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

bollox.

Whatever you choose will be wrong. LFGSS hive mind is a cruel beast and can never truly be pleased.

Whatever YOU choose will be wrong, Hippy, you ride a bike properly and therefore know nothing about how to build one for others to gawp at.

On the bright side, just received my £18.60 200g in-line seatpin from Sayyoulluseme (yes, really!) and it seems robust enough and is well finished. At that price I probably deserve to have it explode and ream my butt with splinters.

gloss

Thanks for the input and obviously it was a slightly nebulous question but just wanted any insight from those who have bought and seen up close. Nice one

gloss and 3k is so 90s

Also, 80mm rims, how do you get at the valve to inflate tubes? I've seen 80mm conti prestas, are there larger? or do you need somesort of extender bizzness?

Valve extender

Nice one

Preferably of the type shown in Hippy's pic on the left and used with inner tubes with removable valve cores. Remove valve core from inner tube, insert extender, reinstall valve core into extender. Far better than the alternatives such as that shown on the right, IMHO.

I actually prefer the ones on the right. It means I can fit, inflate, remove and use them on multiple wheels.

Really? Never got on with them myself. They've always rattled loose and leaked when I've tried to use them.

I use Topeak ones. You screw the extender over the valve (or do this before fitting tube) and then the inner knurled bit can be used to undo the valve nut. Inflate and use the knurled bit to close the valve nut. Then remove the extender. It can't come loose because it's not fitted any more.. #magnets

For a permanent setup we use plumbers tape (?) and a spanner to affix it to the valve. I can't remember exactly, it was Scherrit's doing as he never trusted what I did with them (although they never failed with my method so I continue to do it my way).

plus...more aero with no valve extending out the rim

plus...more aero with no valve extending out the rim

But even better if you cover the hole .

plus...more aero with no valve extending out the rim
and lighter.

Weenies >>>

Makes no difference to aeros if it's there or not, just looks.

Technically it does make a difference. Whether that difference is significant or not....

Makes no difference to aeros if it's there or not, just looks.

Technically it does make a difference. Whether that difference is significant or not....

Round cross sections are notably bad for aero, but it'd be (slightly) interesting to see a fluid dynamics simulation of the flow across an empty valve hole.

I suspect the air is so turbulent by the time it reaches the valve hole that it barely matters, unless the hole is in the leading part of the rim, where the effect would probably be insignificant.

I use Topeak ones. You screw the extender over the valve (or do this before fitting tube) and then the inner knurled bit can be used to undo the valve nut. Inflate and use the knurled bit to close the valve nut. Then remove the extender. It can't come loose because it's not fitted any more.. #magnets

Cool that you can tighten and loosen the valve using the Topeak one... the one I have is just a pipe that you screw on. The biggest annoyance with mine is that it's a bugger to inflate because the join between the extender and the tyre valve is poor so air just seeps out the side.

I mainly use the "valve core" tripe but it's annoying if I get a puncture mid race because I need a different length valve on front and back.

1.Get disc and Hed 3

1. Use standard length valves
   
2. ?
   
3. Profit
   

Obviously its personal preference but glossy or matte for crabon rims? What looks better?

Get one of each, best of both worlds.

How do those cheap china carbon trispokes on ebay compare to hed 3 or the knockoffs like Blb trispoke? Will they warp sooner or break easier?

Same mold as the blb ones I think, doubt they compare to the hed in any way.

The allowance for the wheels to be out of true is pretty bad on those chinese tris