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

Been exchagning emails with Mae, apparently they are intending on phasing out the rims that I have for ones with their new "basalt" braking surface treatment.

FSC50-TM (the ones that Howard is getting)

what about the 60mm one, is that going to have the old braking surface?

"TM" is new- so yes, yours have it.

Please note- we don't know if it is better! Although I was tempted to change mine to that, but then decided against it- a large part of the point of this (for me) has been testing these Chinese rims, so I wanted to give the FXC50-TP's another go with the braking surface that they are meant to have had in the first place...

Planet X have dropped the price of their 50mm carbon wheelset to £400

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WBPXCAR50/planet_x_pro_carbon_50_wheelset_handbuilt

crikey

If they did Campag I could have been in trouble there.

Apparently only that price for 50 pairs so be quick if you're tempted

Typical. Is there any easy way of getting the PX logo off?

Sandpaper- the lettering is under the lacquer I believe.

go deeper and get the no-logo 82/101's !

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPPXNOLOGO82101/planet_x_pro_carbon_no_logo_82_101_wheelset

I saw those the other day. I have absolutely zero need for them...especially this time of year, but I was still very tempted.

Also I'm pretty sure I've seen somewhere that does enve decals.

P-X were doing blank ones:
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPPXNOLOGO82101-700-SHI-TUB/planet-x-pro-carbon-no-logo-82-101-wheelset---700c---shimano-sram---tubular

Has anybody had any experience with alibaba? I was looking on there and found this chinarello:

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/494545411/2011_Pinarello_Dogma_60_1_BoB.html

I had a look at some other carbon frame ads and they all said they were made in the 'OEM factory'.
if anybody who knows about these things could shed some light on the oem factory, it would be much appreciated. (google and wikipedia seem to useless here)

oem means orignal equipment manufacturer. They're just sating that they're made in the same factory as big drands

In my limited experience everyone you talk to will claim to be the factory rep, which either means that each factory has 30,000 reps, or "factory rep" in Chinese means "reseller"

so do you recon that they actually are from the same factory as big brands?

If you want a Chinarello just get one off ebay
eg:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Road-Bicycle-Full-All-Carbon-Frame-3K-56CM-BB30-Front-Fork-/300608237593?pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item45fda5b019

is it just a load of bollocks saying they are 'oem'? or should i believe the chinese....

^^ that ebay listing says frame (with no fork) weighs 1.622kg.

I wonder if the these share moulds with Pinarellos but use a different layup, less carbon or more resin?

I've searched a lot about these frames, the best piece of info I could find was from someone who is a relative of someone who owns one of these factories. Basically it came down to a factory owner/operator going to the security guards at one of the factories that makes genuine Pinarello's, De Rosa's etc and giving them a pack of beer for a look around their office and just copying their designs.
They then go back to their factory and produce frames with exactly the same mould. The differences come with the kind of carbon used, there is a very common kind of carbon used for most bike frames, 700 something I think, but now some higher end companies are using a different kind, 1000 something I think. Some high end manufacturers may have differently layering techniques which can't be copied by other factories but mostly it comes down to the finishing. The insides tend to be rougher with marks from the bladder and the edges may be rougher etc. Generally less well finished. You also don't get the warranty of big brands.

Toray 700 and 800 get mentioned in marketing material for a lot of companies. The higher that number – the stiffer it is and can be thinner/lighter.

From what I understand it's possible to cut labour time (and therefore cost) during the making of carbon frames by using more resin, adding some weight. I don't know if this applies to only non pre-preg (resins already present) carbon fibre though.

Guru make a big thing about having a higher carbon content in their fibre frames.

My chirbon wheels are made from Toray 1000 which is betterer.

I just paid the invoice, if you chaps could please send me the address to which you wish the wheels to be sent?

dammit do you still have those spare rims?

those carbon wheelset .. from planet x are awesome!

dammit do you still have those spare rims?

I have a 20 hole 50mm rim spare.

whats wrong with them again?