# Chinese Carbon Wheels



## cyclodries (Jul 2, 2010)

Hello....

Is it really true that most of the popular carbon wheels, like Zipp or Fulcrum or Cosmic or others, ...are made in China?
And is there anyway to know where they are really made? I mean in which factory or which chinese company... Because I'm even more interested in where those wheels are really made, then where they are stickered!


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## luca.grigo (Apr 29, 2010)

It's not easy to find the "real" manufacter of a famous brand. Even if you find it, usually they can't confirm they are working for that brand ...


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## cyclodries (Jul 2, 2010)

luca.grigo said:


> It's not easy to find the "real" manufacter of a famous brand. Even if you find it, usually they can't confirm they are working for that brand ...


Indeed... can't find any info about this. Why is this such a secret? Is it because they want to protect their own business or is it because they are afraid to show the 'production and quality' of those items...?

For me it's an interesting business! 
My girlfriend is from China... So... who knows I can make some deals!


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## Ligero (Oct 21, 2005)

All of Zipp's rims are made in the US, Mavic carbon rims are made in France, Eaton rims are made in their own factory in either Mexico or China and I don't know where the Fulcrum rims are made. So if any Chinese factory is telling you that they are selling the same rims as any of those manufactures they are lying to you.


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## luca.grigo (Apr 29, 2010)

Sometime ago chatting with a seller (yishun stefano) he told me that they also work for a famous brand but he can't tell me more...
Also is known that http://www.strenbike.com/en/cp/class/ makes a lot of frames, but they can't sell to private...


cyclodries said:


> ... because they want to protect their own business ...


Yes they want to protect their agreement with famous brand


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## MCF (Oct 12, 2006)

Looking forward to the day someone posts on this thread about how their Chinese made wheel fails and they busted this and that.....maybe it will be me!


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## WheresWaldo (Nov 29, 2005)

luca.grigo said:


> Sometime ago chatting with a seller (yishun stefano) he told me that they also work for a famous brand but he can't tell me more...
> Also is known that http://www.strenbike.com/en/cp/class/ makes a lot of frames, but they can't sell to private...
> 
> 
> Yes they want to protect their agreement with famous brand


Problem is that your idea of famous and theirs are most likely very different.


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## ghostryder (Dec 28, 2009)

All i need is to get face planted going 30 mph, riding chinese wheels.

I will take a pass on that.


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## MCF (Oct 12, 2006)

If I was getting these wheels, I would get some custom stickers made for them...to hold them together when they start to come apart (just like all the big companies do).


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## MCF (Oct 12, 2006)

Nevermind..


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## AvantDale (Dec 26, 2008)

ghostryder said:


> All i need is to get face planted going 30 mph, riding chinese wheels.
> 
> I will take a pass on that.


Lol...that can potentially happen with any front end part. Better check your bars, stem, and fork! Chances are they are from China too...oh noesss!!!


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

I really dont know how some cyclists manage to get the courage to walk out their front door.
I would suggest that there is far more chance of you being hit by a Made in the USA car every day than there is of your Made in China wheels exploding over their life expectancy.


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## luca.grigo (Apr 29, 2010)

Recall:

Mavic
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml09/09116.html

Ritchey
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml05/05241.html

Easton
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/recall-easton-ea30-stem-23990

Rolf
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml05/05217.html

American Classic
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml05/05239.html

FSA
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml04/04227.html

Specialized
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml09/09198.html

Felt
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml09/09313.html

Giant
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml09/09096.html

Rockshox
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml09/09082.html

and hundreds more


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## JohnHenry (Aug 9, 2006)

luca.grigo said:


> Recall:
> 
> Mavic
> http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml09/09116.html
> ...


lol..


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## MCF (Oct 12, 2006)

At least they recall products when they know there is an issue.....


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

MCF said:


> At least they _eventually_ recall products when they know there is an issue.....


fixed it for you.


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

MCF said:


> At least they recall products when they know they cannot get away with the story that "it was a one off problem with your item" any longer.....


Actually this is more like it.


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## masont (Feb 6, 2010)

I've been looking for a pair of tubular rims, and have been trying to dig up information on them, but it seems like the only people who have personal experience with them speak somewhat broken english, and make me feel like they have some manner of a stake in the rims. I think I'm just going to go with a pair of Reflexes or tb25's.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

i have some and i speak relatively understandable english


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## masont (Feb 6, 2010)

alexb618 said:


> i have some and i speak relatively understandable english


I should clarify that the perceived nation of origin only matters when it's people who have limited posts in the forum, and all of them are in support of a product that there's very little information about that comes from a country that speaks a different language. 

A couple questions, if you don't mind:

1. What was the finish quality of the rim?
2. How round was the rim? How did it handle spoke tension, and what tension did you build up to?
3. How accurate was the published ERD?
4. Which depth did you get?

I'm a 200 pound guy looking to build a pair of cross wheels. I worry that a 325 gram rim (in 38mm) would have issues with a 200 pound guy thrashing it in cross, despite the fact that I'm building into a 32 spoke hub. 

