Especially in food industry, the same products out of the same factory are often sold by different names. This is very common across german-based super markets such as Lidl and Aldi
except most of the time it's not the same product. Aldi and Lidl specify how these product need to be and those bigger companies only use their own production machines
I have to say, being partial to an Ali Express bargain myself, that your videos have been a great source of information on my purchases. As regards cheap knock offs, it depends on the part, brakes can make the difference between getting hurt or not so I'd definitely do some research before buying, and personally would probably stick to established brands. Having said that, my riskiest purchase so far has been a carbon handler. I initially ordered a knock off specialized aerobar from a no name shop (£250 new for £30 on AE), but then I thought better of it and cancelled the order. Eventually, I ordered one from OG-EVKIN (£45), and it looked well made, was well packaged, arrived quickly (10 days) and I still have all my teeth! They're a proper factory shop and for crucial components I wouldn't trust just some no name seller who you know doesn't care about preserving their reputation or quality control at all. I notice you haven't tested any OG-EVKIN products yet (that I've noticed), so I'd recommend them to you.
Yeah i've had OG-EVKIN on my radar for a while now. From what i have seen, they seem to operate a bit like Toseek. I'll def check them out in the future. Anyway, thanks for the comment Alex!
I gotta say i dig the delivery and editing of your stuff! Been watching for awhile and quickly caught up through them all. Also, also, your intro theme gets me pumped to watch your shit. Good on ya! Keep em coming!
the funnies are back! your singing :D such fantastic review with unbiased detail. always enjoy the material and kudos for the honesty at the end. very integral and i think how much enjoyment you demonstrate radiates with the viewers (i does for me anyway!)
Incredible, fantastic coverage as always, Luke. You're the most authoritative source that can be trusted when it comes to Chinese Bicycle parts and I bet thousands out there rely on your analysis to make a purchase decision. I myself was considering Sensah Empire thanks to your video. And honestly, I think Sensah made the upgrade to metal parts in their Empire entry level groupset BECAUSE of your coverage and review video. Keep doing what you're doing, and you'll be really contributing massively into improving the safety of people and quality of these Aliexpress brands. Sometimes, one sample size is all you need. And you're the proof. Amazing job.
Yet another great post, Luke, and good question re. Aliexpress. I reckon people watching your channel (by definition) will be those who are "interested but sceptical" and will have "caveat emptor" in mind. PS - don't worry about the time thing. Maybe you have your sponsors in mind, and sure, it might not technically be a decade since you got those Tiagra callipers... but that's aeons measured in cycle industry terms. I'm sure real people all get this, and only a pedantic mor#n could possibly worry about being mislead. So FWIW, keep up the banter and honesty: that's what we watch for, and that's what will keep us coming back. And I hope your sponsors get this too.
Thanks nemo, love this comment! Yeah I always try to show the good and the bad. It's so easy to shit all over these products, and while some of them definitely deserve the critisism, other really are great bargains!
Thanks for the honest review. I was really hoping these would be great. I don't buy these knock-offs, but I'm glad you do, and that you post your results.
So I bought the EE brakes from Ali, and they just arrived in the mail a couple days ago. They seem very sturdy, and very light. They came with Cane Creek EE-branded boxes, complete with bolts and extra washers, as well as an instruction manual paper. Shipping time was 6 weeks, but well worth it (so far). They should be mounted and ridden on by the end of next week.
Did you get the regular or direct mount ones? How are they holding up? How is the braking power and modulation? Sorry for the bombardment of questions but I’m eager to know
@@loc9588 A bit finnicky adjusting the pads and arm angles, but no other problems. Stopping power is fine, similar to the r8000 brakes that were taken off my bike. But I’m only 64kg… so there’s no telling how much a rider has to weigh until it hinders the performance of the ee brakes. I’ve already had ~3000 miles with those brakes. They’re great so far 👍 Dm me on insta if you want to see pics/vid or have other questions.
Hi, i have a set of those brakes, just waiting to know some reviews, but it appear not be polite make a video with the brand on it. how's your experience? they look fine machined, but iam keep waiting before test on a long descent.
I am pretty comfortable with AliExpress. Partly because of your channel I built up a carbon beach racing bike with most parts from Ali. It includes a carbon MTB frame, fixed fork, and seat post from a company called Thrust, a aluminium stem from UNO(I needed something to upgrade in the future!), carbon flared handlebars from ZNIINO, Sensah SRX pro 1x11 groupset, some crank and BB. Wheels I bought here in the Netherlands because it is a special wheelset for beach racing with an internal width of 35 in the back and 30 in the front, and could not find such wide wheels on Ali. Brakes are Shimano, just because I did not pay attention and bought ZRACE brakes which of course don't fit on a MTB
Greetings from Japan, Luke. Thanks for your videos which are really entertaining & informative. I have purchased lots of stuff from AliEx since I learned about it back in 2014. I built 3 full carbon bikes in 2015, 2018, & 2020, and I’m so happy that I got good quality framesets. Sold the first one after 2 years & still using the other two. I have confidence in buying full carbon frame sets , saddles, lights, carbon seat posts, brake pads for carbon wheels, & cassettes. I wouldn’t recommend buying helmets, carbon handlebars, stems, & components. I stick to the tried & tested original Shimano groupset. As others said, buying stuff in AliEx is a hit & miss but best is to read reviews first & buy from reliable sellers. Cheers!
Braking performance is kind of everything to me. I wouldn't keep something that reduced the performance that's much especially in an emergency situation. So for my while they do look awesome, this would be something I'd pass on. As for knock offs. I don't see a problem with that at all. Especially if it's comparable quality. I buy a lot of off brand things and some of which I prefer to their "brand name" counter parts.
Yeah, fair enough! I'm happy to take a bit of a risk on brakes, but can definitely see the argument with sticking with more traditional branded products for the key 'safety' areas of the bike
During your video, I noticed I have the same bike work stand as you, and I was wondering how you were able to use it in you smallish workspace (as the legs take up a obscene amount of space when deployed)... until I saw the correction at the end, and I saw your solution. Normally I am a problem solver, and in truth had not attempted to solve this one, but thanks for the wide shot at the end to save me the trouble. Fantastic video as always!
Hi Luke, loved the video buddy. My bike buying habits tend to be based on reviews, such as yours, generally you are not going to be disappointed or potentially massively outta pocket! I did buy one if those Chinese carbon oversize pulley wheel cages you reviewed, good product, but not fitted as cant seem to make it fit with the Shimano rear mechs I have, 105, ultegra or dura ace! Must admit havnt had the time to ask why not though. Keep up the good output you make and looking forward to next episode.
Ok amazing, thanks for the comment Aveedub! That's a shame about the pulley cage though, maybe the machined 'peg' that fits into the derailleur isn't the right size...?
When going to AliExpress it feels the same as going to Lidl. You can't expect the highest quality but you can expect some pretty good items. I do a lot of shopping on AliExpress myself. I don't buy much over ~€20/£20 because in that 'higher' price range I don't really like to gamble. The priciest item I bought was a knock-off Lego set for €40 and it was definitely worth the money, so sometimes/often you can be lucky. You get pretty good at spotting things that are no bueno when shopping on AliExpress, so there isn't much that can go wrong for me. I wouldn't buy many tech products there though, like smartwatches, spreakers, earphones, headphones. They are often not that great and you can't return them either. Even though I do my own fair amount of shopping watching this channel gave me other insights in the matter that really helped me with some decisions :)
Yeah that's why these calipers are a bit of a harder sell. At £140, they are cheap comparatively speaking, but that's still alot of money to gamble on something that could be total garbage!
Don't touch cheap Chinese carbon bike parts anymore since I purchased 2 pairs of toseek carbon drop bars I saw on your channel and both failed where the bar clamp sits. They were torqued to the correct nm but both had crushed under the clamp. I only checked them after you mentioned the issue on a later video, glad I did. Amazon fully refunded both within 6 months of purchase Love the videos Luke Cheers
Really... I'm just working on another toseek handlebar video atm, if you have any pictures of these failures, i would LOVE to see them! If you have any and can email them to me, that would be amazing! tracevelouk@gmail.com
I think the main problem is the ratio of Brake lever movement to brake calliper movement. If you adjust the caliper so the pads don't rub on your wheel rim the lever movement might not be enough to put full braking force through the calipers. There's no easy way around that.
Another great video Luke… like you, I love a bit if Chinese carbon and a bargain too, but the thought of using Aliexpress unknown carbon on the brakes is a step too far for me. After seeing the amount of flex says to me” anything that bends that much is gonna fail”
Hey Luke, I love your channel and how adventurous you are with the products you use and review. Perhaps after knowing your experience with an item I would purchase it from AE, but other than that I don't think I would otherwise, I really don't trust their products, at least not for my bikes. I haven't ever purchased anything for my bikes from AE but perhaps in the future I may. Great content man, keep it coming.
I like what you doing keep compare and explore this boss and budget stuff. Personally i have cheap carbon chineese seatpost and saddle on my aluminum scott gravel and its works fine.
Over the last 20 years I have seen light weight brakes come and go in popularity. the consistent thing with this product is that the performance is never there compared to something like a DA or Record level caliper. being able to stop fast allows you to ride faster!
Yeah you are right. When it comes to braking, you need really stiff materials to transfer that camming motion into pressure on the rim. Carbon can be very stiff, it's just a shame these are so spongy... I think the cane creek ones will be the best bet for a lightweight caliper with some real bite!
