My Boardman CX is being upgraded to a Chinese Carbon CX frame

[tincaman]

This is my plan:
I have had the Boardman CX Team for 2 1/2 years now and it has had various upgrades so the wheels and groupset now are of good spec.
I have no real attachment to any particular bike and get bored easily so my next upgrade will be to swap the frame out. I have been looking at the Chinese carbon CX frames which are easily sourced and can be had for about £300 (import duty might raise that).
The most interesting one I have found out about is the FR-602, made by FLYXI, here it is made up:

It can be bought direct from the suplier or Ebay from this page:

What I like about this frame:
Disc mounts, especially stay mounted at the rear
Choice of bottom bracket specs.
Mudguard mounts
Internal cabling
Room for big tyres, I will be running 28's

I understand the obvious downsides about imperfections, lack of support for issues, warranty etc so don't wish to discuss those.
What I do wish to hear are your views, recommendations, ideas etc.
Make it a positive thread, I am sure I am not the only one who would like to go down this route.
The end result for me would be a nice commuting bike, easily winterized, takes a wide choice of tyres.

 

[young Ed]

have you already ordered frame?
i would say take the risk and go for it hoping it all turns up and in one piece undamaged etc
i have a feeling someone else on here bought a chinese road frame and i think he was happy! what group set you running now?
Cheers Ed

 

[tincaman]

Not jumped yet, was concerned about import duty.
Currently running 105 5700 groupset

 

[Luegolover]

I am teetering on the edge of making an order for a R-051 frame (first post and can't work out how to add photo, sorry) and a set of wheel for $1100. The thing that is stopping me is the thought of sending the money and herring nothing again. I'm not the bank of England but neither would a loss of that amount cripple me, it's just that I don't want to take such an obvious risk and then get egg on my face. On the other side though I can't imagine how I could get a disc based bike with carbon wheels if I don't go for it. I have had contact with the factory directly but when I got the paypal invoice it was to an individual in a completely different region of China (I'm a teacher and the school has some Mandarin teachers and the translated the invoice) so that was a no no. I then contacted Velobuild who offer the same frame but I quickly established that they only publish posts that meet with there approval, no chance of going forward with them then. I am now thinking of going through DH Gate. This seems safe(ish).

So I guess I'd like to know how other people have paid for their Chinese bits?

Incidentally I am not worried about the quality, life it just too short and if I worry about that too, or I'll never do it. I want to be that chap who took the plunge and ended up with a great bike.

 

[cyberknight]

If you have changed the wheels etc and the frame is sounds like triggers brush ..........................

 

[tincaman]

If you have changed the wheels etc and the frame is sounds like triggers brush ..........................

Is it just me or ???

 

[tincaman]

Buying through EBay via PayPal sends a good idea. There will be some measure of protection for your money, assuming it's available there of course

 

[StuAff]

Trigger's broom (he'd had it for twenty years- seventeen new heads and fourteen handles....).

 

[ayceejay]

Before you commit, have a look at Plant X offerings they had some beautiful Guerciotti CX frames on sale, as well as their own recently. Incidentally I think most frames these days are manufactured somewhere east of Milan.

 

[young Ed]

Before you commit, have a look at Plant X offerings they had some beautiful Guerciotti CX frames on sale, as well as their own recently. Incidentally I think most frames these days are manufactured somewhere east of Milan.

yes a lot of the top brand frames are likely to be made in one of the poorer countries and just have their name on them happens with everything all it is is that with spec or giant etc they are likely to have better customer support
Cheers Ed

 

[ianrauk]

What warranty comes with the frame? Something this I would thing is quite important.

 

[tincaman]

Before you commit, have a look at Plant X offerings they had some beautiful Guerciotti CX frames on sale, as well as their own recently. Incidentally I think most frames these days are manufactured somewhere east of Milan.

Cheers, had a look, the Guerciotti frames are all canti and the Planet X XLS doesn't have mudguard mounts and needs an extra pulley to make the front mech work

 

[tincaman]

What warranty comes with the frame? Something this I would thing is quite important.

Warranty is offered but I think basically you are on your own

 

[ianrauk]

Warranty is offered but I think basically you are on your own

Sorry what does that mean.
If a warranty is offered what do you mean you are on your own?

 

[tincaman]

The problem of lack of consumer rights and returns when dealing with China