Only way to know is to by two of them and destructively test one. Is there a safety difference between those two classes of goods? No one can say, as each is a unique product from lord-knows-where sold by who knows. Whereas the 3T Aeronova is a $300 handlebar the "RXL carbon handlebar" handlebar that is a carbon (heh) copy of the design is sold on Amazon and EBay for $50USD+shipping. Nor do sellers try to pass it off as one. These have the same shape as say the aforementioned 3T Aeronova handlebar (probably the MOST copied handlebar out there).however they are not painted/finished to look the part. They are SO good at counterfeiting, there are cases of counterfeits accidentally ending up in legit distribution channels and on LBS shelves. They are actually marketed as the real thing-be is a 3T Aeronova handlebar or a Specialized or Pinarello frameset. These are actually made and finished to look on the outside 100% like the real thing.
Trek, meanwhile, outsources and offshores all their manufacture of frames except their top tier frameset AFAIK.ī) There's also a bit of a distinction to be made in Chinese mystery goods.Ĭounterfeits. They build lots of frames, both for themselves (to be sold under their branding) and for other major brands (to be sold under other branding). But the main reason, is that I really don't know how a random Chicarbon frame is going to ride/handle, which is (for me) the very most important aspect of the bike.Ī) Giant is actually a frame manufacturer. But I take all that with a grain of salt, because they are anecdotal accounts.Īt this point, I personally feel it is safer to buy a used 5-year-old carbon frameset made by Giant, Specialized, or Trek, over a new Chicarbon frame of the same price. If something fails and you break your neck, there's no recourse.įor those of you giving me personal examples of how well your frameset has held up, thank you for taking the time.
There is no consistent structural testing done of these frames. However, compared to established known bicycle manufacturers, it's still a crapshoot. So, they probably have a reputation to uphold, so they're probably going to have better quality than some random ebay seller. So, after reading all these comments, here's my takeaway.Ĭurrently, there are now distributors that carry their own line of Chinese carbon frames. I'm not in the market myself, but I always try to get the lay of the land a few early on so that when I need to buy a frame/bike, I can just pull the trigger. Thank you for your thoughtful replies everyone.
Russian roulette.īut now it seems like there are distributors with their own line of Chinese carbon framesets, like these guys: Īre there any distributors or lines of reputable Chinese carbon frames that you would consider reputable and safe? Until recently, I was aware of only three types of Chinese carbon frames:įrames made for major manufacturers like Trek and Giant.
0 kommentar(er)