Why would one struggle with this? There's everything from light framesets to titanium bolts. Sensah Empire is quite lightweight, although the selection of truly lightweight cranks on Ali (if you don't count for example SRAM cranksets sold on Ali) isn't that good.
Love the reviews, i have purchased many things off Aliexpress ie, wheels, handlebars and pedal, most of my purchases have been ok but can be a bit luck of the draw, did get a saddle that looked very close to a Fizik top of the range, was like sitting on house brick with the frog up, ideal for the cyclist with masochistic tendency. Always take the positive attitude 😀
Luck of the draw about sums it up. Sometimes you get some great gear for a fantastic price, other times (like this video demonstrates) you can be dissapointed. But to be honest, IMO that is what makes it fun!
Its been a while, good to see you still usinh micronew r11. When time i saw your review on that shifter , make me a fan also. Half price on 105 and the shiftness is crisp. With 105 rd & fb.
Sometimes the reason i buy some aliexpress cycling stuff is to annoy or wind up some people on my group rides, some just think they're worthless junk. Which some are, but there are many decent offerings. I personally don't like or buy products from aliexpress that use branding that they don't have the copyright for, but independent brands like Toseek or sensah have always been amazing for me. I use a toseek carbon saddle with no padding other than the padding from my bibs and it's so comfortable at least for me. But things like helmets, shoes and clothing i don't think is up to standard yet.
These premade carbon plates are like the sheetmetal of the composites world, super useful and very easy to use, no wonder they are the material of choice for these brakes.
Hi Luke, Your videos have given me more confidence about buying from Aliexpress, but I still wouldn't have bought brake calipers even if you recommended them. I got some Elite-wheels wheels and an OSPW derailleur cage. I bought the hardrock crank to replace my 105 crank. I am happy to support new Chinese brands, but stay away from fakes and no-name ripoffs. Clothes are good. Lights are a good buy. I like to support the local bike shops for most things as the cost saving for AE doesn't makeup for the inconvenience of waiting. However with the shortage of parts and the price of clothing AE is really attractive for some things. I have had a few failures - a carbon seat that cracked pretty quickly, and a package that got lost (by NZ Post) in a way that AE didn't cover. Mostly I am pretty happy, but do quite a lot of research before buying. Look for the best sellers, and the best items. It is all part of the pleasure of owning a bicycle.
Very informative. They do look blingin brilliant. These are single pivot/traditional calliper brakes. Wonder is there a direct mount version. This isn't stiff enough. (that's what she said)
Luke! King of cheap carbon content! Great topic. AliExpress and Cheap Chinese items certainly have a place in my life. But not when my life may depend on them. Like you, I targeted brake calipers a few years ago for upgrade. Looked at Cane Creek, for a second 🤣, and opted for a used set of BR-9000, $150 USD. Cleaned up, swapped in some light weight pad frames/ hardware and got the weight down to 265g +\-. Braking performance is amazing, perhaps perfection? What about a 1x road group to seriously shave some weight?
Larison, thanks for the comment! The approach you have taken seems pretty fair, and is in line with alot of other commenters. I think people are happy to cheap out on certian things, like maybe the saddle and crankset, but things that are integral to safety on the bike, such as the brakes, many people like yourself will steer clear. This is actually a really sensible approach, and probably mitigates many of the issues surrounding some of this cheaper stuff...
I can see that you are using now Time Espresso copy pedals. We would to have the review for that soon. Interested on that one and I currently using the copy of speedplay pedal but with Ti axles from Ali. Btw, keep up the good work and more subscribers to come! 😁
I think it would be really cool if you could take all your cheap carbon stuff and do an x-ray episode. Bring them to an X-ray tech or carbon professional and see what their opinions are of the internal makeup.
Thanks for your content... I've bought a few cheap bits off AliExpress over the last while - often inspired by your channel. I do make a point of reading the reviews first though. It has been a bit of trial and error and as such been a bit hit and miss. Toseek bar & stem, ungraded bottle cages, unbranded seat post - zero issue, with about 2000km's no problem. On the other hand, a knock off GoPro mount from ZTTO for example was pure shite... A while ago I had a cans of beer while browsing AliExpress which had hampered my judgement a bit. I ended up buying a knock-off ceramic BB by ZTTO. It arrived and looks alright but I'm worried about the grade and hardness of the aluminium. So, I haven't brought myself to install yet. I might just do that in the next few weeks as my BB is starting too show sign of needing replacement.
From my experience tinkering with various pivoting mechanical gizmos, it's difficult to fuck up nylon bushings/rollers and make flexy aluminum parts (matter of fact, it's easier to snap them or make them too stiff), so I'm guessing that the sponginess comes from the horrendous tolerances in the interfaces at the fasteners (loose pivots) or between the aluminum and carbon, the latter being more likely due to the aluminum part moving much more relative to the carbon plates. Anyways, I've used the meroca aluminum calipers before (when I used to have a rim-brake bike) and besides being slightly lighter than Sora calipers, they actually perform pretty mint in the braking response department. Also, the fewer moving parts the caliper has, the better.
Hello Luke, I was happy to find your channel and your first bike build. I was not sure how I would have afforded a carbon frame or wheels without Alliexpress. Once those were purchased I have mainly used AE to purchase small items like the caps for the ends of the cables, spacers, bar tape, etc. One of the draws to doing this is not only the price, but the fact that there are so many color choices. As for brakes and cranks, I have stuck to Shimano parts. My cables are Jagwire.
Depends on the product. Small things like the saddle, phone holders, lights from AliExpress but brakes probably not for me. That being said I would consider these carbon knock off brakes if I was to setup a bike for hill climbs.
Nice show mate, I was lucky to pick up a used set of CNC Alloy Ciamillo Micros GSL here in Berlin. Heavy at 190 grams per set with pads and hardware but they work fantastic and they look amazing. The knock off Ciamillo carbon versions you have would be great on a UK Hill Climbing scene on a budget to get the whip to be around 4.5kg.
Greetings from China! Your channel is amazing, wish more pleasant experience on AliExpress budget products in the future for you sir! And I believe you will find more budget bike stuff on it as well!
Great review as usual, Luke. I get my carbon knock off stuff from Amazon. Better protection. I stay away from safety related stuff. Carbon bottle cages, shift levers , silk men's boxers , all quality stuff. KB
Clothing and tools I buy without hesitation from Ali. Parts and wheels I follow Luke's advice and test in safe conditions. I've had seats break, all other wheels and parts have been no problem. I avoid counterfeits, I know I'm gambling with quality and have almost always won.
I’ll admit that, while I really enjoy your channel (and have subscribed), I have yet to take a plunge and buy any Ali parts. I have bought stuff from other sellers that would likely be found on Ali, but it hasn’t been anything more than accessory-level stuff. Garmin mount, water bottle cage, that sort of thing. Here’s an idea I had while watching this video. You’ve delved so deeply into the cheap parts pool. At this point, little of your bike is ‘name brand’ stuff, right? But it’s all been in bits and pieces. I’d be curious to see you find a new bike for sale that’s of a spec you think is similar and ride that, even for an hour or so. I think that comparison would be fascinating. Thanks again for your videos. Always entertaining. :)
Yeah ive often wondered this myself actually. I would love to ride a proper tricked out bike, like a trek madone with DuraAce Di2, and then hop back on my bike straight after. Maybe my whole world would crumble, and i'll realise that throwing VAST amounts on money at a bike is the only answer... I doubt it though 🤣 Anyway, thanks for the comment Nick, definitely something to consider!
@@TraceVelo see, I think you should go for something more lower-spec. A carbon bike with Tiagra/105. Ultegra at the very most. But it should be attainable. We all know a Dura Ace-equipped superbike is going to be great. But how does an entry-level TCR/Tarmac kind of bike compare? Thanks again for what you do. I enjoy all of your videos. And thank you for taking the time to reply. :)
I use the multiple brandings on an identical product as a rubric for discounting products, especially for my biking needs. If I see an unfamiliar brand with a cheap product that I’m thinking about buying I check Alixpress, litepro, Amazon , eBay, etc… for other brands selling it, it might not be a total deal breaker, but at the very least I want to be informed about the product I am buying. If it’s something I do still want to buy, I shop around for brands selling it at a lower price, that have better color options or even that have more appealing branding, less obtrusive, or no visible branding.
Nice video as usual. Bought a Handlebar with integrated stem that looks almost the same like a Bontrager/Trek Handlebar funfact here: it also shares the same writings - kind of "LIDL" behaviour 😀- and a full carbon saddle. I have them now since last year October, rode them for about 300km and havent had any issues so far. Both due to your videos. Thank you mate. Keep going 😊
Great vid as always Luke! On the topic of cheap parts, it depends on the part. Pedals, FD , BB, and RD are all Shimano 105 because I'd like to avoid them hassle of them breaking. My brakes are tektros. Now my cockpit is full on Chinese Carbon. My crank is the same as yours. I plan to get an ultralight cassette as well. I use Sensah Team Pro which is basically Sensah Empire with Shimano cable pull ratio. As long as the part in question has mostly good reviews and don't break unless under extreme abuse I would not hesitate buying the part.
