Your LBS could be selling fake components

[Mr Haematocrit]

A small number of unscrupulous local bike shops are blending fake bike equipment with genuine product and selling to unwary consumers, an anti-counterfeiting expert has told BikeRadar.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/...and-fake-bike-kit-to-mislead-consumers-40001/

 

[AndyRM]

Jesus. Hope whoever came off that is alright, looks horrendous!

 

[Globalti]

Chinarello?

 

[fossyant]

It's easier to pick up with the top end models, but needs close scrutiny. I have seen a fake Dogma and it looked pretty convincing other than the labels being wrong and there being a band on front mech. The labels are opposite on the original bike, pinarello on one side of down tube, dogma on other then changed on the seat tube.

Paint job looked spot on though.

 

[fossyant]

The issue is the resin voids, I.e the high quality stuff checks there are no voids or air bubbles in the structure. The cheap copy stuff won't have that quality control, and can be catastrophic failure.

 

[Banjo]

Some of the counterfeit Dogmas have round section seat post tubes/ seat post the pukka ones are oval / aero shape. It amazes me how many people knowingly ride on fake frames.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

i had no idea you could even get copy frames and parts, i will keep an eye on my bike shop to see if he is looking dodgy .

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Chinarello?

Even leaving alu aside, I wonder what % of carbon frames/components even from "prestigious" brands are not made by some obscure factory in China or Taiwan? This and the associated links would suggest very few indeed.

 

[ianrauk]

Even leaving alu aside, I wonder what % of carbon frames/components even from "prestigious" brands are not made by some obscure factory in China or Taiwan? This and the associated links would suggest very few indeed.

Thanks for the link... makes for interesting reading.

 

[fossyant]

i had no idea you could even get copy frames and parts, i will keep an eye on my bike shop to see if he is looking dodgy .

You need to worry about ebay stuff as well. There are fake Cervelos too. Biggest worry is fake bars and stems. These could be very dangerous if the manufacturing quality is suspect.

 

[Banjo]

Even leaving alu aside, I wonder what % of carbon frames/components even from "prestigious" brands are not made by some obscure factory in China or Taiwan? This and the associated links would suggest very few indeed.

While the big firms do use factories world wide to manufacturer thir frames and components they will also insist on a certain level of quality control.

Where as some dodgy character on ebay wont give a toss what happens later as he will have resurfaced with a different name by the time someone gets killed.

 

[400bhp]

Hmm, seems a bit of a misleading article to me.

Shop = internet seller is tenuous.

 

[Smurfy]

Some of the counterfeit Dogmas have round section seat post tubes/ seat post the pukka ones are oval / aero shape. It amazes me how many people knowingly ride on fake frames.

How long until the fakers manage to make oval tubes? Give it a few more years and it will take an expert to spot a fake. I'd expect the manufacturers to take the lead and introduce something that is very difficult to fake. After all, it's their brand and reputation at stake.

 

[400bhp]

How long until the fakers manage to make oval tubes? Give it a few more years and it will take an expert to spot a fake. I'd expect the manufacturers to take the lead and introduce something that is very difficult to fake. After all, it's their brand and reputation at stake.

You would think there would be some kind of bar coding on frames, all with a unique, i-d. Something like an app could pick up.

Can't be that hard.

 

[Cycleops]

Conterfeiting jas been endemic in the sporting goods industry for some time so I guess it was just a matter of time before they moved to bikes.

They target the top end brands so if you are looking to save money on line if the price is too good to be true it probably is.

You would think there would be some kind of bar coding on frames, all with a unique, i-d. Something like an app could pick up.

Can't be that hard.

This would be easily faked.