Originally Posted by
gsa103
Perhaps the biggest drawback to the generic frames is simply that you can't really test them before purchasing.
This hits it. One might get a great frame or one might get an error. This is well understood. When one buys an ultra-cheap product, one gets an ultras-cheap product.
The issue is more about major defects which could cause catastrophic failure.
Both however, a re reasons why anecdotal evidence is so important. If opeople buy the products and like or don't like them and share why, the potential buyer can better judge the potential risk/reward ratio. But it is a crapshoot.
Originally Posted by
gsa103
Ultimately, a good bike is much more than simply the raw materials, and that alone makes these very difficult to evaluate. This is fundamentally true of any internet purchase, so is there really much difference between a generic carbon frame and a carbon Motobecane from Bikes Direct.
Yes, and yet people buy bikes on the Internet frequently. EBay sellers get rated, companies like BD and Nashbar get feedback, people post on fora .... but in all cases one might end up with a perfect machine or a worthless machine. (Same goes for buying at a shop, but the odds are way more in the buyer's favor there---but still, even name-brand frames fail catastrophically on occasion.)
I don't think anyone is trying to convince anyone else that the cheap China frames are anything but what they are. mostly we are trying to determine what they Actually are, based on real-world experience, instead of hope and fear.
I have considered paying an extra $100 for a Nashbar version of the frame I am looking at because of the warranty and customer support. Right nopw the version they sell is not available in my size, and while they refuse to list a frame weight, customers seem to agree it is a little heavier than the Cheap China Carbon equivalent. On the other hand, some purchasers say their Cheap China frames were a little heavier than advertised.
My question would be, would I end up getting good value for the extra cash I spent for the Nashbar warranty? If I didn't need it that would be money wasted.
Also, I see rpenmanparker addresses the layup issues. When we are talking exclusively about the bigger companies (and yes, Mr. Ratliff, they might well be renamed Hingfu and Dongfao tomorrow) there seem to be few issues with low quality. I agree the frames aren't the latest and greatest ... but they cost a fifth of the latest and greatest, and for me that is the afford/can't afford divide.
It is a gamble for sure. Everything is to one extent or another. I am Not trying to convince anyone else to buy a China carbon frame---I would like to get as much Accurate, Realistic information as possible. Personal testimonies from disinterested parties (such as someone who bought three frames and has no issue describing the quality of each) mean a lot more to me than fears and imaginations.
But I think we can all agree, we are talking about a bargain product, and the risks are higher than for a product costing five times as much.