my only regret is going 105 rather than ultergra di2. great rim brake option!

[@nizam_mr]

i hope theres OE frameset thats close to Scott foil 2023 or recent cervelo s5. im in market for a less steeper seat tube frame

[@johnyblamounth9142]

I was wondering when are you going to go through that topic. As always, great video. Cheers

[@bnzboy]

Just got myself a discounted Yoeleo frame. Overall it's pretty good but there are things that can improve. Things like the seatpost bolt accessibility where there's not enough space for a torque wrench. There's no way a casual cyclist can build this thing on their own easily, I ended up getting a lot of help from a local repair shop and it took us about 7 hours to cable/build the whole thing.

[@anthonyfreeman2859]

Planet x free ranger, dolan and vitus etc , all use the Carbonda 696 frame

[@bikotic]

Thanks for this info 👍🏻

[@swe223]

There are huge advantages for these factory brands. For example, you can ask to customize pretty much everything and they'll do it no problem for a very reasonable price. No decals? Sure just ask. Different color or even fully custom paintjob? Sure, maybe a few hundred pounds. You want a spare seatpost? A spare derailleur hanger? A slightly different fork model ? Ok. Also they have generally more choice, they list the full technical specs of their bike (I'm still looking for frame weight on some Trek bikes, nowhere to be seen... ) and actually listen to their customers. Some brands changed their BB Standard for example because some customers asked for it. They just deliver because it's simple. Now good luck doing the same with Trek or Specialized... Of course I'm talking about relatively known factory brands like Yoeleo, not unbranded frames from Aliexpress. That for me really goes too far. Same goes for wheels, maybe even more! The possibility to choose the rim, inner width, depth, the number of holes you want, even the type of carbon layering you want for the last apparent layer, and to know the exact rim weight. What big brand provides you such a level of information and choice to suit your personal needs to the perfection?

[@headofmyself5663]

Pretty similar on AE. They build everything you want, even if specs are deviating from the shop site. I also had really good experiences with the chat, where you can ask all sorts of questions and they respond quite quickly. The customer journey is something that really surprised me.

[@apair4002]

Add more cheap brand that enter LTD race such POLYGON and PARDUS.

[@ayowser01]

I can't imagine purchasing a name brand bike with today's covid/inflationary prices. I thought my $2700 bike was already expensive; it's now at $3250 msrp and not a thing has changed!

[@bikotic]

exactly!

[@andersolsen1478]

But it right or buy it tvice

[@Troykenz]

Whats the closest copy to a Pinarello Dogma ?

[@jonnan99]

Velobuild has one, looks just like the Dogma.

[@headofmyself5663]

@@jonnan99 and Hambini just reviewed it on patreon. Have not seen it yet.

[@jonnan99]

@@headofmyself5663 Really 😂 Can’t wait.

[@markj.a351]

I wouldn’t trust the really cheap ones but maybe Seka / Winspace. There are just so few real reviews though. I don’t trust anyone who has incentive to speak praise for direct brands or mainstream brands.

[@dhanso928]

Someone should do a bit on "expensive" frames. We see dozens of "cheap frames reviewed.." videos but they really aren't even cheap, they are just not rip-jobs like the big brands. Is a new Gucci-brand 10 times better? Is the Trek, Specialized, etc. to be excused when they sell breaking creaking squeaking bikes, but other makers get reamed for selling them for the 1/10th the price, same weight(or less).? How bout some justifying stats or testing (not paid promotion) that proves you'll get ten, fifteen times the bike if you don't buy a "cheap" carbon bike?

[@BartSchrijvers]

Oh my, … Ridley 🫣 that’s shocking