Depends on the product - I had the pulley cage of a LTwoo RD just snapping on me. Replaced with a GRX and it's a night-and-day difference. However, all the carbon parts are from Ali and never had an issue
Wow, i've never had a pulley cage snap before, you must be a powerhouse!!! But that's cool, im glad you've had some good experience on AliExpress. Thanks for the comment Kristian!
ltwoo is actually notorious in SEA for being just bad, most users ive seen almost always complain about the spring losing tension after a few months and the derailleur just jumping everywhere afterwards resulting in snapped cages or hangers
It can be a bit of a hit or miss. Just keep your expectations reasonable, most products have worked as expected or even better in my experience, some were disappointing. It can also be inaccurate to base your decisions purely on user reviews but generally, they serve as a good indicator. My riskiest and yet most satisfying buy was a beautifully painted carbon frame that still serves me just fine :)
You're taking a big safty chance there. Braking is not where I would be looking for marginal gains from weight savings in exchange for the risk of faillure, this is where the never ending quest for weight savings starts to become dangerous and no longer may be beneficial. Well built, alloy calipers are light enough today, while still being functional and safe. I think aero consideration of the shape of the brake is more important than weight here.
Depends on the products and the money I am willing to spend for something, like as a college freshman who cannot really earn for myself yet, I still use the money my parents give me. My thought process here is that FOR NOW I can resort to the cheap stuff, I will have to get them serviced or learn how to service myself by buying the proper tools, but at the end of the day, I am nowhere spending as much as when buying the "legitimate" products, but I do have plans that LATER down the line when I start earning for real, I will buy Shimano/name-brand ones, simply because the quality just cannot be compared. It's like replacing/servicing something cheap for now because it's all I can afford to lose, but when I buy the legit stuff, I expect a lot less servicing and maintenance
Yeah this is totally fair, and to be honest, is exaclty the reason i started to explore the cheaper alternatives in the first place. But yeah, if you can afford it, the branded parts from Shimano and the like are a better buy all round!
@@TraceVelo Which we all appreciate you doing! Very enjoyable in seeing this journey of yours modify and tweak your bikes little by little and is also a great reference point to see if the products I was eyeing will turn to be good buy and what compromises I have to make in favor of the lower price tag I very rewatch your LTWOO R9 reviews and have pretty much come in to terms with the compromises and fixes you have presented (currently running Sensahs and I am not really a fan of the double tap system btw)
Thanks Luke, I have been tempted to try these. Put off by the price being too high, and to take the risk with something so critical to my safety. In the end I went for some second hand dura-ace callipers, which look great. Have bought the lightweight cassette you recommended, along with lots of other Ali-express carbon nick-nacks. Nice to see you giving the rim brake bikes some attention. I've been severely put off discs as my expensive disc brake bike squeals like a banshee in the wet (v. embarrassing on the 6:00 am commute). Cheers Andy
I was going to when i initially wrote the script, but there was little point. The spongyness is so much that they definitely would have lost. Like i said, emergency braking is not a strong point for these calipers 🤣
I'm finally over the "weight wennie" thinking and have parts that perform well from well establish brands. And my bike is a mish mash of bike mfg's. SRAM cassettes, FSA Cranks, Orbit Seatpost, Ritchey handlebars, Combination of MTB and Road shimano derrailleurs and brakes, bontrager rear hub, rolf front hub, kinlin rims. And 10+ year old Aluminum frame made by a no longer existing bike company.
Also when considering "weight", it can offer more comfort. Maybe a sattle that weighs 50 to 100 grams more than your current one to say can offer more comfortability because it could have more gel to it or other stuff like that. Or for example when it comes to brake pads that they last longer, because they are thicker, when speaking about rim ones.
@@Vixen1525 I have to amend my comment. I’ve been buying some lightweight aliexpress components such as saddles,seatpost, ti skewers and just recently some carbon cranks that trace has been using on his bike and not only did I get a significant weight reduction but the bike is actually more comfortable and a bit more agile. Only time will tell how long these components will last but right now I’m all smiles
I use aliexpress a lot but expecially for tools. I found lot of bike tools or accessories that I couldn't find in normal shops, sometimes specific objects and I find it very cool. Normally I don't buy counterfeit products with the goal of having a cheap "real". For example I needed a flat bottom stem to couple my integrated aero spacers.. just for the look. I found those Ec90 stem that works really well but I don't know if they are a rip off or not. Sometimes you just need bike parts just to test if they work or not in a specific build project. I recently bought a ZTTO bb86 bottom bracket really similar to the token ninja but with some features that I prefer and 3 times less expensive. It depends frankly. I also used to have a Dengfu frame that was a rip off of a Cervelo S3 (I discovered it later) but it was improved because I could fit 32mm tires where the original could fit 23mm max. To me one thing is buy something to have a cheaper "big brand object" and another is to buy an object to try something different don't paying attention if it is a rip off or not
Yeah getting obsure bike tools is a great use for AliExpress. I have loads of little tools that I have bought over the years. The best thing i bought was a set of bearing pullers for £25. Ones from the likes of park tool are ridiculous money, especially for something you are going to use like 3 times a year. My torque wrench too, that was a bargain!
@@TraceVelo yes I bought a complete universal bottom bracket bearing press tool, a truing stand, hydro cable cutter, spokes tension checker, etc... lot of stuff. Now I wanna try the ztto 36t ratchet for dt swiss hub
Trace, upload more videos and then we'll subscribe ;) Really liking the videos, you're not like those awful youtubers like Noakes that get stuff for free or heavily discounted, do 1 day on it, and say it's amazing and really good. Keep it up!
Yeah im trying to get more videos out. It's always difficult to carve out more time between my 9-5. Free time atm is an absolute myth for me. Plus I'm a one man band and literally do everything myself... maybe i should get an editor in to help me
I've bought a track frame set from BXT on AliExpress, others at Derby Velodrome use them, for just £430 delivered it is amazing value, ( the Velodrome shop are selling the exact frame set for £999 ) stiff, good looking similar to Argon 18 in many ways. The only but is the paint........shocking! I paid £30 extra for a paint job as I wanted a quick build, I got a £30 paint job. I had to spend a couple of hours flatting and buffing it, cut my own decals, looks amazing.
I considered buying these calipers, decided the narrow opening wouldn't work. Bought the ee brake look-a-likes instead. Haven't installed yet, but they look solidly made. I don't feel I'm taking away business from ee brake, because I was never going to buy from ee brake anyways, too expensive. If I hadn't bought the ee brake look-a-like, I would have bought shimano. I can afford shimano brakes, but the ee look-a-likes were a lot lighter. Hope you can review the ee look-a-likes one day. BTW internet says some negative things about the Lekki8 quality and customer service. Some say these chinese ones work as good if not better than the original.
I think you probably made the right choice. I've seen loads of comments from people who got those ee brake clones, and they have been saying they are awesome
Funny thing about that Lidl Yoghurt: I know for a fact that canned soups and some dairy products from housebrands are usually just unbranded brand articles that the super market company striked a deal for with the manufacturer. At least here in Germany. Rewe housebrand soy yogurth is produced in the same factory as the Alpro one and the list of ingredients is word for word the same. JA! branded canned soups are basically Bonduelle soups in disguise. Even the housebranded chocolate includes batches from a Milka factory.
I definitely love a bargain and don't have any major problem with buying products 'heavily inspired' by another well known more premium brand. But one thing to consider is that there's a lot of time effort and money that goes into the research and development of different products, if a company makes a 100 different prototypes to reach a final design they're going to spend a lot more than a company that copies the result of all that work. So it seems quite unfair to support companies that profit off that work without putting in that effort
good question to ask between counterfeit Vs knock offs! I think knock offs are a good counterbalance to established companies trying to reinvent the wheel every other year to sell the everyday consumer new components when their old one offers the same performance just to sell u a shiny new object for a higher price That being said, u are paying a risk if your knock offs look similar but are unsafe. Your channel is crucial in making the distinction on a good quality knock off from 1 that just looks similar but doesnt have the same safety standards
Hi Trace, I got mine from a no name shop and luckily they're a lot wider. Able to use them with normal pads on 26mm wheels. A friend of mine bought his from ztto and yes they couldn't fit. They're difficult to setup but I don't have the sponginess that you mentioned, maybe I didn't squeeze hard enough. And yes the return spring is just horrendous.
I have bought all kinds of things on Aliexpress. Especially for nin structural items I think it's a great option like e.g. Garmin mounts, topframe bags, handle bar tape. And I have been really pleased with items like Uno stems and light weight seatpost clamps. I always do my research before buying and 95% of the time have been pretty happy with buying there.
I’ve bought, carbon cockpits, handle bars, seat posts and saddles off AliExpress all have been what I expected but I did read reviews for all them to see they going be anything near I was expecting, with one item wrong size was sent and I returned it Also bought a alloy stem which far better any the OE items I’ve had my boxed bikes
Hey Luke! I really appreciate your videos. Its such good content if you are a bike addict on a budget as myself... 😅. And it's so lovely and entertaining to watch your videos, even when your not interested in the part of a particular video. I always look for the price-performance ratio when I buy new products. And as already mentioned in some comments, there are some chinease bangers in that category. I have a question. How much is the weight of your both bikes? Probably a summary episode could be something interesting from time to time, where you go over your whole setup at that point. How much you run every part approximately. And yeah what's the weight and performance overall of your bike at thas point.
The original Lekki design has a non-linear response to cable pull. In essence, first the calipers move a lot to bring the brake pads close to the rim (high travel, low force). Then you have to pull more for a given caliper travel (low travel, high braking force). This is a good idea and gives good modulation while keeping the pads far enough from the rim in the inactive state to prevent rubbing. The distance between the pads and the rim should not be set by tightening the cable, but by using a small grub screw on the central arm. The function of the cable tension barrel is to take away just the final bit of slack after setup. I didn't see a grub screw on your brakes, is it there?
