DMC707

While researching my new road frame (i was/am/dunno - leaning towards one of the Litespeed Archon carbons)
I came across this web site --- incredible prices -- i have heard talk about open mold carbon frames selling for 500 bucks or so but have no experience with them ---
--- then these folks have carbon frames brazenly adorned with Specialized and Pinarello stickers (link below)

https://www.cyclingyong.com/category.php?id=32


Are these back door factory seconds , obvious counterfeits, or what? -- are they do-able bike projects or are they like fake Rolexes that wont stay together for longer than 10 minutes?

Realizing that most carbon frames come from China anyway , i wonder if it really matters that much for a club rider
---
If i was leaning towards something low budget, i would almost prefer basic black with no decals, and if it worked, i would proudly proclaim how cheap it was -- LOL

Bah Humbug

Oh goodie.

AMFJ

All beef comes from cattle, does that mean all beef is the same?

rpenmanparker 

Hard to know, but if it is fake, it sure is polished up nicely. I mean the website is very high class. Who could fake the name brand designs? I mean where would you get the molds, and fittings that are unique to the brand? Possible, but just hard to say.

DMC707

How would i know, i'm a vegetarian

cvall91

Yes.

rpenmanparker 

After thinking about it a little bit, I would worry more that there are no frames at all than that there are fake frames. What if it is just a money scam? You pay and get nothing. All the pretty pictures could just be copied off the real brand web site.

DMC707

sorry, i suppose i could have done a search to see if there were any similar threads --- i had heard of cheap frames being referred to as "Chinarellos " before and the like, ----

Personally, i can pick up a Litespeed for a tick over a grand from several places and this is likely what i'll end up doing -- my 10 year old Litespeed Ti bike is still pretty nice and i'm a little bit brand loyal ---
but geez, i havent had a TT bike in a decade due t the lack of $$$$ --- if a good performing TT bike could be built up from a $700 frame like these tho , i'm moderately interested

Bah Humbug

Are all carrots the same? Is rice just rice?

And seriously, did you search for, say "counterfeit Pinarello" or "fake Pinarello"? They're called Chinarellos. They're common.

LowCel 

Not sure if you know it or not but counterfeit Pinarellos (aka Chinarellos) are extremely common.

datlas 

:

WhyFi

If that's the route you want to go, that's fine, but I have a hard time trusting something that isn't what it says it is. Check out something more along the lines of PedalForce, instead.

Essex

Horsemeat in Europe is the same as beef. Come' on man. When is a Venge McLaren frame 700.00?

halfspeed

Yep.

DMC707

yes -- pretty much yes to both examples. Minute brand steamable rice in the freezer pack is pretty good. So is bulk pack rice bought out of the barrel at Whole Foods

I have heard the term Chinarello, -- i just assumed it referred to the unbranded "black bikes" and did not think anyone would brazenly put Pinarello or Look stickers on them.
I've been out of the loop for a bit and have been happilly riding my real Litespeed equipped with real Dura Ace (at least i hope they're real) for a decade --- have just recently contemplated an upgrade -- i'm not totally up on the carbon hullabaloo --- i haven't visited an LBS to see the new stuff in years, I worked as a bike mechanic in college so i buy mail order and take care of my stuff at home now (i only divulged that part to explain why i am a bit naive about the new stuff, i just never really cared about it until recently --- )-----

ls01

You would be better off to go with a used frame than a Chinese copy or an open mold. You are completely at their mercy if something goes wrong and you need service. I have one that I could not get parts for after the seat mast topper proved to be the wrong size. They merely stalled me until the warranty expired with a song and dance about a guy in Florida handling their parts.Once the warranty expired they stopped answering my emails. I had 3 chinese frames and 2 needed parts or work. Totally not worth the risk.

DMC707

Thanks -- and no, i would never purchase anything with counterfeit decals on it -- but something unbranded? IDK , thats why i asked.



Appreciate all the responses , i did a little more googling , etc. and found some more references to these guys' --- they should just stick to black frames -- or come up with their own name ,

I'll probably continue down the path towards another Litespeed for a new roadie, just wish i could ride one of the dang things first

---

halfspeed

You don't make risotto, do you?

Bah Humbug

There are actually bikes decaled with Chinarello. There's also a seller offering, for example, the limited-edition Olympic rings S3 for a fantastic price.

And c'mon, there are dozens or hundreds of varieties of rice. Basmati, Kokuho Rose, brown, while, long-grain, short-grain...

Let's take a different example. How similar is a Red Delicious to a Fuji to a Granny Smith?

DMC707

No, i've tried it but it never appealed to me -- i thought it had an odd texture, kinda like Cous cous --- but then again, it can all come down to the preparation

DMC707

I'm actually glad to be talking about food now moreso than off-brand carbon knock-offs -- LOL>

yes, i definitely am switched on to the rice varieties -- favorite would be JAsmine rice , basmati not bad either. Jasmine rice with a bit of real butter and topped with some coarse pepper and a touch of sea salt is a delight !

When i said rice is rice, i meant comparing plain white bulk pack rice from Whole Paycheck (err, i mean Whole Foods) to plain white budget brand rice

Jed19

Important lesson to be learnt from this experience!

rbart4506

Let's see...I've got 2 FM028s, 2 FM029s, and a new TT frame to be built...

Very few issues, nothing I couldn't handle myself...

Been very happy with the quality and the ride, they are a viable option if you enjoy working on your own stuff and have a bit of patience...It's not all bad

halfspeed

Preparation and right variety of rice.

znomit

These have to be legit, nobody would bother making a counterfeit of something that ugly.