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

Late last night I kinda ordered some funky colour Jersey from aliexpress/China.

For obvious reasons it's the extra colourful fox one, green pink and blue madness.

http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/6205571260.html

Anyway have I made a huge mistake?

sartorially, yes.

Pleased with them so far, although admittedly I've only put about 25 miles on them as yet. Initial impressions are that they are freakin huge, width wise. Very comfortable, also spin up quick despite being a bit heavier than I'd anticipated. Almost exactly 2000g with track nuts and rim tape on. Little disappointed in that if I'm honest as my calculations said they'd be 1750g. Maybe it was just my maths or the scales I'm using are inaccurate. Still over 300g lighter than the Miche Xpress set they're replacing.

Seems to me that with the same tyres they offer a bit more grip but yet to really test that. Will report back after I've done some more miles. Brake track and finishing in general is very good. Couldn't be happier.

Oh and @alemac1, no customs charges which was a nice bonus, despite having them delivered to my home address. Delivery was by courier not post office so I don't know if that made any difference or whether it was just luck of the draw.

Thinking of buying these - likelihood of them killing me? Anyone fancy coming in on an order and reducing postage?

I've got some Yoeleo 50mm clincher rims on a set of Powertap hubs I built. They're fine, although they're noticeably less smooth under braking after last year's trip to Mallorca. Depends where you're riding them. If it involves long and fast descents, I wouldn't recommend Chinese carbon clinchers. Not with rim brakes, anyway.

My Chinvelo take II

That's good to know - these are really an aesthetic (posing) purchase for UK cycling and other flattish riding, will keep my proper wheels for any dramatic descending.

Is there any view on the build quality of the wheels from Yoeleo - did you get them checked over by a wheel builder in the UK or happy to ride out of the box?

I only got the rims from them - I built the wheels myself, so naturally the quality is absolutely superb. They were a swine to build, but that had everything to do with the fact I was using a Powertap Pro hub at the back, and nothing to do with the rims.

FWIW I'm a big fan of the carbon clinchers on the Time Machine, with Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, and I'm currently rebuilding the Path Racer from caliper to disc braked.

I'd use neither of those for "proper" descending - HED Stinger 4 tubs for that (or, maybe, the Flo30 alloy clinchers).

Actually a big fan of this, even like the colour

The 25mm version looks absolutely stunning

Would the carbon rims with alloy brake surface be a significantly better idea re caliper brake performance/decreasing the likelihood of death? Appreciate not quite as stealth, but life>stealth, possibly?

Carbon structure with alloy surfaces bonded on, or alloy rims with a structural carbon fairing?

For clinchers, I'd be more comfortable with the latter, but that fear's probably unfounded with modern carbon clincher rims.

Having raced both, aluminium braking surface is much better. You adapt to the carbon but if you need to stop quick alu is best.

Or, y'know, steel, alu+steel sandwich or carbon ceramic brake rotors...

Apart from the Yoeleo CX wheels, does anyone know where I could get my hands on some 25mm U-shaped wide crabon rims meant to be run with disc brakes only?

They're supposed to be lighter and tiny bit more aero without the braking surface, but seem to be a bugger to find the rims and not wheelsets.

Really need to go through this whole thread beginning to end when I have a day or two free...

Do you really think those tiny marginal gains are really worth it?

I think the market has changed so much during the last 6 month, looking back too long is going backwards.

Apart from the Yoeleo CX wheels, does anyone know where I could get my hands on some 25mm U-shaped wide crabon rims meant to be run with disc brakes only?
They're supposed to be lighter and tiny bit more aero without the braking surface, but seem to be a bugger to find the rims and not wheelsets.
Really need to go through this whole thread beginning to end when I have a day or two free...

I think you can get those without a brake track:
http://www.light-bicycle.com/700C-carbon-road-clincher-U-shaped-45mm-rim-tubeless-ready.html#.VAYE2vldV8E

Reading into the comments from seller

RRU45C (24.5mm wide 45mm U-shaped clincher rim without braking surface): 450 /-15g, USD170/pcs

Hmmm, nice. Cheers dude.

Anyone know of any chinese offerings with the two-tone crabon like this (believe Zipp 404):

Those are legit 404s

I reckon so too. They look pretty dimpley.

I think @owl knows that - he's asking if anyone has seen a similar rim design from one of the Chinese vendors.