So yep the grub skrews that you are referring to are included, and they serve the purpose you describe. The issue in my case is that all my rims are just too wide. In order to get them to work at all, the caliper needs to be at the max 'open-ness' to even fit over the rim. Maybe if i had some old school 18mm external rims they would perform a little better...
Shame the performance of these isn't up to par. What do you think is the max tyre clearance? Need something to replace the Ultegra R8000 caliper on my fixed gear because it doesn't really clear a 32mm.
Rim brake upgrade: Happy with the performance increase of Shimano 105 R7000 rim brake calipers compared to the original Shimano 105 5700 calipers for my crit pig CAAD10. Will be interesting to test them on my carbon Light Bicycle carbon wheels when I finish building them up (waiting for Pillar spokes from AliExpress). I have blue carbon Barradine branded pads from Taiwan.
These videos are really informative man. Yes they're intended for road bikes but I still click on it even though I won't buy these things because I primarily ride a fixie. 😅 But on the other hand Can we get a review those new pedals?
I build bikes as a COVID hobby, mostly road and gravel bikes. My experience on AliExpress is best descrbed as "hit-or-miss". Either I get what I wanted and expected, or there's an issue with the item, sometimes a "fatal" issue. Knockoffs aren't as much of a problem - I know what I'm buying is not Shimano, SRAM or even Box. My biggest problems have been with imprecise or downright misleading descriptions. Perhaps the best example is "hydraulic mechanical disc brakes." The seller considered the fluid-driven brke pistons as sufficient for the hydraulic label on otherwise mechanical disc brakes. I've started to read product descrptions on AliExpress much more closely than I do elsewhere. I also ask product questions of sellers before making purchases. I find most sellers to be responsive, which has helped somewhat. Just to note, Luke, I often use your videos about Chinese products on AliExpress as a guide. Thank you very much for sharing your experiencea with these products.
Isn't that what hydro mechanical disk brakes from the likes of trp also do though? A cable actuated caliper arm that compresses fluid in a cylinder in the caliper to drive the pistons? Is it any different?
@@larrygross1248I don't understand - surely then the description was correct; what you got is what was described, hydraulic mechanical calipers. Did you think you were getting something else? I've wondered about these brakes, how was the quality and operation of them?
As far as buying other carbon products from Aliexpress goes I've bought drop bars, integrated drop bars, deep section rims, saddles, seat posts, bottle cages, 1" and 1.1/8th carbon forks. I've used all these products for sometime now and I'm very pleased with them. The carbon brakes though are a big fail and I couldn't recommend them to anyone.
Most of my new bike are parts from Ali - inspired by your Builds. Ridden about 500k without any special problems. I would switch to a 105 or GRX if it would be available here though, because the shifting is noticeable worse but still manageable. For all Accessoires, seat Post etc. I don’t think there is a huge risk when you stick to “AliExpress brands” with tons of reviews, like zrace, ec90 etc.
Yeah if you can afford a 105 or GRX groupset, you won't be dissapointed. But i totally get that A, they are crazy expensive atm and B, you can't find them anywhere.
I use AliExpress for a lot of bits and parts, especially in the last two years because of the current supply issues, and I always find them good enough for budget builds, but I draw the line at budget brakes, mostly because your life depends on them, I don't have any issue at all with knock offs.
well, for a few months i have done some upgrades to my bike from aliexpress, but my first orders concerning bike stuff were an aero helmet and an oversized mixim pully cage which were pretty nice, haven't noticed almost any problems with them (a bit of wind was sliding from under the lenses because they are sticked with 3 magnets to the helmet and the pulley cage wheels with ceramic bearing which have a bit more move side to side than my shimano used to have, just a bit of noise more, performance the same) then i have moved on to some bib shorts and a cycling kit which i find very comfortable and affordable, didn't have enough time to test how long it will last, some bar tape and a carbon handlebar aero from tosek (had a bit of doubt when buying but i have tested it applying pressure when mounted, heard a few squeacks, but decided to give it a ride and testing it gently, after 900km i have tested it even rougher but it still keeps up though it is a bit spongy (had an aluminium one before maybe just the feeling) hope i have tested it enough, for the moment i kinda trust it, seems strong enough for my weight. Got a alu stem too, rainbow color from aluminium, same stem cap they hold well. Concerning other parts like groupset, i think i will keep my tiagra 4700 for the moment, it holds well and has no problem, no reason to switch it, wheels still on aluminium and frame is carbon from wilier (some model from 2012 but holding good, i'll keep that). Riskiest was the handlebar, got lucky it is intact, yet :))). Anyway, it might be a gamble from time to time, test it very precaucios, especially if it is a part you really depend on. Great content, would be intresting to see some chinese tyres ( rolling resistance 1000 watts + xD) keep going Luke, amazing content ^^
Yeah the tiagra 4700 groupset is a SOLID choice, I ran my set for over 20,000 miles, and loved it! The one thing I'm not too sure on is the cheaper helmets. It's one of those things that either works, or doesn't. Plus is difficult to assess how good it is from looking at it/holding it. I've had my kask mojito for many years, but admitedly it was quite expensive at £90, so i can see why the helmets that look decent for £15-£20 are so appealing...
If your cheaper "knockoff" yogurt fails, you don't crash into a road barrier or worse. It's my experience that cheaper is very expensive. I recently bought a no brand rear derailleur hanger for my 2014 Giant Propel Advanced, which was bent and I couldn't get back to true. I got the no name brand for half the price of Giant branded hangers on Amazon. It looked good, felt good, installed right, tightened to the proper torque, and my rear derailleur was shifting like a champ. As my bike was still on the work stand, I reached for something on my bench and put my hand on the rear derailleur and it snapped in two. I didn't trip on it, it wasn't dropped, I just leaned on it a little and it broke like a cookie. Imagine where I would be now if a mission critical piece like a rear derailleur hanger had snapped on a ride. Chain and derailleur into my rear wheel I'm assuming. I thank God it broke on the bike stand. I got a refund. Reviewed it as junk, and paid full price for a proper branded Giant hanger. There's things you can go cheap on your bike, I'm not against it, and I am not a snob. But I will never leave something involving my health and safety to chance.
I've had more hits than misses on AE. Probably >90% success rate. Certainly never had an accident caused by dodgy or ineffective parts. That said, I wouldn't be buying knock off suspension forks, dropper posts or fully hydraulic brake systems from ztto or similar. Like others have written, stick to the smaller parts, do your research, look for long term reviews and sellers with a lengthy history. Reputable forums are also a good place to look when considering frames etc. Keep creating. Always look forward to your content.
Rim Brakes are the Best!!! Hands down. Oh, that sponginess, change that brake pad : ) and check the center mount it moves when you brake it(seen on your video) give us feedback and I would buy it. Best review.Thanks
Nice one buddy, I was looking into getting these too ha ha!!!! Looked a bit to fragile for me. Trifox build going well, handlebars sorted just wheels next ha ha
Hey Luke, love the videos keep up the great work! How about a video explaining how to keep your bargain chinawheels true? You mentioned in a previous video that they can develop a bit of a wobble after a few hundred k's
![โรงเรียนห้ามรัก โดนจับได้ตาย...!! [เอิร์นไดเม่]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4u02Sbr556Q/mqdefault.jpg)
Especially in food industry, the same products out of the same factory are often sold by different names. This is very common across german-based super markets such as Lidl and Aldi
I suspect that Aldi energy drink is actually Red Bull, it's made in same country.
except most of the time it's not the same product. Aldi and Lidl specify how these product need to be and those bigger companies only use their own production machines
Almost all supermarkets in Germany sell the same knock off stuff, even with the same pricing to the last cent..
I have to say, being partial to an Ali Express bargain myself, that your videos have been a great source of information on my purchases.
As regards cheap knock offs, it depends on the part, brakes can make the difference between getting hurt or not so I'd definitely do some research before buying, and personally would probably stick to established brands. Having said that, my riskiest purchase so far has been a carbon handler. I initially ordered a knock off specialized aerobar from a no name shop (£250 new for £30 on AE), but then I thought better of it and cancelled the order. Eventually, I ordered one from OG-EVKIN (£45), and it looked well made, was well packaged, arrived quickly (10 days) and I still have all my teeth!
They're a proper factory shop and for crucial components I wouldn't trust just some no name seller who you know doesn't care about preserving their reputation or quality control at all.
I notice you haven't tested any OG-EVKIN products yet (that I've noticed), so I'd recommend them to you.
Yeah i've had OG-EVKIN on my radar for a while now. From what i have seen, they seem to operate a bit like Toseek. I'll def check them out in the future. Anyway, thanks for the comment Alex!
Ya, I wouldn't touch actual counterfeits with a 10ft pole.
BXT and Kocevlo make nice carbon fiber products :)
I gotta say i dig the delivery and editing of your stuff! Been watching for awhile and quickly caught up through them all. Also, also, your intro theme gets me pumped to watch your shit. Good on ya! Keep em coming!
the funnies are back! your singing :D such fantastic review with unbiased detail. always enjoy the material and kudos for the honesty at the end. very integral and i think how much enjoyment you demonstrate radiates with the viewers (i does for me anyway!)
