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Buying frames from Aliexpress? Quality or crud?

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vikingshelmut

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I stumbled across aliexpress.com when searching for a Giant HT frame. They have Giant XTC frames, frames from other brands like Scott, and frames from other brands I've never heard of (Cube, etc). Does anyone know anything about this site and if they are trustworthy? How about the frames, are they any good? I'm guessing that the sellers on that site are just selling gray market frames direct from the factory, but if they are any good and at decent prices it might be worth trying to purchase.

Thoughts?
 
#3 ·
Resurecting this old thread - as my feedback may be relevant to others that are looking at those frames on Ali.

I bought one mid February, it was a total gamble, I did read all the bad reviews about Ali. Then I thought, there as to be as much bad reviews about eBay if you look for those, and if you're dumb enough to buy from a zero-feedback or a 60% positive seller, well Ali is not the issue.

So, Feb 17th, bought a CUBE aim SL frame from this guy fof $221 shipped. CUBE is a well known German brand by the way. So, paid for the item, and waited.... Then it shipped a week or so later.... and waited..... then tracking number became active.... and waited... and it finally reached me yesterday.

Real shipping time was actually 9 days from China using EMS/Canada Post, what took long was the processing of the order.

And the frame is awesome, top quality.... is it legit? Who knows.... I think it is, just looking at the tube shapes, soldering and all.... if it ain't, well it's a damn good knockoff job that is still worth $221 !!!

So in my case, it did work out pretty good (Seller: Probike)

I bought from a 100% rated seller though that had sold 3 of this same frame already.

Obviously if you buy a branded carbon frame for $150 you'll get screwed, DUH! As with every online shopping, you need to use a little common sense.
 
#5 ·
Aliexpress is a huge company and, like eBay, is only as reputable as the seller in question but offers various attempted protections.

There do seem to be a larger quantity of branded goods at impossibly low prices, which may be counterfeit/knockoffs or factory rejects; who knows? I bought "Ritchey WCS Carbon" bars there for $39 a year or so ago. The labeling, shape and finish looks good but the mold looks sloppy on the inside. I have my suspicions about them but don't know and don't care because I decided I didn't like the bars anyhow (too much rise).

I also bought a WTB Rocket V SLT seat on Aliexpress for $50; it came new in a WTB plastic bag (like an OEM seat). That seat served me well until I started to go on longer, 3+ hour rides and discovered I need a bit wider seat.

It is hard to resist the temptation of a screaming deal but I eventually decided I would rather avoid wondering about the legitimacy of the product. When I am buying a brand for quality, I would prefer to be sure I am getting what I am paying for and a warranty, preferably supporting a LBS. For all its faults, the US legal system does make it more likely that manufacturers will protect their brands against unauthorized use, and that doesn't necessarily apply when one purchases from another country.
 
#6 ·
interesting.. ive bought a couple items off aliexpress recently.

one being a The North Face brace brand packaway raincoat. Chinese sizing threw me a bit. (son scored it ! ) . seemed to be good quality .

had a dodgy seller with some cheap fox shocks, and a "DIY" bike . but cash was quickly refunded.

have also been looking at those cube frames for my son . but have remained unsure to date. - interested to see others impressions ??

other similar sites include "dhgate" and "dinobuy"
 
#7 ·
#8 ·
obs08 said:
bringing up an old thread. has anyone else purchased from ali? the have an xtc frame on there but the prices just look the too cheap. the paint job on this frame looks hard to fake which makes me think its legit. whats the general consensus on ali? I was looking at this blue/yellow xtc just fyi GIANT XTC SLR 27.5 29ER ALLOY frame MTB Frame, Alloy Material,CUBE-in Bicycle Frame from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
Click to expand...
I did and my experience is a few post above... They key thing to keep in mind whenever you buy online but especially from Ali is that you must accept the risk that you may get screwed or end up with a fake or not top quality product. It's a gamble and you'll have no possible course of action if anything go wrong with Ali.
It's a little bit like a Casino :p You gamble, you can lose and can't go mad at the Casino.
If you're not ready to accept that risk, DON'T buy from Ali.

I'm thinking frames may not be knock offs issue as much as products that didn't pass all the factory QA tests, which may explain why they sell so cheap, I don't know... As said above, in my case (Cube frame), if it's a knock off, well, its a freaking awesome job anyways, paint job is perfect, soldering is top notch.

The only "issue" I got was with the rear dropout spacing, 130mm instead of 135mm... which hasn't prevented me from using the back, I removed a spacer from the rear wheel hub and everything turned out great. May be shipping damage as well, I didn't bother for too long about it.
 
#9 ·
Its like asking if anyone has bought off craigslist.... except all the sellers are on the other side of the world.

Ive done thousands and thousands of dollars of factory direct business with taiwan. Its always a little sketchy and weird, but there are extremely good companies over there. For each good company, theres at least 100+ scammers selling something similar. Its very much buyer beware.

Asian stuff is really good these days. A lot of it is a knockoff, but that doesnt mean its poor quality. They just copied someone and put a sticker on it. Kinda scandalous, but it may well be a quality bike part. Maybe not though.
 
#10 ·
no I understand that, I just wanted to know what the general thoughts were about it. I really that frame but I also like quality, ill just buy something else instead of taking the risk
 
#12 ·
just sent seller an email asking about 27 vs 29 wheels, lists both. rear axle spacing, list nothing. also asked if frame is oem or reproduction copy. I did notice that the geometry table he has is for a roadbike no the xtc frame. we will see what they say.
 
#16 ·
Procter said:
Read this before buying
Not all frames are created equal. A look deep inside the carbon in counterfeit bikes - VeloNews.com

There's way more to producing a top quality frame than stickers and tube shapes.
Click to expand...
This sums it up nicely:

The Tarmac is engineered to ride like a high-performance bike; the counterfeit is designed to simply look like a Tarmac.
Click to expand...
Counterfeiters are dirtbags. Don't send them money. They only send you crap.

If you want to buy a bike straight from China, buy a brand you've never heard of. You'll get the same quality, and you won't be paying a dirtbag for it. You might even be paying legit businesspeople who are striving to build up a brand that people will come to respect - which will definitely NOT be the case if you buy from a counterfeiter.
 
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