I'm currently leaning toward building with an aluminum tubular, but still trying to figure it out.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

i have the 88mm rims for a track wheelset which i have not built yet. all i can tell you at this stage is the finish quality is perfect, it is the exact same rim as on the FFWD F9T. i will measure the ERD tomorrow evening when i start to think about spokes.

imo if you are 200lbs you prob shouldnt be looking at carbon rims from any manufacturer for cx


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## Mackers (Dec 29, 2009)

I got a couple of the 50mm tubulars earlier this year, and built them up with DA hubs.

The pair I got had an amazing finish, and roundness was excellent. ERD was spot on.
Being so true and very stiff. they built up very easy, easier in fact than any aluminum rim I've worked with, and I've been building my own wheels since '90. The only problem I noticed was that they're quite unbalanced. There's a lot of extra weight at the valve hole, and it doesn't get any better when you add the valve extenders into the equasion. It's very noticeable on the truing stand, but I haven't actually noticed it when riding. Still, I wish I'd have used a couple of heavier gauge spokes opposite the valve hole.

















It was my first try building a 2:1 spoke pattern, though after about 2000 miles I'm convinced it's the way to go. They've been great performers.

Weight wasn't bad, 1503 or 1509gr (can't remember exactly) 24 DT Revos in front, 24 Comps rear. Front was built with 90kg, rear with 120.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

masont said:


> 3. How accurate was the published ERD?


published ERD was not correct


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## ramdv (May 13, 2003)

How's the performance?


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

I agree, if was gonna crash and get busted up from a wheel failure, I'd much rather it be an American or EU made wheel. My only regret is that I have but one life to give to my country.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

Mackers said:


> I got a couple of the 50mm tubulars earlier this year, and built them up with DA hubs.
> 
> The pair I got had an amazing finish, and roundness was excellent. ERD was spot on.
> Being so true and very stiff. they built up very easy, easier in fact than any aluminum rim I've worked with, and I've been building my own wheels since '90. The only problem I noticed was that they're quite unbalanced. There's a lot of extra weight at the valve hole, and it doesn't get any better when you add the valve extenders into the equasion. It's very noticeable on the truing stand, but I haven't actually noticed it when riding. Still, I wish I'd have used a couple of heavier gauge spokes opposite the valve hole.
> ...


Question: Do you need some sort of metal washers, to help seat the spoke nipples, when building with these rims?


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

ipad cost if made in China - 500 dollars
ipad cost if made in USA - 5000 dollars.

Which one you gonna buy?


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## Mackers (Dec 29, 2009)

JaeP said:


> Question: Do you need some sort of metal washers, to help seat the spoke nipples, when building with these rims?


I did use them, but I don't think I needed to.
The nipple bed was nice and even, and about 4mm in thickness.

You can actually see them lying on the floor, reflected in the rim in this picture (bottom right)


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## SBH1973 (Nov 21, 2002)

I've posted a couple of longish reports on my experiences with Chinese carbon tubular rims. They seem to be the same rims Mackers used, but in 38mm:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=229709

1000+ mile report:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?p=3384324#poststop

The performance of this wheelset has been great and I'm liking them more and more. The only "issue" I've had is that they do screech when braking, but I've been told that this problem can be reduced with some sanding of the pads and rims. I also wonder if it has something to do with the Yellow Swisstops I used. Maybe I would have been better off with the pads the manufacturer provided. Still, for $750 (including tires, build labor, some very expensive spokes that I paid way too much for, and even installation of tires), they're hard to beat.


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## SBH1973 (Nov 21, 2002)

Mackers, those look a lot like my rims - 12k, but in 38mm, bought on eBay for $190 + shipping, How do yours brake? Mine make a screeching/wrenching sound when braking - real annoying - although they stop just fine. I'm using Yellowstops...



Mackers said:


> I did use them, but I don't think I needed to.
> The nipple bed was nice and even, and about 4mm in thickness.
> 
> You can actually see them lying on the floor, reflected in the rim in this picture (bottom right)


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## Mackers (Dec 29, 2009)

Well, I actually built myself a set of 38mm tubies too, from the same vendor....










Used and abused them all through winter, and they're still going strong.
Absolutely no brake noise whatsoever though, using either the pads that came with them (but they're not very good,) Koolstops, or Swisstop Yellows (the ones I'm using currently)
I didn't toe them in or anything, really, just mounted them parallel to the brake track.

I have heard though that the new Reynolds blue pads are supposed to be good and quiet stoppers, so I'm giving those a try next time.

These were built on Novatec hubs with CN Mac spokes front and NDS, with Competitions DS.


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## Mackers (Dec 29, 2009)

Well, I went for a ride with my 50mm tubies today, and guess what, they squealed like a stuck pig with the Swisstops! Go figure....


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## AvantDale (Dec 26, 2008)

They are going to keep squealing! :mad2:

Toe in on the pads will help reduce some of it.


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## Mackers (Dec 29, 2009)

It's not the pads though, I swapped in the 38mm front yesterday and it was whisper quiet.


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