espi-JG

This is my first road bike and decided to share my experiences with a full Chinese carbon build. I'm not encouraging or discouraging anyone to buy chinese, just letting you know how everything went for me. I know this route isn't for everyone, but I wanted an inexpensive and cool looking bike for my first experience with road biking. I've been riding brakeless fixed gear bikes for the last 6 years and always felt limited on longer rides. The frame is a Dogma F8 replica from dhgate, $534 shipped. The frameset arrived in 2 weeks to the usa, but showed up with some issues:
1-the rear derailleur hanger was bent (easily replaced)
2-the bolt holding the saddle to the seatpost was cracked (also easily replaced)
3-the first bb thread wasn't quite right, so we had to re-thread the bb shell
Yeah, the quality control sucks but the issues all got resolved in 1 day and the bike rides perfect now. Here are the build specs:

57.5cm full carbon frame
full carbon fork
full Shimano 105 groupset 11 speed 50/34 chainrings
Chinese carbon 20/24 wheels novatec hubs
swiss stop black prince pads
Continental gp4000IIs 23c
Chinese carbon integrated bars (I know)
lizard skins dsp 3.2 bar tape
fizik arione replica (also dhgate, $26 shipped)
Total build cost came in just under $1400 and now I can leave my fixed at home on long rides. I don't have a point of reference to compare the ride to because this is my first road bike. Overall impressions: the ride is smooth as hell, the shifting is crisp and the aero tubes are noticeably aero (crosswinds). The bike feels light and fun to climb. The biggest disappointment is the saddle, which I expected. I'll be replacing it shortly. Disregard the steerer tube, I haven't gotten fitted yet.

Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

rpenmanparker 

I think you would have had better luck with a non-replica Chinese frame from one of the highly respected suppliers like Hong-fu, Deng-fu, or Workswell. The Workswell would have been cheaper, and from what is said on BF, arrives in excellent condition. While the replica sellers are trying to defraud the buyer, the non-replica suppliers are selling a straight up product that they stand behind. Even though the non-replica makers' names are not on the bikes, they do value their reputations and work to improve them.

Sy Reene

I'm not going to suggest that the replica frames are or are not necessarily always lesser quality than the workswells or Hong-fus, as I don't think there's any universal knowledge of which factories are building these things and what QA they do or don't have. I imagine there's more than 1 company in China building these bikes.

However, do you really think the OP was defrauded? It seems quite clear that he knows his bike isn't the real thing. And, anybody buying off of DHGate has to be a complete id!ot to think the "Pinarellos" are authentic.

rpenmanparker 

No, the OP was not defrauded. I really didn't mean to suggest that he was. What I meant was that by branding knock-offs as if they were the real thing, the replica makers are attempting to defraud. In my experience such frames are offered without any explanation of their true provenance. They are represented as the real thing.

Jiggle

Holy stack of spacers, Batman!

espi-JG

I knew what i was buying and consciously made the decision. Im comfortable with it. I didnt go through dengfu or the others because i wanted decals on the frame.
Again, spacers are there because i havent gotten fitted yet.

Sy Reene

Maybe some replica makers are attempting to defraud the buyers. But again, I think a buyer has to be really really gullible or clueless to think these sites are selling the real thing. Here was first hit on dhgate, it's quite obvious not the real thing if you scroll down to their red highlighted copy:
New Arrivel Chinarello Full Carbon Road Bike Bicycle Frame Sky 957 952 954 29er Frame 18 Inch Bike Frame From Iverson3, $492.15| Dhgate.Com

Not in dispute is that these counterfeit goods producers are probably hurting the real companies. Not in lost sales because buyers are duped (IMO), but in lost sales due to loss of prestige -- where those who would consider buying the real thing have to start considering whether everyone else might think they bought a fake.

rpenmanparker 

Many sellers call the bikes Pinarellos, not Chinarellos. Or Bianchi, etc.

rpenmanparker 

I understand wanting decals. But fake decals?

espi-JG

Haha yeah i wanted some decals. Im up front with everyone that asks about my bike, I've never told anyone it was a real pinarello.

SkepticalOne

One would think that high-end frame geometries are optimized on the basis of the specific strength of materials used. It looks like you are assuming that the structure is equivalent in strength - this might be a hazard, given the degree to which some of these frames are optimized structurally.

