Common for decades.
Who Are These Guys?
On my Instagram feed, I've been noticing a lot of sick looking bikes from Sherpa, who is based out of Austin, TX. They seemed like a really good value for a custom bike, so I dove into it a little deeper.
Seems like these MTB companies are popping up here and there, and they're simply buying Chinese carbon frames and rims, painting them, using popular components from reputable brands, then just throwing their logo on it and calling it custom.
A pretty shady tactic they're using is "sponsoring" different riders, who apparently wouldn't typically qualify based on their skills and social media presence. They're basically just selling people bikes at a discount, under the guise of sponsorship, so they'll promote the product for free and buy their stuff.
I also came across a Reddit where people noticed it's not only got the same geo, but the exact same picture of the chart as the Evolve Alpha 29 ... They're buying a frame you can get for $750 retail, getting a quantity discount, slapping some paint and logos on, then marking it up $1k and calling it "custom."
Has this been prevalent in the industry and I'm just now finding out about it? The warranty is real shady too. Bikes do look sick but something about just painting a Chinese frame/rim and slapping your logo on it that seems shady to me.
![Bicycle Bicycles--Equipment and supplies Wheel Tire Land vehicle]()
![Bicycle Tire Bicycle wheel rim Wheel Bicycles--Equipment and supplies]()
Seems like these MTB companies are popping up here and there, and they're simply buying Chinese carbon frames and rims, painting them, using popular components from reputable brands, then just throwing their logo on it and calling it custom.
A pretty shady tactic they're using is "sponsoring" different riders, who apparently wouldn't typically qualify based on their skills and social media presence. They're basically just selling people bikes at a discount, under the guise of sponsorship, so they'll promote the product for free and buy their stuff.
I also came across a Reddit where people noticed it's not only got the same geo, but the exact same picture of the chart as the Evolve Alpha 29 ... They're buying a frame you can get for $750 retail, getting a quantity discount, slapping some paint and logos on, then marking it up $1k and calling it "custom."
Has this been prevalent in the industry and I'm just now finding out about it? The warranty is real shady too. Bikes do look sick but something about just painting a Chinese frame/rim and slapping your logo on it that seems shady to me.
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for a while there was a company in Taiwan called Kinesis and they were making alloy frames for A LOT of the major bike brands. They just paint it and put their decals on them and charge you $$$ for these mass produced Taiwanese frames that all come from the same factory LOL
www.kinesis.com.tw
Bicycle Frame Fork,Bicycle Frame,Bicycle,Bike - Kinesis industry CO.
Kinesis industry CO., Factory is a professional Bicycle Frame Fork Manufacturer in Taiwan, Bicycle Frame ,Bicycle Down Hill Suspension , BOSCH Suspension e-frame , Panasonic e-frame , Contenental e-frame.
That is the predominant way bikes and parts are made though, no?for a while there was a company in Taiwan called Kinesis and they were making alloy frames for A LOT of the major bike brands. They just paint it and put their decals on them and charge you $$$ for these mass produced Taiwanese frames that all come from the same factory LOL
Bicycle Frame Fork,Bicycle Frame,Bicycle,Bike - Kinesis industry CO.
Kinesis industry CO., Factory is a professional Bicycle Frame Fork Manufacturer in Taiwan, Bicycle Frame ,Bicycle Down Hill Suspension , BOSCH Suspension e-frame , Panasonic e-frame , Contenental e-frame.
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1 - 20 of 119 Posts
