Orient Express - Cheap Chinese Rims / Wheels / Forks / Frames / Cranks / Etc

I liked Pro Team Cycling Wear on Aliexpress. See my review around page 55.

cheers!

I'm thinking of getting a set of 60mm/88mm carbon clinchers for my tarck bike off ebay, for £250ish. Why is this a bad idea? Has anyone got these wheels (for example). If so, how are you getting on with them?

If they are being build properly, you should just about get lucky with only 24 spokes on 88mm whip skidding your eyes out - but I wouldn't go lower than 28 on the rear.

Ah ok, well I won't be doing any whipskidding - I'm not quite that tarck and am generally too old for that sort of thing. It'll be used around London for commuting, general rides and down at Herne Hill (when I get off my fat arse and get on with it again). I'm about 85kg and 6'6", if that has any bearing on it. Also, is it best to get 23mm width over 20.5mm?

Great - I have no concern then, except that 88mm is reeeally visually loud and people would expect you to pull whipskidds now and then, you will not disappoint yourself, but you will disappoint the crowd. Wide 23mm is better.

Ha, well the crowd can bugger off, I'm gonna ride my tarck bike so sensibly. Anyone know what the ebay carbonz brake tracks are like? Presumably not 'basalt' or whatever farsports have?

Whatever they are, they will hold up to your sensible stealth riding.

I need 23mm 32h tubular carbon rims for cyclocross disc wheelset for a 90+kg rider. Any recomendations/links?

60's are going to be a lot more fun and easy to deal with day-to-day / in the wind than 88's. They'll be lighter too.

32h? Are you sure you need that many spokes? They'll be so un-aero and heavy - you might as well just use a low profile alu rim.

Do you even cx?

I ride thing rough and I like cake. I need light but more important strength.
Maybe aluminum is fine, but I can't find many 23mm tubular alu rims and thought carbon rims would make since as I won't be braking on them (disc brakes).

this looks interesting:
http://feat-bikes.en.alibaba.com/product/1996804570-220691307/First_Look_2015_cyclocross_bike_frame_142mm_thru_axle_New_cyclocross_bicycle_carbon_frame.html

Some guy Louis at WW

I finally bought some 40 mm 27 wide tubulars from Carbon Cycle. Very nice finish (UD matte with 3K brake track), one rim weighed 371g and the other 375g.
Roundness isn't perfect, but it built nicely to a well balanced wheelset. I put Sapim CX Ray spokes, BHS SLF71W and SL190 hubs ( 20/24h ) with alloy 12mm nipples. The set came in at 1225g. Glued some Corsa CX 23mm on them and delivered them to its (very happy) owner.
Louis :)

The WU6C [17.5mm inside rim/60mm toroidal shape] has arrived to my house - and the specifications is as promised incl. the custom 24/28 drilling

What seller is that from? Couldn't see a link in the last couple of pages?

Yishunbike

http://www.yoeleobike.com/u-shape-700c-25mm-wide-track-carbon-wheels-clincher-88mm.html

These came out pretty solid and the build quality seemed fine. Impressed with the braking track, obvs not doing any alpine descents but seem totally fine. U-shape and 25mm wide rim means cross-winds are totally manageable even for a really light rider like myself. Service was decent and like a lot of these sellers all just email based. Ridden them for 1500 miles almost entirely in London and have become pretty confident in them.

Is the name of the company meant to nearly be "yolo"?

Good to hear that you're pleased with those. I ordered some of these a couple of weeks ago.

http://www.yoeleobike.com/u-shape-700c-25mm-wide-track-carbon-wheels-clincher-38mm.html

Looking forward to their arrival.

What sort of charges at customs are you likely to incurr on a set of wheels like this?

@vunugu Report back, it will be interesting to see if there is consistency. I hope yours come up decent.

@alemac1 I was charged 20% of what I paid for the wheels. Not the low amount Yoeleo put on the box. Customs basically valued them correctly. The total was 70 odd quid. The 20% tax and then the infamous £13.50 or whatever it is 'handling fee'

I've actually got zero problem paying duty if I can pay it upfront or something. The infuriating thing is looking at your EPS tracking number and for ages all seems almost there, and then you find out it has been at Kings Cross parcel force for 11 days 'awaiting payment'.

I've had over a dozen packages from China and been caught by customs only once, £27ish for a pair of wheels. The golden rule appears to be to get your package sent to your place of work.

Didn't work for me unfortunately