Incredible, fantastic coverage as always, Luke. You're the most authoritative source that can be trusted when it comes to Chinese Bicycle parts and I bet thousands out there rely on your analysis to make a purchase decision. I myself was considering Sensah Empire thanks to your video. And honestly, I think Sensah made the upgrade to metal parts in their Empire entry level groupset BECAUSE of your coverage and review video. Keep doing what you're doing, and you'll be really contributing massively into improving the safety of people and quality of these Aliexpress brands.
Sometimes, one sample size is all you need. And you're the proof. Amazing job.
I do very much respect the fact you don’t cheap out on tools
Inspired by your videos, I have built a lightweight machine using AliExpress parts and was looking at these very callipers. So thanks for the invite.
Yet another great post, Luke, and good question re. Aliexpress. I reckon people watching your channel (by definition) will be those who are "interested but sceptical" and will have "caveat emptor" in mind.
PS - don't worry about the time thing. Maybe you have your sponsors in mind, and sure, it might not technically be a decade since you got those Tiagra callipers... but that's aeons measured in cycle industry terms. I'm sure real people all get this, and only a pedantic mor#n could possibly worry about being mislead. So FWIW, keep up the banter and honesty: that's what we watch for, and that's what will keep us coming back. And I hope your sponsors get this too.
Thanks nemo, love this comment! Yeah I always try to show the good and the bad. It's so easy to shit all over these products, and while some of them definitely deserve the critisism, other really are great bargains!
Thanks for the honest review. I was really hoping these would be great. I don't buy these knock-offs, but I'm glad you do, and that you post your results.
luke would love you to build a full Chinese hill climb bike setup for a real lightweight setup. The bike builds are something we all look forward too!
So I bought the EE brakes from Ali, and they just arrived in the mail a couple days ago. They seem very sturdy, and very light. They came with Cane Creek EE-branded boxes, complete with bolts and extra washers, as well as an instruction manual paper. Shipping time was 6 weeks, but well worth it (so far). They should be mounted and ridden on by the end of next week.
Did you get the regular or direct mount ones? How are they holding up? How is the braking power and modulation? Sorry for the bombardment of questions but I’m eager to know
@@loc9588 A bit finnicky adjusting the pads and arm angles, but no other problems.
Stopping power is fine, similar to the r8000 brakes that were taken off my bike. But I’m only 64kg… so there’s no telling how much a rider has to weigh until it hinders the performance of the ee brakes.
I’ve already had ~3000 miles with those brakes. They’re great so far 👍
Dm me on insta if you want to see pics/vid or have other questions.
@@loc9588 Sorry,
I have the center mount
Hi, i have a set of those brakes, just waiting to know some reviews, but it appear not be polite make a video with the brand on it. how's your experience? they look fine machined, but iam keep waiting before test on a long descent.
I am pretty comfortable with AliExpress. Partly because of your channel I built up a carbon beach racing bike with most parts from Ali. It includes a carbon MTB frame, fixed fork, and seat post from a company called Thrust, a aluminium stem from UNO(I needed something to upgrade in the future!), carbon flared handlebars from ZNIINO, Sensah SRX pro 1x11 groupset, some crank and BB.
Wheels I bought here in the Netherlands because it is a special wheelset for beach racing with an internal width of 35 in the back and 30 in the front, and could not find such wide wheels on Ali.
Brakes are Shimano, just because I did not pay attention and bought ZRACE brakes which of course don't fit on a MTB
I tried to include a link to a picture, which did not work!
@@haakman123 Ok awesome, glad you found some success with AliExpress stuff! Thanks for the comment Nick!
Greetings from Japan, Luke. Thanks for your videos which are really entertaining & informative. I have purchased lots of stuff from AliEx since I learned about it back in 2014. I built 3 full carbon bikes in 2015, 2018, & 2020, and I’m so happy that I got good quality framesets. Sold the first one after 2 years & still using the other two. I have confidence in buying full carbon frame sets , saddles, lights, carbon seat posts, brake pads for carbon wheels, & cassettes. I wouldn’t recommend buying helmets, carbon handlebars, stems, & components. I stick to the tried & tested original Shimano groupset.
As others said, buying stuff in AliEx is a hit & miss but best is to read reviews first & buy from reliable sellers. Cheers!
Braking performance is kind of everything to me. I wouldn't keep something that reduced the performance that's much especially in an emergency situation. So for my while they do look awesome, this would be something I'd pass on.
As for knock offs. I don't see a problem with that at all. Especially if it's comparable quality. I buy a lot of off brand things and some of which I prefer to their "brand name" counter parts.
Yeah, fair enough! I'm happy to take a bit of a risk on brakes, but can definitely see the argument with sticking with more traditional branded products for the key 'safety' areas of the bike
Great video Luke, but please don't ride those brakes in traffic. We need you in one piece!
During your video, I noticed I have the same bike work stand as you, and I was wondering how you were able to use it in you smallish workspace (as the legs take up a obscene amount of space when deployed)... until I saw the correction at the end, and I saw your solution. Normally I am a problem solver, and in truth had not attempted to solve this one, but thanks for the wide shot at the end to save me the trouble. Fantastic video as always!
No worries christopher. In all honesty, I rarely use the bike stand for it's intended purpose. 95% of the time, i just turn my bike upside down 🤣
Hi Luke, loved the video buddy. My bike buying habits tend to be based on reviews, such as yours, generally you are not going to be disappointed or potentially massively outta pocket! I did buy one if those Chinese carbon oversize pulley wheel cages you reviewed, good product, but not fitted as cant seem to make it fit with the Shimano rear mechs I have, 105, ultegra or dura ace! Must admit havnt had the time to ask why not though. Keep up the good output you make and looking forward to next episode.
Ok amazing, thanks for the comment Aveedub! That's a shame about the pulley cage though, maybe the machined 'peg' that fits into the derailleur isn't the right size...?
When going to AliExpress it feels the same as going to Lidl. You can't expect the highest quality but you can expect some pretty good items. I do a lot of shopping on AliExpress myself. I don't buy much over ~€20/£20 because in that 'higher' price range I don't really like to gamble. The priciest item I bought was a knock-off Lego set for €40 and it was definitely worth the money, so sometimes/often you can be lucky. You get pretty good at spotting things that are no bueno when shopping on AliExpress, so there isn't much that can go wrong for me. I wouldn't buy many tech products there though, like smartwatches, spreakers, earphones, headphones. They are often not that great and you can't return them either. Even though I do my own fair amount of shopping watching this channel gave me other insights in the matter that really helped me with some decisions :)
Yeah that's why these calipers are a bit of a harder sell. At £140, they are cheap comparatively speaking, but that's still alot of money to gamble on something that could be total garbage!
You're a unit Luke. Never ever change. 😁
Thanks Shannon!!!!
Don't touch cheap Chinese carbon bike parts anymore since I purchased 2 pairs of toseek carbon drop bars I saw on your channel and both failed where the bar clamp sits. They were torqued to the correct nm but both had crushed under the clamp. I only checked them after you mentioned the issue on a later video, glad I did. Amazon fully refunded both within 6 months of purchase Love the videos Luke Cheers
Really... I'm just working on another toseek handlebar video atm, if you have any pictures of these failures, i would LOVE to see them! If you have any and can email them to me, that would be amazing! tracevelouk@gmail.com
I think the main problem is the ratio of Brake lever movement to brake calliper movement. If you adjust the caliper so the pads don't rub on your wheel rim the lever movement might not be enough to put full braking force through the calipers. There's no easy way around that.
saved me big bucks, almost bought these calipers.. thank you so much for this review 🤘
No worries Leonel! Yeah i would probably steer clear. They are OK, but not for £140...
Another great video Luke… like you, I love a bit if Chinese carbon and a bargain too, but the thought of using Aliexpress unknown carbon on the brakes is a step too far for me. After seeing the amount of flex says to me” anything that bends that much is gonna fail”
Fair enough, I dont think i'm expecting these brakes to last particularly long... Time will tell however!
Love the review and as always appreciate your frankness, honesty and humour. Keep 'em comin'.
Hey Luke,
I love your channel and how adventurous you are with the products you use and review. Perhaps after knowing your experience with an item I would purchase it from AE, but other than that I don't think I would otherwise, I really don't trust their products, at least not for my bikes. I haven't ever purchased anything for my bikes from AE but perhaps in the future I may.
Great content man, keep it coming.
Excellent video, as always. You must spend an enormous amount of time on these videos! I am very appreciate. Thank you.
Hands down the best bike channel on TH-cam.
I like what you doing keep compare and explore this boss and budget stuff. Personally i have cheap carbon chineese seatpost and saddle on my aluminum scott gravel and its works fine.
Awesome, thanks for the comment Sergio, glad you have had some luck with these cheaper parts!
You've done it again, another quality content!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I heard fouriers caliper brakes are not bad. Kudos to you luke, for doing these types of videos.
Got to say love my aftershokz... so good... wind noise can be an issue but a buff over the ears helps while maintaining hearing.
Over the last 20 years I have seen light weight brakes come and go in popularity. the consistent thing with this product is that the performance is never there compared to something like a DA or Record level caliper. being able to stop fast allows you to ride faster!
Yeah you are right. When it comes to braking, you need really stiff materials to transfer that camming motion into pressure on the rim. Carbon can be very stiff, it's just a shame these are so spongy... I think the cane creek ones will be the best bet for a lightweight caliper with some real bite!
They are for
I have some Shokz they're great for riding and keeping your road awareness, can definitely recommend!
Would be awesome to see a sub 6.8 Ali build! Would that even be possible?
Yeah, that would be AWESOME! I've been looking into this for the last few weeks actually. I recon I could do it, just...
