aermet wrote:SLCBrandon,
Just a few questions..
Are you certain that the exact same people/crew/technicians who make the knockoffs are the exact same persons who make the giant/colnago/pinarello/cervelo OEM's, etc on the exact same assembly lines using exactly the same ovens/layups/fibers/bladders/techniques?
Do you know for certain that the "generic" brands undergo the same QC/supervision/oversight/liability that an OEM requires?
Do you know for certain that what you're riding has the same stiffness/failure modes/safety margins built in that OEM's require of their frames?
No one can dispute your claims as to how you've ridden your bike unless they happened to be in your shorts at the time. I'm just slightly curious as to how you claim to know that:
They are made in the same factory as the biggest names in the sport. Same people making them, same ovens etc etc.
[/quote]
Emphasis on your "etc etc"
I'm not flaming you nor your experiences. Your post is a bit snarky starting off towards those who are not keen on the knockoffs, so I'm just curious as to any factual information you might have on the quality or lack of regarding the generic frames.
On topic, my vote goes for the altamira as well as the Kuota KOM with a nod especially for the Orbea orca.
Look 595 is up on the list for me, though not so inexpensive necessarily.[/quote]
I'll keep this short as I don't have time to find the necessary links.
First and foremost, I NEVER......EVER mentioned knockoffs. Not once. That's an apples and dinosaurs comparison to an open mold frame. Knockoffs are just that. Open molds can actually be found with name brand paint on them and called something else.
Now, simple googling will yield many articles about companies like Merida etc that manufacture big name brands right next to open mold frames that are often times re-branded by lower level brands. Sometimes many times over.
There are very few factories over all in Tiawan and China that can produce these. It just so happens they produce for almost everyone.
Related note: the ONLY defective issue I've ever experienced with carbon cycling parts is actually with an ENVE 45 wheel that had a bladder issue causing a fracture in the brake track. Found that out at 50mph on a 12% descent. Those are made right here in Utah, btw.
It took me awhile to realize this as a reformed gear junky, but you're paying hundreds of percent markup most of the time, just for a paint job that makes you feel good because it has a brand name attached to it.
What about the warranty you ask? Both ENVE and Zipp (hub issue on a 3 month old 404 firecrest) have said "nah" to obvious warranty issues.