+1 on the micro climate jacket. It’s one of the few pieces of kit that is truly fantastic. Also…thank you for clearing up the shock pump “bleed off” issue. I thought I was losing my mind earlier this week when trying to tune in my air pressure…
I bought the knockoff of the Park Tool Internal Cable Routing Kit from Aliexpress. I compared it to my friend’s real one and I couldn't tell the difference. For a tool that doesn't need to meet any specific tolerance, it made sense to pay a mere fraction of the cost of the real one. It made my latest build less frustrating and internal cable routing took mere minutes to do for both shifting and braking cables. I have only bought tools (Park Tool track chain whip and the cable rooting tool) and not bike components. I don't think I will be buying components any time soon, but one never knows.
I don't think that section of seatstays flexes up and down. I think that portion is more likely to bow *outward* (which would still allow the rear triangle to flex some under impact loads). Or maybe it's all just made-up hype? TBD.
I’m a bit of an Ali fan, and so far haven’t died… Elita also make a 130g seatpost that seems pretty solid (though stiff as hell) that sells for lunch money, and the super light cassettes that seem to have taken off recently are remarkably decent. I’ve got a carbon bar and stem from Evkin that seem to be decent - I keep a much closer eye on them than I do my mainstream parts but they have been great for the past year. TPU tubes, some tools, bolts, brake pads and quick links are all things I’ve had zero issues with over the last few years. I’ve given up on clothes as they never fit me well, and wouldn’t dream of getting an Ali helmet frinstance.
I’ve bought numerous tools and parts from Ali. A few carbon saddles that seem to copy the specialized power mirror Mtb saddles. I’ve never ridden the original but this one seems great. Really great. Similar to the tools I’ve bought. The one category of part I’ve not had luck with are carbon stems. All of them have cracked even at the specced torque range. Given this - I am reluctant to try the handlebars.
Curious what it’d be like to try some of the generic carbon frames and super light wheels.
I generally make my decisions based on how bad the outcome could potentially be if the part fails. A broken saddle rail or cracked shell? Definitely a bummer, but probably not a massive issue. A broken handlebar or stem? No thank you.
My only experience with AlliExpress was the purchase of what appeared to be a Cane Creek suspension stem (in chrome, which CC no longer offers, so I thought…). Didn’t take long before the pivot got sloppy and started to fall apart. Oh well…
Yeah, those sorts of experiences are all too common, I'm afraid. I'm curious about the variety of bargains and pseudo-knockoffs that are on there, but I avoid the blatantly counterfeit stuff altogether as it's just not worth the risk. I still follow my gut in most cases. If it doesn't feel like it's legit, it probably isn't.
Totally understandable. I actually bought two cassettes off of Aliexpress not too long ago. One was presented as a Shimano Deore XT; the other a Shimano XTR. Thankfully, both seem to be the real deal, but maybe just grey-market items sold out of the back of an assembly factory or something.
Ali-I’ve long used Ali handlebars without issue. My go to saddle is the Ryet 3d carbon, mimics Pro Stealth shape and is suer comfortable. The ultralight cassettes work great for me (still on 11 spd) although the alu cogs do wear more quickly than steel- all steel alternatives now available. Most tools are fine for home use.
I totally avoid helmets. Clothing is a mixed bag, its mostly ok but sizing can be hard to figure out- most of it is sized for their domestic market and I often fall somewhere in a black hole. I do have a couple roadsuits that work, and at 40 bucks vs 200 for the mainstream brands they’re a steal - and fine for 3 hr rides or so.
The IP issues can be troubling- my take is shape clones are fine if no patent/trademark, branding is offputting. I do understand the difference in cultural views.
I’m 60kg so take with a grain of salt if you’re much bigger.
Good to hear your experiences with the other stuff. I've heard some stories about cheaper 3D-printed saddles breaking down prematurely, but then again, I've also seen similar reports about the name-brand stuff, too. Definitely been meaning to try out some of the cassettes, although I'm a stickler for smooth shifting so I'm not sure how successful that experiment will be. Fingers crossed.
But yes, the IP issue is definitely troubling as a lot of this stuff really is a blatant rip-off of the original, and the offenders are likely betting that the owner doesn't want to bother (or isn't capable) to reinforce the IP.
Great article as usual! I have the Ornot jacket and it is perhaps my favorite pice of bike clothing. It is particularly great for commuting as it is comfortable over a range of temps and is easily stashed. You might want to look at the Pearl Izumi Alfa Layer — paired with the Ornot you can wear it down into the 30s and it has pockets that the Ornot (sadly) lacks.
+1 on the micro climate jacket. It’s one of the few pieces of kit that is truly fantastic. Also…thank you for clearing up the shock pump “bleed off” issue. I thought I was losing my mind earlier this week when trying to tune in my air pressure…
Glad to hear that was helpful for you! It's definitely not intuitive until you physically understand what's going on.