Why would one struggle with this? There's everything from light framesets to titanium bolts. Sensah Empire is quite lightweight, although the selection of truly lightweight cranks on Ali (if you don't count for example SRAM cranksets sold on Ali) isn't that good.
My caad12 is 6kg on the dot
@@11-inch the question was about Aliexpress builds
It is possible. My hill climb bike is 6.0kg on the dot. All Ali parts 👍
Love the reviews, i have purchased many things off Aliexpress ie, wheels, handlebars and pedal, most of my purchases have been ok but can be a bit luck of the draw, did get a saddle that looked very close to a Fizik top of the range, was like sitting on house brick with the frog up, ideal for the cyclist with masochistic tendency. Always take the positive attitude 😀
Luck of the draw about sums it up. Sometimes you get some great gear for a fantastic price, other times (like this video demonstrates) you can be dissapointed. But to be honest, IMO that is what makes it fun!
Its been a while, good to see you still usinh micronew r11. When time i saw your review on that shifter , make me a fan also. Half price on 105 and the shiftness is crisp. With 105 rd & fb.
Yeah every time I use them they always impress me actually. The shifting is really crisp once you have it dialed in!
Thanks for sharing your experience with these brakes ..and for saving 200 bucks from our bank account 😆 as always great video!
Happy to help!
I was about to buy these but I googled brakes and your name first, luckily 😆
Sometimes the reason i buy some aliexpress cycling stuff is to annoy or wind up some people on my group rides, some just think they're worthless junk. Which some are, but there are many decent offerings. I personally don't like or buy products from aliexpress that use branding that they don't have the copyright for, but independent brands like Toseek or sensah have always been amazing for me. I use a toseek carbon saddle with no padding other than the padding from my bibs and it's so comfortable at least for me. But things like helmets, shoes and clothing i don't think is up to standard yet.
Nice! Yeah i've been riding a fully carbon saddle for a while now. With decent bibs, i can barely tell the difference from one with padding...
These premade carbon plates are like the sheetmetal of the composites world, super useful and very easy to use, no wonder they are the material of choice for these brakes.
Hi Luke, Your videos have given me more confidence about buying from Aliexpress, but I still wouldn't have bought brake calipers even if you recommended them. I got some Elite-wheels wheels and an OSPW derailleur cage. I bought the hardrock crank to replace my 105 crank. I am happy to support new Chinese brands, but stay away from fakes and no-name ripoffs. Clothes are good. Lights are a good buy. I like to support the local bike shops for most things as the cost saving for AE doesn't makeup for the inconvenience of waiting. However with the shortage of parts and the price of clothing AE is really attractive for some things.
I have had a few failures - a carbon seat that cracked pretty quickly, and a package that got lost (by NZ Post) in a way that AE didn't cover. Mostly I am pretty happy, but do quite a lot of research before buying. Look for the best sellers, and the best items. It is all part of the pleasure of owning a bicycle.
Very informative. They do look blingin brilliant. These are single pivot/traditional calliper brakes. Wonder is there a direct mount version. This isn't stiff enough.
(that's what she said)
Luke! King of cheap carbon content! Great topic. AliExpress and Cheap Chinese items certainly have a place in my life. But not when my life may depend on them. Like you, I targeted brake calipers a few years ago for upgrade. Looked at Cane Creek, for a second 🤣, and opted for a used set of BR-9000, $150 USD. Cleaned up, swapped in some light weight pad frames/ hardware and got the weight down to 265g +\-. Braking performance is amazing, perhaps perfection? What about a 1x road group to seriously shave some weight?
Larison, thanks for the comment! The approach you have taken seems pretty fair, and is in line with alot of other commenters. I think people are happy to cheap out on certian things, like maybe the saddle and crankset, but things that are integral to safety on the bike, such as the brakes, many people like yourself will steer clear. This is actually a really sensible approach, and probably mitigates many of the issues surrounding some of this cheaper stuff...
I can see that you are using now Time Espresso copy pedals. We would to have the review for that soon. Interested on that one and I currently using the copy of speedplay pedal but with Ti axles from Ali.
Btw, keep up the good work and more subscribers to come! 😁
I think it would be really cool if you could take all your cheap carbon stuff and do an x-ray episode. Bring them to an X-ray tech or carbon professional and see what their opinions are of the internal makeup.
Thanks for your content... I've bought a few cheap bits off AliExpress over the last while - often inspired by your channel. I do make a point of reading the reviews first though. It has been a bit of trial and error and as such been a bit hit and miss. Toseek bar & stem, ungraded bottle cages, unbranded seat post - zero issue, with about 2000km's no problem. On the other hand, a knock off GoPro mount from ZTTO for example was pure shite... A while ago I had a cans of beer while browsing AliExpress which had hampered my judgement a bit. I ended up buying a knock-off ceramic BB by ZTTO. It arrived and looks alright but I'm worried about the grade and hardness of the aluminium. So, I haven't brought myself to install yet. I might just do that in the next few weeks as my BB is starting too show sign of needing replacement.
From my experience tinkering with various pivoting mechanical gizmos, it's difficult to fuck up nylon bushings/rollers and make flexy aluminum parts (matter of fact, it's easier to snap them or make them too stiff), so I'm guessing that the sponginess comes from the horrendous tolerances in the interfaces at the fasteners (loose pivots) or between the aluminum and carbon, the latter being more likely due to the aluminum part moving much more relative to the carbon plates.
Anyways, I've used the meroca aluminum calipers before (when I used to have a rim-brake bike) and besides being slightly lighter than Sora calipers, they actually perform pretty mint in the braking response department. Also, the fewer moving parts the caliper has, the better.
Hello Luke,
I was happy to find your channel and your first bike build. I was not sure how I would have afforded a carbon frame or wheels without Alliexpress. Once those were purchased I have mainly used AE to purchase small items like the caps for the ends of the cables, spacers, bar tape, etc. One of the draws to doing this is not only the price, but the fact that there are so many color choices.
As for brakes and cranks, I have stuck to Shimano parts. My cables are Jagwire.
Depends on the product. Small things like the saddle, phone holders, lights from AliExpress but brakes probably not for me.
That being said I would consider these carbon knock off brakes if I was to setup a bike for hill climbs.
Yeah fair enough, and i agree, for a hillclimb bike where high performance braking isn't paramount, this could be a viable option...
Nice show mate,
I was lucky to pick up a used set of CNC Alloy Ciamillo Micros GSL here in Berlin. Heavy at 190 grams per set with pads and hardware but they work fantastic and they look amazing. The knock off Ciamillo carbon versions you have would be great on a UK Hill Climbing scene on a budget to get the whip to be around 4.5kg.
Greetings from China! Your channel is amazing, wish more pleasant experience on AliExpress budget products in the future for you sir! And I believe you will find more budget bike stuff on it as well!
Great review as usual, Luke. I get my carbon knock off stuff from Amazon. Better protection. I stay away from safety related stuff. Carbon bottle cages, shift levers , silk men's boxers , all quality stuff. KB
Not a bad shout to be honest, the buyer protection and returns policy is MUCH better on Amazon!
Ive also put them on my previous bike
They were flawless
OK great, good to know!
Clothing and tools I buy without hesitation from Ali. Parts and wheels I follow Luke's advice and test in safe conditions. I've had seats break, all other wheels and parts have been no problem. I avoid counterfeits, I know I'm gambling with quality and have almost always won.
Don’t have Rim brakes, will probably never have rim brakes, still watching Luke.
thanks for the honest reviews as usual
I’ll admit that, while I really enjoy your channel (and have subscribed), I have yet to take a plunge and buy any Ali parts. I have bought stuff from other sellers that would likely be found on Ali, but it hasn’t been anything more than accessory-level stuff. Garmin mount, water bottle cage, that sort of thing.
Here’s an idea I had while watching this video. You’ve delved so deeply into the cheap parts pool. At this point, little of your bike is ‘name brand’ stuff, right? But it’s all been in bits and pieces.
I’d be curious to see you find a new bike for sale that’s of a spec you think is similar and ride that, even for an hour or so. I think that comparison would be fascinating.
Thanks again for your videos. Always entertaining. :)
Yeah ive often wondered this myself actually. I would love to ride a proper tricked out bike, like a trek madone with DuraAce Di2, and then hop back on my bike straight after. Maybe my whole world would crumble, and i'll realise that throwing VAST amounts on money at a bike is the only answer... I doubt it though 🤣 Anyway, thanks for the comment Nick, definitely something to consider!
@@TraceVelo see, I think you should go for something more lower-spec. A carbon bike with Tiagra/105. Ultegra at the very most. But it should be attainable. We all know a Dura Ace-equipped superbike is going to be great. But how does an entry-level TCR/Tarmac kind of bike compare?
Thanks again for what you do. I enjoy all of your videos. And thank you for taking the time to reply. :)
I use the multiple brandings on an identical product as a rubric for discounting products, especially for my biking needs. If I see an unfamiliar brand with a cheap product that I’m thinking about buying I check Alixpress, litepro, Amazon , eBay, etc… for other brands selling it, it might not be a total deal breaker, but at the very least I want to be informed about the product I am buying. If it’s something I do still want to buy, I shop around for brands selling it at a lower price, that have better color options or even that have more appealing branding, less obtrusive, or no visible branding.
