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

Anyone tired the bibs from Spexcel? Interested, but as I'm already an XXL in DHB stuff, I wonder how their XXL fits?

wish they'd stop copying

70 years of communism has pretty much beaten the creativity out of the Chinese people

Get fucked.
Absolutely amazing things are happening in Chinese arts, architecture, cinema, culinary arts and more. If you’ve missed that then the joke’s on you.

If you’ve missed that

I haven't. Artists have to dare to be creative everywhere, but nowhere more so than under totalitarian rule, where there's more than a 50% chance that getting it wrong ends up in prison or death rather than just having to get a proper job. The triumph of the human spirit is that even the worst dictators can't crush everybody; the tragedy is that even light repression can extinguish the will to try something new in most of the people.

just bought a spexcel jersey (and socks!) to see what all the fuss is about....

Has anyone tried one of the Sensah (or equivalent) groupsets? I'd like a bump from a 2x9 Sora (modern sora, admittedly, so fine) to something a bit fancier. Is it worth giving one of them a try at circa £150? I haven't found many real world reviews out there, especially of their newer stuff.

(If anyone wants to sell me a used 105 groupset for a similar amount, let me know...!)

Do spexcel do a winter jersey. My gabba needs replacing

TraceVelo on YoutTube has.

Yeah, I've watched his reviews. Makes them seen fine, but didn't know if there were any first hand experiences here?

How does the Spexcel sizing compare to Rapha? Interested in ordering a gilet.

Bought this ZTTO single speed adapter kit, bit noisy but overall pretty decent. Paid 35 EUR all inclusive.

it is a bit all over the shop. often it is smaller but sometimes they fit 1:1 to rapha. best is to just check the reviews of individual items. or just order a couple of sizes and flog the one that doesnt fit on here

I bought a skinsuit.

Honestly. It’s pretty shit.

I've got the earlier version of Empire with the plastic bit in the RD and in the shifters that should be metal and was changed to metal. Did an early YouTube vid about it that got a bunch of views.

Haven't used it much so it hasn't gone bang, but the FD broke my hanger because its nose didn't extend down far enough to go past the end of the slot in the hanger, bit fucken shit.

Got another hanger (not easy for front) and made a spacer to go between.

It's pretty incredible value, but rough edges, which I gather have mostly been fixed (dunno about the FD though), but the main annoyance is large shifter throw. Could be a real contender in future generations, I love how they ripped off Shimano's actuation and SRAM's escapement and combined the two to give you a single lever for braking and shifting (although bumping the right lever easily puts the bike in a taller gear, which can be a problem).

Anyway, I'd say it's not there yet, until lever throw is reduced and the FD doesn't break your bike.

Finally had my LB AR45 set delivered. Ordered in April!

Have to say they are pretty worth the wait. Pro flyweight rims with Carbon Ti hubs. A very peachy 1,286g and 25mm GP5Ks blow up to 27.7mm.

Pro finish looks extremely similar to Campag WTOs, but lighter and better than half the price.

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My LB rims have been wonderful all summer.

If anyone is doing another group order, I might get some more.

look ace jameo. i'm tempted to get another pair too tbh

how much did they set you back?

Keen to pitch in as well, I have been in touch with them for a pair of AR36 for CX.
They also seem to have 30% off in shipping cost at the moment (compared to what I was quoted a month or so ago)

Also interested in joining a group buy

Also intersted...

looks like you havent cleaned your gravel bike

Could be interested. What's the general saving over just ordering yourself?

That's a negative

It varies, the last group order I did had over 30 rims in so prices on the Pro Series wheelsets and rims saved 30%. They don't give you huge savings on their standard rims though (5%). You also obviously share shipping which helps. We all avoided customs last time which was a nice bonus.

1,286g

!!!