Weight Weenies

robertbb wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 04, 2023 3:12 am

Chlorophyll15 wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 04, 2023 2:36 am

Let's please keep the thread on topic and avoid geopolitical discussions in here.

This is important. Nothing could be more important. And it is very much on topic - China is being singled out by OP (hint: read the title) and I am responding to this as is my right and (I feel) my obligation.

robertbb wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 04, 2023 3:12 am

This is important. Nothing could be more important. And it is very much on topic - China is being singled out by OP (hint: read the title) and I am responding to this as is my right and (I feel) my obligation.

kode54 wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 12, 2023 4:47 pm

I bought a few kits and jerseys from Aliexpress...all of which I have never worn. I bought them more for curiosity and to gauge how well they're made with good materials. Not anywhere close to useable even on indoor trainer. Materials don't breathe and poor quality construction including poor printing of graphics. Often fuzzy and misaligned.
I bought a few from different places to make sure if it was just one manufacturer but I suspect that they all buy from the same place. So despite their cheap pricing...if you don't use them, they're worthless. I donated them to a nearby recycle (bike) place.

robertbb wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 04, 2023 1:11 am

Don't buy anything from Chinese manufacturers. Clothes, parts.... anything.

The Chinese are using the money they make from selling you cheap goods (made with materials no doubt reverse-engineered and/or plagiarised from textile manufacturers who invest in R&D) to buy houses in your local area which they will never, ever sell - choosing instead to rent them out to you, in your own country.

I don't know how old you are, how you're positioned financially, but spare a thought for the flow-on effects of where your money is going and what they're doing with it.

This is not "racism" nor is it fearmongering, this is happening all around the world. USA, Canada, Australia, Western Europe.... modern warfare is being fought on the asset and ownership front. There will be no prizes for second place. Avoid Chinese goods at all possible opportunities, even if it means wearing decathlon stuff made in Europe or in India, or in Indonesia, or in Vietnam (which are also being raped by the Chinese).

kode54 wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 12, 2023 4:47 pm

I bought a few kits and jerseys from Aliexpress...all of which I have never worn. I bought them more for curiosity and to gauge how well they're made with good materials. Not anywhere close to useable even on indoor trainer. Materials don't breathe and poor quality construction including poor printing of graphics. Often fuzzy and misaligned.
I bought a few from different places to make sure if it was just one manufacturer but I suspect that they all buy from the same place. So despite their cheap pricing...if you don't use them, they're worthless. I donated them to a nearby recycle (bike) place.

kode54 wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 12, 2023 4:47 pm

I bought a few kits and jerseys from Aliexpress...all of which I have never worn. I bought them more for curiosity and to gauge how well they're made with good materials. Not anywhere close to useable even on indoor trainer. Materials don't breathe and poor quality construction including poor printing of graphics. Often fuzzy and misaligned.
I bought a few from different places to make sure if it was just one manufacturer but I suspect that they all buy from the same place. So despite their cheap pricing...if you don't use them, they're worthless. I donated them to a nearby recycle (bike) place.

inertianinja wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 24, 2023 2:58 pm

Years ago I started experimenting with kit from Aliexpres, just because I wanted some cheap jerseys for early morning training rides. Back then they were usually crap-tier jerseys and bibs with junk chamois, printed to minic Rapha kit, with weird square fits.

Lately a few brands have come into their own with better (unique) designs, and fabrics that seem - to me - to be identical to kit from larger brands that I own. I'm finding it difficult to justify spending $200 for a solid-color jersey from a major brand lately....if the fabrics are (apparently) the same, the quality is the same, and it's a plain black jersey, why am I paying 5x-10x the price for the brand.

Spexcel for example, IMO has been killing it lately. Although I've had an occasional bad fit (recent wind jacket purchase had arms way too short for me), I probably wouldn't hesitate to keep buying from them.

Anyone else have similar experiences?

OnTheRivet wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 21, 2023 3:51 am

I get Gobik stuff on sale and it's inexpensive and great quality.

misteryellow wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 20, 2023 9:25 pm

You are not 'just paying for the brand'. In fact I would argue many buyers overstate the margins companies make. European companies employ people and pay them fair wages. They also adhere to much stricted safety etc guidelines. Furthermore, they invest in cycling. The industry could not exist without sponsors. Lastly, European companies are much more sustainable. Take a brand like Isadore. Lastly, European companies invest much more in R&D (like Q.36.5), which gets stolen by Chinese. Chinese companies also have an unfair economic advantage over European companies with Chinese companies getting subsidized shipping rates. Whether any of these factors interest you the short term is up to you but on the long term it can have devastating consequences which many consumers have not yet realised. But such is not the scope of your question.