I would be very reluctant to pick up too much speed on one of these frames.

KPSquared

Exactly. Several hundred pieces of carbon material which are not the same weave, etc that are laid in a specific way in order to provide strength a certain direction. The counterfeits only duplicate the shape of the frame, handlebars, etc. Problem is a lot of the low price pieces are not spec'd and so you don't know what you can do with it. I would not take a nonspec bike frame, wheels, handlebars, etc down a hill at 45+ mph. For casual riding I'm sure these are fine, but would not trust them for serious road riding.

That said, the OP's bike looks very nice. Be careful with your riding.

indyfabz

Because it might asplode?

SkepticalOne

It might collapse without warning under load, cause loss of control, injury, or death.

Replicas work better when they aren't imitating high-end performance structural elements used in real-life applications.

espi-JG

I'll report back when it breaks in half. Until then, $1400 for full carbon.

merlinextraligh

Take a look at the Velo piece on fake frames. As posted above, generic Asian frame is a much better bet

bigdo13

That piece was so biased and so silly it was pretty easy to dismiss..

every seller on DHgate or aliexpress or alibaba isn't the same... and different sellers put their frames under different scrutiny under testing...

bigdo13

listening to all the silly shuddering aboyt "picking up too much speed" on the replica frames is hilarious... some of you really are afraid of life and trying anything outside your parochial worldview.. even the guy trying to place the deng-fu frames over the replica frameset's sounds elitist to a degree..

for the record... these frames are safe... period. You aren't going to be riding them and have them just assplode out of nowhere... there are tons of people in Europe, Australia and all over western countries that have them and sing their praises... there's tons of vids on Youtube with guys that have had replicas going on years now, doing thousands of K's and screaming down mountains at 70mph and they were FINE...

sheesh... i always cringe when people within the cycling community refer to roadies as elitists and snobs, partly because of views expressed in here... it's like some of you are the kids at school back in 5th grade that had the expensive Nike shoes on and pointed and laughed at the kids wearing Skippy's or Payless brand, even though all the shoes were literally made roughly in the SAME PLACE, WITH THE SAME MATERIALS, the same ways. Grow up already.

merlinextraligh

And are you going to trust one that is intentionally flouting all the copyright laws. The fake pinarellos are illegal fy by night.

Generic Asian frame an entirely different deal.

bigdo13

oh noes! It's illegal!! They're going to arrest us all for our fake Chiinarellos... lol...

seriously man, get a grip. I doubt the Pinarello people or any of the major manufacturers care too too much if more people are seen riding around on bikes carrying their badge...it's free promotion and advertising in a way... that's why they don't crack down as hard as they can on the rogue factories and workers producing the replica's. That, and well, they don't want to offend the people that make A LOT of their other stuff for them as well...

merlinextraligh

The point is people producing fakes are operating illegally, and don't give a crap about the integrity of their brand.

You're much better off with any number of Asian builders who are operating legitimately.

rms13

One of my friends has a fake S-Works Venge. He knows what he bought and he told me he got it because he wants people to think he has an expensive bike. To each their own. He also did 90 miles with 12k feet of elevation on it today and has done a dozen similar rides on it with no issues

bigdo13

you trying to label those people as somehow disingenuous and criminal is beyond pious, western judgement.... They work hard, just like you, they do their jobs and they do it well... and BTW, most if not all of the replica frames do in fact have warranties for anywhere between 2 and 5 years and there's numerous examples of how the sellers have exchanged frames for people after seeing pics of damaged frames or wheels.. so please... spare me the holier than thou routine....

bigdo13

i know a few dudes that have replica Tarmac's as well and they love them, even more, they love that they only paid $600 bucks for their frameset..

other than a few remarks about the paint job's not being like, super duper high end, the reviews were all basically positive... some of them were making them their daily driver's others used them as just their throw-around bike... neither party had any issues really... and yes, some of them do a **** ton of miles in really demanding terrain...

merlinextraligh

Uhm, no it's based on internationally accepted intellectual property laws.

It's illegal to make a fake pinarellos, or fake Tarmac.

Regardless of the morality of suppoorting people who are breaking the law, and undercutting the people who made the investment to develop the product in the first place, they're not people with whom you want to do business.

Buying a fake Rolex is tacky, but at least when it breaks you don't face plant.