Nice video as usual. Bought a Handlebar with integrated stem that looks almost the same like a Bontrager/Trek Handlebar funfact here: it also shares the same writings - kind of "LIDL" behaviour 😀- and a full carbon saddle. I have them now since last year October, rode them for about 300km and havent had any issues so far. Both due to your videos. Thank you mate. Keep going 😊
Great vid as always Luke! On the topic of cheap parts, it depends on the part. Pedals, FD , BB, and RD are all Shimano 105 because I'd like to avoid them hassle of them breaking. My brakes are tektros. Now my cockpit is full on Chinese Carbon. My crank is the same as yours. I plan to get an ultralight cassette as well. I use Sensah Team Pro which is basically Sensah Empire with Shimano cable pull ratio.
As long as the part in question has mostly good reviews and don't break unless under extreme abuse I would not hesitate buying the part.
Depends on the product - I had the pulley cage of a LTwoo RD just snapping on me. Replaced with a GRX and it's a night-and-day difference. However, all the carbon parts are from Ali and never had an issue
Wow, i've never had a pulley cage snap before, you must be a powerhouse!!! But that's cool, im glad you've had some good experience on AliExpress. Thanks for the comment Kristian!
ltwoo is actually notorious in SEA for being just bad, most users ive seen almost always complain about the spring losing tension after a few months and the derailleur just jumping everywhere afterwards resulting in snapped cages or hangers
@@trailfork7815 Good to hear I am not the only one with such issues... As they say - buy cheap, buy twice
@@trailfork7815 ive been using ltwoo 1x10 on my mtb for a year and love it.
It can be a bit of a hit or miss. Just keep your expectations reasonable, most products have worked as expected or even better in my experience, some were disappointing. It can also be inaccurate to base your decisions purely on user reviews but generally, they serve as a good indicator. My riskiest and yet most satisfying buy was a beautifully painted carbon frame that still serves me just fine :)
It's a managed risk and experience helps. Just have to know your own shrug point
“And on that bombshell”. Hmmm where have I heard that at end of another popular TV show. 😁😁😁
I am a subscriber 👍
@@newmember89 Awesome, glad you are subscribed, and thanks for the comment Chris!
You're taking a big safty chance there. Braking is not where I would be looking for marginal gains from weight savings in exchange for the risk of faillure, this is where the never ending quest for weight savings starts to become dangerous and no longer may be beneficial. Well built, alloy calipers are light enough today, while still being functional and safe. I think aero consideration of the shape of the brake is more important than weight here.
Depends on the products and the money I am willing to spend for something, like as a college freshman who cannot really earn for myself yet, I still use the money my parents give me. My thought process here is that FOR NOW I can resort to the cheap stuff, I will have to get them serviced or learn how to service myself by buying the proper tools, but at the end of the day, I am nowhere spending as much as when buying the "legitimate" products, but I do have plans that LATER down the line when I start earning for real, I will buy Shimano/name-brand ones, simply because the quality just cannot be compared. It's like replacing/servicing something cheap for now because it's all I can afford to lose, but when I buy the legit stuff, I expect a lot less servicing and maintenance
Yeah this is totally fair, and to be honest, is exaclty the reason i started to explore the cheaper alternatives in the first place. But yeah, if you can afford it, the branded parts from Shimano and the like are a better buy all round!
@@TraceVelo Which we all appreciate you doing! Very enjoyable in seeing this journey of yours modify and tweak your bikes little by little and is also a great reference point to see if the products I was eyeing will turn to be good buy and what compromises I have to make in favor of the lower price tag
I very rewatch your LTWOO R9 reviews and have pretty much come in to terms with the compromises and fixes you have presented
(currently running Sensahs and I am not really a fan of the double tap system btw)
Thanks Luke, I have been tempted to try these. Put off by the price being too high, and to take the risk with something so critical to my safety. In the end I went for some second hand dura-ace callipers, which look great. Have bought the lightweight cassette you recommended, along with lots of other Ali-express carbon nick-nacks. Nice to see you giving the rim brake bikes some attention. I've been severely put off discs as my expensive disc brake bike squeals like a banshee in the wet (v. embarrassing on the 6:00 am commute). Cheers Andy
Would be nice to see a braking test like you did with the disc brake callipers!
I was going to when i initially wrote the script, but there was little point. The spongyness is so much that they definitely would have lost. Like i said, emergency braking is not a strong point for these calipers 🤣
I'm finally over the "weight wennie" thinking and have parts that perform well from well establish brands. And my bike is a mish mash of bike mfg's. SRAM cassettes, FSA Cranks, Orbit Seatpost, Ritchey handlebars, Combination of MTB and Road shimano derrailleurs and brakes, bontrager rear hub, rolf front hub, kinlin rims. And 10+ year old Aluminum frame made by a no longer existing bike company.
Also when considering "weight", it can offer more comfort. Maybe a sattle that weighs 50 to 100 grams more than your current one to say can offer more comfortability because it could have more gel to it or other stuff like that. Or for example when it comes to brake pads that they last longer, because they are thicker, when speaking about rim ones.
@@Vixen1525 I have to amend my comment. I’ve been buying some lightweight aliexpress components such as saddles,seatpost, ti skewers and just recently some carbon cranks that trace has been using on his bike and not only did I get a significant weight reduction but the bike is actually more comfortable and a bit more agile. Only time will tell how long these components will last but right now I’m all smiles
I use aliexpress a lot but expecially for tools. I found lot of bike tools or accessories that I couldn't find in normal shops, sometimes specific objects and I find it very cool.
Normally I don't buy counterfeit products with the goal of having a cheap "real".
For example I needed a flat bottom stem to couple my integrated aero spacers.. just for the look. I found those Ec90 stem that works really well but I don't know if they are a rip off or not.
Sometimes you just need bike parts just to test if they work or not in a specific build project.
I recently bought a ZTTO bb86 bottom bracket really similar to the token ninja but with some features that I prefer and 3 times less expensive.
It depends frankly. I also used to have a Dengfu frame that was a rip off of a Cervelo S3 (I discovered it later) but it was improved because I could fit 32mm tires where the original could fit 23mm max.
To me one thing is buy something to have a cheaper "big brand object" and another is to buy an object to try something different don't paying attention if it is a rip off or not
Yeah getting obsure bike tools is a great use for AliExpress. I have loads of little tools that I have bought over the years. The best thing i bought was a set of bearing pullers for £25. Ones from the likes of park tool are ridiculous money, especially for something you are going to use like 3 times a year. My torque wrench too, that was a bargain!
@@TraceVelo yes I bought a complete universal bottom bracket bearing press tool, a truing stand, hydro cable cutter, spokes tension checker, etc... lot of stuff.
Now I wanna try the ztto 36t ratchet for dt swiss hub
Subscribed because you not only use chapters, you make one for your ad segment. Oh and also the videos are good I guess.
Trace, upload more videos and then we'll subscribe ;)
Really liking the videos, you're not like those awful youtubers like Noakes that get stuff for free or heavily discounted, do 1 day on it, and say it's amazing and really good. Keep it up!
Yeah im trying to get more videos out. It's always difficult to carve out more time between my 9-5. Free time atm is an absolute myth for me. Plus I'm a one man band and literally do everything myself... maybe i should get an editor in to help me
I've bought a track frame set from BXT on AliExpress, others at Derby Velodrome use them, for just £430 delivered it is amazing value, ( the Velodrome shop are selling the exact frame set for £999 ) stiff, good looking similar to Argon 18 in many ways. The only but is the paint........shocking! I paid £30 extra for a paint job as I wanted a quick build, I got a £30 paint job. I had to spend a couple of hours flatting and buffing it, cut my own decals, looks amazing.
I considered buying these calipers, decided the narrow opening wouldn't work. Bought the ee brake look-a-likes instead. Haven't installed yet, but they look solidly made. I don't feel I'm taking away business from ee brake, because I was never going to buy from ee brake anyways, too expensive. If I hadn't bought the ee brake look-a-like, I would have bought shimano. I can afford shimano brakes, but the ee look-a-likes were a lot lighter. Hope you can review the ee look-a-likes one day. BTW internet says some negative things about the Lekki8 quality and customer service. Some say these chinese ones work as good if not better than the original.
I think you probably made the right choice. I've seen loads of comments from people who got those ee brake clones, and they have been saying they are awesome
Funny thing about that Lidl Yoghurt: I know for a fact that canned soups and some dairy products from housebrands are usually just unbranded brand articles that the super market company striked a deal for with the manufacturer. At least here in Germany. Rewe housebrand soy yogurth is produced in the same factory as the Alpro one and the list of ingredients is word for word the same. JA! branded canned soups are basically Bonduelle soups in disguise. Even the housebranded chocolate includes batches from a Milka factory.
I definitely love a bargain and don't have any major problem with buying products 'heavily inspired' by another well known more premium brand. But one thing to consider is that there's a lot of time effort and money that goes into the research and development of different products, if a company makes a 100 different prototypes to reach a final design they're going to spend a lot more than a company that copies the result of all that work. So it seems quite unfair to support companies that profit off that work without putting in that effort
good question to ask between counterfeit Vs knock offs! I think knock offs are a good counterbalance to established companies trying to reinvent the wheel every other year to sell the everyday consumer new components when their old one offers the same performance just to sell u a shiny new object for a higher price That being said, u are paying a risk if your knock offs look similar but are unsafe. Your channel is crucial in making the distinction on a good quality knock off from 1 that just looks similar but doesnt have the same safety standards
cool to see you still rocking the micronew shifters, how many km have you put on those by this point?
Hi Trace, I got mine from a no name shop and luckily they're a lot wider. Able to use them with normal pads on 26mm wheels. A friend of mine bought his from ztto and yes they couldn't fit.