Hi James,
I bought the knockoff of the Park Tool Internal Cable Routing Kit from Aliexpress. I compared it to my friend’s real one and I couldn't tell the difference. For a tool that doesn't need to meet any specific tolerance, it made sense to pay a mere fraction of the cost of the real one. It made my latest build less frustrating and internal cable routing took mere minutes to do for both shifting and braking cables. I have only bought tools (Park Tool track chain whip and the cable rooting tool) and not bike components. I don't think I will be buying components any time soon, but one never knows.
I’ve seen a lot of people dunking on the price of the Colnago Steelnovo but then we have the Argonaut GR-3 at only $2100 less.
Sadly, my guess is most of those Colnagos will end up in collections, but the Argonauts seem more likely to get ridden.
The triangulation of the Arid SS/ST junction means it’s not going to flex, though the low placement should allow the seat tube to flex
I don't think that section of seatstays flexes up and down. I think that portion is more likely to bow *outward* (which would still allow the rear triangle to flex some under impact loads). Or maybe it's all just made-up hype? TBD.
I’m a bit of an Ali fan, and so far haven’t died… Elita also make a 130g seatpost that seems pretty solid (though stiff as hell) that sells for lunch money, and the super light cassettes that seem to have taken off recently are remarkably decent. I’ve got a carbon bar and stem from Evkin that seem to be decent - I keep a much closer eye on them than I do my mainstream parts but they have been great for the past year. TPU tubes, some tools, bolts, brake pads and quick links are all things I’ve had zero issues with over the last few years. I’ve given up on clothes as they never fit me well, and wouldn’t dream of getting an Ali helmet frinstance.
I’ve bought numerous tools and parts from Ali. A few carbon saddles that seem to copy the specialized power mirror Mtb saddles. I’ve never ridden the original but this one seems great. Really great. Similar to the tools I’ve bought. The one category of part I’ve not had luck with are carbon stems. All of them have cracked even at the specced torque range. Given this - I am reluctant to try the handlebars.
Curious what it’d be like to try some of the generic carbon frames and super light wheels.
I generally make my decisions based on how bad the outcome could potentially be if the part fails. A broken saddle rail or cracked shell? Definitely a bummer, but probably not a massive issue. A broken handlebar or stem? No thank you.
My only experience with AlliExpress was the purchase of what appeared to be a Cane Creek suspension stem (in chrome, which CC no longer offers, so I thought…). Didn’t take long before the pivot got sloppy and started to fall apart. Oh well…
Yeah, those sorts of experiences are all too common, I'm afraid. I'm curious about the variety of bargains and pseudo-knockoffs that are on there, but I avoid the blatantly counterfeit stuff altogether as it's just not worth the risk. I still follow my gut in most cases. If it doesn't feel like it's legit, it probably isn't.
Right! I convinced myself the item was the legit item, but the discontinued chrome one… I was wrong. No bigs… it wasn’t super expensive.
Totally understandable. I actually bought two cassettes off of Aliexpress not too long ago. One was presented as a Shimano Deore XT; the other a Shimano XTR. Thankfully, both seem to be the real deal, but maybe just grey-market items sold out of the back of an assembly factory or something.
Need to load up on AE purchases before the tariffs begin 🥲
Ali-I’ve long used Ali handlebars without issue. My go to saddle is the Ryet 3d carbon, mimics Pro Stealth shape and is suer comfortable. The ultralight cassettes work great for me (still on 11 spd) although the alu cogs do wear more quickly than steel- all steel alternatives now available. Most tools are fine for home use.
I totally avoid helmets. Clothing is a mixed bag, its mostly ok but sizing can be hard to figure out- most of it is sized for their domestic market and I often fall somewhere in a black hole. I do have a couple roadsuits that work, and at 40 bucks vs 200 for the mainstream brands they’re a steal - and fine for 3 hr rides or so.
The IP issues can be troubling- my take is shape clones are fine if no patent/trademark, branding is offputting. I do understand the difference in cultural views.
I’m 60kg so take with a grain of salt if you’re much bigger.
Handlebars! You're braver than I am :)
Good to hear your experiences with the other stuff. I've heard some stories about cheaper 3D-printed saddles breaking down prematurely, but then again, I've also seen similar reports about the name-brand stuff, too. Definitely been meaning to try out some of the cassettes, although I'm a stickler for smooth shifting so I'm not sure how successful that experiment will be. Fingers crossed.
But yes, the IP issue is definitely troubling as a lot of this stuff really is a blatant rip-off of the original, and the offenders are likely betting that the owner doesn't want to bother (or isn't capable) to reinforce the IP.
Great article as usual! I have the Ornot jacket and it is perhaps my favorite pice of bike clothing. It is particularly great for commuting as it is comfortable over a range of temps and is easily stashed. You might want to look at the Pearl Izumi Alfa Layer — paired with the Ornot you can wear it down into the 30s and it has pockets that the Ornot (sadly) lacks.