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So, now that a "mainstream" brand is selling a carbon bike for £1000, how can anyone still argue that carbon frames from the big Chinese factories are dodgy....
Seems to me than most of the negative chat about the Chinese carbon starts from people who are sponsored by "mainstream" brands. Places like online cycling magazines..YouTube channels... Pro riders... Etc etc.
given how many "halfords" bikes go through the workshop with issues I'd prefer a chinese direct one than one specced by the buyers at Halfords. The frame will probably be fine, how it's put together and the parts used would be my worry. A 1k carbon bike will have compromises somewhere to get it to that price point. I now Halfords have great buying power as they buy 1000s of units but then so do Trek, Spesh etc but they can't put together a 1k carbon ht that they feel they can back reliability wise otherwise they would and they have bigger spending power than Halfords
I'm not sure your argument stacks up.
Distrust of a frame from a faceless eBay seller based half way around the world isn't negated because a big retailer happens to have used it's buying power to source cheaper carbon.
If the eBay frame maims you there's no comeback, if the Halfords one does there's a consequence for them.
It also depends on whether it's actually any good. Does it ride as well/better than other £1k bikes?
Yeh, the spec on the standard £600 bizango rivals a lot of bikes 800 to a grand. I wouldn't be over worried about the carbon version for £1k.
Basically what Johnny said:
depends on whether it’s actually any good. Does it ride as well/better than other £1k bikes?
mattyfez
Member
Yeh, the spec on the standard £600 bizango rivals a lot of bikes 800 to a grand.
In fact, MBR once ran it in a £750 bikes test which it won by a mile, and they said it'd have been a contender for top price in the £1000 class.
Johnnystorm. There are several Chinese factories who are not faceless eBay sellers.. who do have some sort of after sales service and have been attempting to build a reputation as bonefide bike frame manufacturers, granted the aftersales probably is not up to the standard of western brands but not as bad as you describe.
Also.. I think I've heard a proportionately similar number of stories of big brand carbon frame failures as I have Chinese frames. If they were so terrible the internet would be awash with the horror stories. Carbon frame manufacture is actually relatively low skilled.
Bikeradar review: https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-bizango-carbon-review/
If they just left some room for a 2.4-2.5 tyre it would've been perfect. Possibly would've earned them a 5 star rating as well.
Which they could have done with a longer rear end, but instead it's inexplicably short.