They're difficult to setup but I don't have the sponginess that you mentioned, maybe I didn't squeeze hard enough. And yes the return spring is just horrendous.
Can you recommend to buy those?
I have bought all kinds of things on Aliexpress. Especially for nin structural items I think it's a great option like e.g. Garmin mounts, topframe bags, handle bar tape. And I have been really pleased with items like Uno stems and light weight seatpost clamps. I always do my research before buying and 95% of the time have been pretty happy with buying there.
And I think your channel is supercool! Keep up the good work.
I’ve bought, carbon cockpits, handle bars, seat posts and saddles off AliExpress all have been what I expected but I did read reviews for all them to see they going be anything near I was expecting, with one item wrong size was sent and I returned it
Also bought a alloy stem which far better any the OE items I’ve had my boxed bikes
Hey Luke! I really appreciate your videos. Its such good content if you are a bike addict on a budget as myself... 😅. And it's so lovely and entertaining to watch your videos, even when your not interested in the part of a particular video.
I always look for the price-performance ratio when I buy new products. And as already mentioned in some comments, there are some chinease bangers in that category.
I have a question. How much is the weight of your both bikes? Probably a summary episode could be something interesting from time to time, where you go over your whole setup at that point. How much you run every part approximately. And yeah what's the weight and performance overall of your bike at thas point.
The original Lekki design has a non-linear response to cable pull. In essence, first the calipers move a lot to bring the brake pads close to the rim (high travel, low force). Then you have to pull more for a given caliper travel (low travel, high braking force). This is a good idea and gives good modulation while keeping the pads far enough from the rim in the inactive state to prevent rubbing. The distance between the pads and the rim should not be set by tightening the cable, but by using a small grub screw on the central arm. The function of the cable tension barrel is to take away just the final bit of slack after setup. I didn't see a grub screw on your brakes, is it there?
So yep the grub skrews that you are referring to are included, and they serve the purpose you describe. The issue in my case is that all my rims are just too wide. In order to get them to work at all, the caliper needs to be at the max 'open-ness' to even fit over the rim. Maybe if i had some old school 18mm external rims they would perform a little better...
@@TraceVelo A good excuse for buying some used Lightweights.
Thanks for accepting sponsorships from products that are actually interesting. Looking at you raid shadow lengends...
Shame the performance of these isn't up to par. What do you think is the max tyre clearance? Need something to replace the Ultegra R8000 caliper on my fixed gear because it doesn't really clear a 32mm.
Rim brake upgrade: Happy with the performance increase of Shimano 105 R7000 rim brake calipers compared to the original Shimano 105 5700 calipers for my crit pig CAAD10. Will be interesting to test them on my carbon Light Bicycle carbon wheels when I finish building them up (waiting for Pillar spokes from AliExpress). I have blue carbon Barradine branded pads from Taiwan.
These videos are really informative man. Yes they're intended for road bikes but
I still click on it even though I won't buy these things because I primarily ride a fixie. 😅
But on the other hand
Can we get a review those new pedals?
I build bikes as a COVID hobby, mostly road and gravel bikes. My experience on AliExpress is best descrbed as "hit-or-miss". Either I get what I wanted and expected, or there's an issue with the item, sometimes a "fatal" issue. Knockoffs aren't as much of a problem - I know what I'm buying is not Shimano, SRAM or even Box. My biggest problems have been with imprecise or downright misleading descriptions. Perhaps the best example is "hydraulic mechanical disc brakes." The seller considered the fluid-driven brke pistons as sufficient for the hydraulic label on otherwise mechanical disc brakes. I've started to read product descrptions on AliExpress much more closely than I do elsewhere. I also ask product questions of sellers before making purchases. I find most sellers to be responsive, which has helped somewhat.
Just to note, Luke, I often use your videos about Chinese products on AliExpress as a guide. Thank you very much for sharing your experiencea with these products.
Isn't that what hydro mechanical disk brakes from the likes of trp also do though? A cable actuated caliper arm that compresses fluid in a cylinder in the caliper to drive the pistons? Is it any different?
@@edewar6004 No difference at all with the TRP's.
@@larrygross1248I don't understand - surely then the description was correct; what you got is what was described, hydraulic mechanical calipers. Did you think you were getting something else? I've wondered about these brakes, how was the quality and operation of them?
"when i was in Lidl buying something soft and creamy"....
As far as buying other carbon products from Aliexpress goes I've bought drop bars, integrated drop bars, deep section rims, saddles, seat posts, bottle cages, 1" and 1.1/8th carbon forks. I've used all these products for sometime now and I'm very pleased with them. The carbon brakes though are a big fail and I couldn't recommend them to anyone.
Most of my new bike are parts from Ali - inspired by your Builds. Ridden about 500k without any special problems. I would switch to a 105 or GRX if it would be available here though, because the shifting is noticeable worse but still manageable. For all Accessoires, seat Post etc. I don’t think there is a huge risk when you stick to “AliExpress brands” with tons of reviews, like zrace, ec90 etc.
Yeah if you can afford a 105 or GRX groupset, you won't be dissapointed. But i totally get that A, they are crazy expensive atm and B, you can't find them anywhere.
I use AliExpress for a lot of bits and parts, especially in the last two years because of the current supply issues, and I always find them good enough for budget builds, but I draw the line at budget brakes, mostly because your life depends on them, I don't have any issue at all with knock offs.
well, for a few months i have done some upgrades to my bike from aliexpress, but my first orders concerning bike stuff were an aero helmet and an oversized mixim pully cage which were pretty nice, haven't noticed almost any problems with them (a bit of wind was sliding from under the lenses because they are sticked with 3 magnets to the helmet and the pulley cage wheels with ceramic bearing which have a bit more move side to side than my shimano used to have, just a bit of noise more, performance the same) then i have moved on to some bib shorts and a cycling kit which i find very comfortable and affordable, didn't have enough time to test how long it will last, some bar tape and a carbon handlebar aero from tosek (had a bit of doubt when buying but i have tested it applying pressure when mounted, heard a few squeacks, but decided to give it a ride and testing it gently, after 900km i have tested it even rougher but it still keeps up though it is a bit spongy (had an aluminium one before maybe just the feeling) hope i have tested it enough, for the moment i kinda trust it, seems strong enough for my weight. Got a alu stem too, rainbow color from aluminium, same stem cap they hold well. Concerning other parts like groupset, i think i will keep my tiagra 4700 for the moment, it holds well and has no problem, no reason to switch it, wheels still on aluminium and frame is carbon from wilier (some model from 2012 but holding good, i'll keep that). Riskiest was the handlebar, got lucky it is intact, yet :))). Anyway, it might be a gamble from time to time, test it very precaucios, especially if it is a part you really depend on. Great content, would be intresting to see some chinese tyres ( rolling resistance 1000 watts + xD) keep going Luke, amazing content ^^
Yeah the tiagra 4700 groupset is a SOLID choice, I ran my set for over 20,000 miles, and loved it! The one thing I'm not too sure on is the cheaper helmets. It's one of those things that either works, or doesn't. Plus is difficult to assess how good it is from looking at it/holding it. I've had my kask mojito for many years, but admitedly it was quite expensive at £90, so i can see why the helmets that look decent for £15-£20 are so appealing...
If your cheaper "knockoff" yogurt fails, you don't crash into a road barrier or worse. It's my experience that cheaper is very expensive. I recently bought a no brand rear derailleur hanger for my 2014 Giant Propel Advanced, which was bent and I couldn't get back to true. I got the no name brand for half the price of Giant branded hangers on Amazon. It looked good, felt good, installed right, tightened to the proper torque, and my rear derailleur was shifting like a champ. As my bike was still on the work stand, I reached for something on my bench and put my hand on the rear derailleur and it snapped in two. I didn't trip on it, it wasn't dropped, I just leaned on it a little and it broke like a cookie. Imagine where I would be now if a mission critical piece like a rear derailleur hanger had snapped on a ride. Chain and derailleur into my rear wheel I'm assuming.
I thank God it broke on the bike stand. I got a refund. Reviewed it as junk, and paid full price for a proper branded Giant hanger. There's things you can go cheap on your bike, I'm not against it, and I am not a snob. But I will never leave something involving my health and safety to chance.
I've had more hits than misses on AE. Probably >90% success rate. Certainly never had an accident caused by dodgy or ineffective parts. That said, I wouldn't be buying knock off suspension forks, dropper posts or fully hydraulic brake systems from ztto or similar. Like others have written, stick to the smaller parts, do your research, look for long term reviews and sellers with a lengthy history. Reputable forums are also a good place to look when considering frames etc. Keep creating. Always look forward to your content.
Rim Brakes are the Best!!! Hands down. Oh, that sponginess, change that brake pad : ) and check the center mount it moves when you brake it(seen on your video) give us feedback and I would buy it. Best review.Thanks
What sort of monster puts the yoghurt film lid yog side down?! Been with you a while but really reconsidering subscribing to this sort of content. 🤣
great review. i brought zrace new r7000 and it feel great compare old ztto .
Nice one buddy, I was looking into getting these too ha ha!!!! Looked a bit to fragile for me. Trifox build going well, handlebars sorted just wheels next ha ha
Hey Luke, love the videos keep up the great work! How about a video explaining how to keep your bargain chinawheels true? You mentioned in a previous video that they can develop a bit of a wobble after a few hundred k's
Love my aftershokz for running and riding. great review