Installed Whitetop EDS Tx electronic groupset

Wheels of Happiness

This post took advantage of the seller's platform at 50% discount, last 11.11 whose price was only P24,700.  Its US, UK price is at $600 -$700.  So it was a bargin.   The order arrived last Tuesday  And yesterday I had installed by Mario.   

The old STI a SRAM red had seen better days and it such a great pain to maintain it because of internal cabling (passing through the handlebar):   there are kinks and malfunction often occurs due to cabling problems.  Thisi gs does not have cabling for the GS  for brakes yes.

It is a source of pride to have an electronic GS for such a low price.  It gives you a feeling of having a new bike again and pride for finally being able to afford an electonic GS at incredibly low price.

I still have access the apps for some finer adjustments.

   

Unboxing Wheel top electronic GS - masubukan

Wheels of Happiness

Affordable, reliable/  Puwedeng itry, ma experience?

Pag nagkabonus masubukan...

Economically priced electronic group set from China - Wheeltop

Wheels of Happiness

Its 50% of the price of Shimano or  SRAM.  Experts say that the abandonment by SRAM of the mechanical GS market.

The price at Lazada is P29,000+ for rim brakes and P34,000 for the first time user.  The regular price is  700 pounds or Php 49,000.

The parts are made of carbon fiber

I might be tempted to try out the electonic group set  (My s works configuration makes it difficult to stick to cabled gs)

Good experience so far

Non bike post: Gender issues in boxing involving lady Chinese and Algerian boxers

Wheels of Happiness

IBA declared them to be male.  IOC does not think so.  The Italian boxer quit their bout just in 46 seconds saying that she felt like she was being boxed by a man.

We are all embroiled in this gender issues which we do not want to be involved in.

Do you agree with IBA or IOC regarding the issues.   Will IOC disqualify Shelif of Algeria?  She is about to win a gold medal

Is this issue overshadowing the grandeur of Paris 2024 Olympics?

Improvements in Chinese bike and bike parts technology

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines

3.28.2021

We often associated Chinese bike parts for shoddy quality, one day life span and for low end plastic products -   horns, lamps, plastic accessories. and others like seat posts, saddles, handlebars.  

But it is no longer true today if you follow the e commerce platforms.   They are into the mainstream of bike technology and may have overtaken the rest of the world

The progress is observed in the following

1.  Low end mountain bike:     ASB, Foxter, Trinx

2.  Middle end mountain bike:   Mountainpeak,   Sunpeed, Phantom, Batallion, Forever Toseek.  

     You find two brike brands with 13 speed (only Campagnolo has that in the west)    Twitter Storm is

     13 speed and Forever.       Forever Coolf MTB   Can you beat that?   only P28,500!!!

     13 speed GS about 700 grams and $780 by S Ride.  (Aside from Campagnolo, the other Western             producer is Rotor)

3   China producers of MTB among world's top 10  Pardus

4  Cogs:   Sunrace, Z race  Sagmit, Ztto.   Even lighter than the original manufacturers  You can find much lighter cogs at 300 grams + only but with hefty prices

5   GS -  LTWOO, Senshah. Restrospec.  LTWOO was established by former head of R & D of SRAM

Even for rear lamps of Rockbros (they are now into Q5) you find advanced features as:  stop light, automatic shut off at daytime, on at dusk, etc.   I only have the q3 

Now is the time to take advantage of low priced products while Chinese producers are trying ot build brands and market share (it means while prices are still low)

We are not pro Chinese.  This post is pro savings pro more money in the pocket/bank

Why fear China made carbon fiber components?

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
January 24, 2018

The post on carbon fiber bought by Ed de los Reyes from Lazada drew a number of comments, some of them expressing fear of breakage because it is from China  I dare say, there is no need for worry.

The Toseek the TCTH brand in China might be trusted name all ready testing the  Phil market.

Are you aware that FSA (Full Speed Ahead) GTS, SRAM are Taiwan based? And yet do you fear their failures.    China manufacturing has come of age and many of their products can be trusted and are reliable.  Sige matakot kayo. Enjoy lang kami ng murang piyesa.

1. What is carbon fiber material?

    It is space material that is 3x lighter than steel but 3x stronger. It is made by impregnating carbon fiber with resin having this dried naturally or baked.  Vacuum is employed to remove bubbles while the polymer is drying.  It is very much doing things with fiber glass.

