Weight Weenies

jepd1973 wrote:Sorry to interrupt this thread.

Is it safe to buy from the website above ? (http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product ... 74744.html)

And how is this saddle compared to a standard SLR?

Yes, it is safe to order from aliexpress. See the following thread in which Aliexpress gets discussed and explained:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=122103

A broken saddle can make it hard to get home if it occurs more than a couple k from home, but if you're a light guy, what do you have to lose for 40 bucks?[/quote]

Amen, I've broken two saddles (same model) while out riding, one of which was far from convenient (middle of 130 mile ride). At least with a cheap carbon saddle you can reinforce with an extra layer of carbon if you feel the need (unlike nylon/molded shells), hopefully the rails hold together.

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So we are allowing people to use this forum to promote knock-off items from a phishing site? Shows a lot of respect for the industry but I imagine these same people wear a fake Bell & Ross.

bura wrote:

carbonLORD wrote:Did they make the knock-off Specialized saddle too?

No.
Check the Hongfu website.
They neither manufacture replicas nor branded fake items.

Yes, I knew that.

It was sarcasm as I wonder why anyone would buy a branded item that was clearly a knock-off.

If the saddle said "Chinalized, Crapé" and was on a Chinarello Dogpoo I'd be cool with it, even though they stole a legitimate, patented design.

Knock off stuff is hurting the industry, just look at 3T.

Don't be a part of that or there might not be anything to copy in the future.

Don't be a part of the "knock-off" and "phishing site" grind.
Not speaking for the China-Toupe saddle but if free minded citizens around the world are more and more taking the route to buy from valued Chinese manufacturers the time for rethinking their prices has come for "western" brand manufacturers.
I will not continue on this because it has been discussed here many times before.
Have right now ordered a Hong-Fu frame and some bottle cages.

bura wrote:Don't be a part of the "knock-off" and "phishing site" grind.
Not speaking for the China-Toupe saddle but if free minded citizens around the world are more and more taking the route to buy from valued Chinese manufacturers the time for rethinking their prices has come for "western" brand manufacturers.
I will not continue on this because it has been discussed here many times before.
Have right now ordered a Hong-Fu frame and some bottle cages.

I believe HongFu makes some quality items and have considered using them to supply some carbonLORD branded frames. I have worked with Taiwanese manufacturers for over 20 years but I will not show respect to anyone, Chinese, American or Martian who infringe on patents and don't even have the courtesy of re-branding what it is they are marketing.

Perhaps if Ali took a different approach in the way they market their web site, genuine sellers would not question their practices but they don't. Its a gray market with replica merchandise and allowing some poster to send a message about a saddle they are trying to sell facilitates that gray marketplace on this trusted forum.

If you don't like the price make your own saddle or re-brand it for what it truly is but don't steal the design and logo and sell it on a sketchy web site as a legitimate item. That's wrong on so many levels and not something that will help the industry.

This is not about HongFu or Chinese manufacturers. This is about stealing a design and topping that off by stealing a trade marked logo, and selling it as authentic merchandise.

I'm considering this as my next frame. Just out of curiosity, how are people routing their shift cables/housings? It looks like a lot of people criss cross the cables so that the left shifter has the housing running to the right stop on the down tube, and the opposite for the right shifter. Does that mean the cables cross themselves in the down tube?

I've also seen people route the cables traditionally (right shifter to right cable stop and vice versa. This results in more bend in the housing though which is why I seem to see more routed the way I mentioned above.

Thoughts?

carbonLORD wrote:I believe HongFu makes some quality items and have considered using them to supply some carbonLORD branded frames. I have worked with Taiwanese manufacturers for over 20 years but I will not show respect to anyone, Chinese, American or Martian who infringe on patents and don't even have the courtesy of re-branding what it is they are marketing.

So are your bikes going to show Hong-Fu on the frames or Carbon Lord ??

Did you design the frames and pay Hong Fu to make the moulds ?????

That's actually the beauty of these open mold frames, it's not really a "hong-fu" frame either. They are kind of out there for whoever wants them, and if you were to mass purchase 20 FM-069's from any of the Chinese manufactures who make them, you could easily then rebrand them and resell. I think there is even a section on Hong-Fu's website about mass purchases specifically for that reason…

I always thought that HongFu, DengFu, Greenbike etc were only resellers of mass produced frame from (several?) Factories in China?
I didn't know they were actually manufacturers?

totoboa wrote:

carbonLORD wrote:I believe HongFu makes some quality items and have considered using them to supply some carbonLORD branded frames. I have worked with Taiwanese manufacturers for over 20 years but I will not show respect to anyone, Chinese, American or Martian who infringe on patents and don't even have the courtesy of re-branding what it is they are marketing.

So are your bikes going to show Hong-Fu on the frames or Carbon Lord ??

Did you design the frames and pay Hong Fu to make the moulds ?????

I'll tell you what I'm not going to do, advertise them as Specialized frames.

In all seriousness, I always credit the manufacturer, unless specified not to (as was the case with my old carbon cranks, seat post handlebars, stems, skewers and forks I used to market).

Go visit my web site which is a perfect example how I market cross branding.

My FaceBook page will show examples of previous products mentioned.

Nowhere do I advertise what I offer as anything beyond the actual manufacturer or my own branding.

I could have offered my old cranks and ergo bars as Stella Azzurra and probably would have made even higher margins, but that's not how I do it.

Even when I had company A providing for me and FSA, (with FSA clearly stamped on the spider) cranks, I still marketed them as carbonLORD branded products. The benefit is knowing exactly what I sold and helps with warranty and QC. Keep in mind this was over 10 years ago and things have changed for both FSA and myself now.

I will support companies that market their own brand. I will not support companies that create products with another companies design and logo and market them as authentic.

I just spent some time at the Hongfu, Dengfu and Alibaba sites. Hongfu at least shows that they manufacture their frames, and show the factory. Interesting to know that virtually the same exact moulds are used by other competing manufacturers, and subsequent frames offered by distributors and vendors. I was unable to find an FM-066 on Alibaba Hongfu and I went through 20 of 277 pages. My screen didn't offer a search feature. I know it's in there. Ouch !!!

Just about to order a AC066 from ICAN bikes. It's listed as same weight as the Fm066sl but just want to confirm it's the exact same frame? Are these all from the same factory (Fly bikes) and then supplied to Hong Fu, ICAN, Deng Fu etc? Reason is my local bike shop buying in bulk so can get a good price from Ican.

Also I had a Cervelo S2 which I sold to get one of these because of the very poor warranty issues. Never get another branded bike!

From what I gather these frames are made to the exact same standard as big branded frames (made in same factory) so why buy big? The few warranty issues I've heard about with these frames have been sorted with new frames no questions asked. I had months of issues with warranty and sending my fame away twice and when it was returned had paint chips and missing parts!!
These bikes are bare and beautiful. I will use it for my everyday summer bike and race bike. If I destroy it in a crash I can replace it.

Just don't know whether to get the 066 or the new 069. Think the 069 has t1000 carbon but this isn't better just stiffer. Any suggestions?

First post and you sound like you're giving a compelling sales pitch for Ican through thinly veiled questions which you also seem to answer in the next breath. Poor form if that's the case. If not, and you're genuine, I apologise.

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I'm genuine, not sure I get your response if you are indeed responding to me, if not then I apologize.

There are simple questions in there, don't know anything about Ican other than my LBS will soon be ordering from them and want to know if the AC066 on their site is the same as the Fm066sl on other Chinese sites.

Also if anyone has had experience with this frame and the 2014 Fm069.

Please read my post again and reply constructively if at all.

Thanks