   While it is very strong, it is also very brittle. We see formula cars breaking into small bits when they crash. The nice thing about carbon fiber is that it can be shaped, to any shape you want.    The biggest source of carbon fiber is in Asia with most of the supply dominated by Toray, based in Japan

Properties of Carbon fiber

10 things you many not know about Carbon Fiber

2. Hence most of the carbon fiber supplier are also from Asia:   2/3 of world"s  supply is from Mitsubishi.  Toray is the most popular brand Taiwan and China.  Most OEM suupliers are in Taiwan and China.  OEM means original equipment manufacturer. They are outsourcing, subcontractor of say Italian or UK bike sellers/marketers:  they make the frame in Taiwan with specs coming from UK or Italy OEM ship them back without label  but maybe painted, and the branded supplier brands the frames.  In other words, the technology to make the frame is in Taiwan and China

Asia Pacific supplied 40% of worlds carbon fiber with China  and Japan leading the way followed by Taiwan and South Korea

Many bike manufacturers lack the capability to make carbon fiber parts/frames.

The most reliable and experienced carbon fiber parts manufacturer are from Taiwan and China.  They have big factories molds and oven. They know what they are doing.

Making carbon fiber parts is not big deal. Again, it is like making fiber glass. I know of subcontractors who make carbon fiber exhaust for MC and exports them to Singapore.  We have local manufacturers who make carbon wheels (carbo nation) CNC and many repairs are undertaken by them. What frames  wheel set or components do they repair? China or orig?   All breakdown.  We see videos of carbon wheel set exploding as the riders run over a dog, or bikes disintegrating  after a crash.    Are they China made or original

Carbon fiber has an inherent weakness;  it has a lot of bawal:

    1.  Heat
    2.  Pressure. Do not clamp the bike on a bike stand.  So most breakdown occur at TT where the
         bikes are held by bike stand;
   3.  Corrosion:  where metal and carbon fiber meet as the attachment of water bottle and frame, the FD the seat post.    Some say that it has 5 year expiry period What is the life span of carbon fiber frames? Most manufacturers give a five (5) year warranty.  But most say especially the CF engineers that CF can actually last you a  lifetime.

   Some warning:

   1. Avoid buying 2nd hand frame;  sellers also do not give warranty;  they cant warrnt anything on carbon
       fiber

  2.  Avoid cf bikes used under too much stress:   off road,  rugged roads, racing. They are likely to be damaged at the stays.  Inspect very carefully when buying.

  3. Do not keep your bike in the car under the heat of the sun for long.

  4.  If you have carbon fiber bike, avoid cooking your brakes, whether it is aluminum or carbon brake line.  The heat is likely to degrade the carbon fiber.

  5.  Some carbon frames might be heavier than alum or other alloy.

  6. Watch for signs of corrosion especially where metal and carbon fiber meet:    seat post, braze on on for FD. That is where due to galvanic corrosion,  weakness, and cracks begin to appear

Biking as a mass transport system

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
February 21, 2016

                                               Bike commuting in China

                               Sistema sa China - kanya dala/park (as here but secure your bike)
                                      Major supplier was Flying Pigeon which is state owned


When one mentions transport system, one thinks of a massive multi billion infrastructure system like highways, bus, train system to transport people from one point to another point

But biking is a mass transport system:

In some countries, biking is part of the mass transport system as in Holland and major cities in Europe. They have a system called bikershare. (please see earlier post) It is the major mass transport system in China and Vietnam.

There are attempts by BF before and MMDA to promote biking as alternative transportation system.  Such move would not prosper unless.  It is a good alternative because it is:

1.  mass based;
2.  good for health;
3.  the govt does not have to make huge investment on rolling stocks and maintenance;
4.  non polluting, earth friendly
5.  saves fossil fuel importation including junk motorcycle importation.

Please read this post on Bikeshare

Can we do it here?

If we see the bikeshare system as a capricious move to please a special interest group, there is no chance that it would progress. It is time to look at it as solution to a major transport problem - commuting, then it is possible that we can get our act together

The software, the stations would be the only expense.  Again the bus operators/transport group can be asked to bid under a PPP arrangement: