Posts by Douglas Fox

Basically, you flipped the chain. You put the front section where the back should be, so everything’s pointing the wrong way. It's a mess. Honestly, just grab a chain breaker from Harbor Freight and do it right—take it apart and reassemble it properly.

Every seller is required to log the serial number, confirm if an item was sold, stamp the receipt, and date it. Why aren't they doing this? Just so they can screw you over when you try to file a claim and you realize you lost the original receipt. Nothing is registered to your name—it's all just tied to a serial number or a receipt, assuming you even have one. It’s the same rule for motorcycles and cars; it should be standard for everything. Unless a vehicle requires registration, a seller has zero right to ask for your last name, aside from maybe checking a business name for tax purposes. A valid warranty follows specific rules so it actually holds up in court if things go south. The receipt itself isn't everything, especially since plenty of bikes get gifted and the buyer ends up being a totally different person than whoever paid the bill.

Why would I even bother with courier services? I'll just swing by customs and pick my stuff up myself—if they even let me. Besides, if I'm paying through PayPal, who am I supposed to pay anyway?

Thanks for the heads-up. If you ship two bikes under two different names in one package, does that actually work? Just a word of warning though: don't mess around with knockoffs. Customs can—and will—seize and destroy them on sight if the actual brand files a claim. Plus, you'll get slapped with a fine for buying counterfeit goods. I actually heard a segment on the radio yesterday about how easy it is to screw up and end up losing both the gear and your cash through online shopping. Honestly, paying $100 for something you know is worth $400 is basically just admitting you were trying to buy a fake.

Charles Chavez5 said:And there’s plenty more to it. We're talking low-end carbon here—usually weighing in over 1300g for a chrono and hitting near 2kg for others.
The real headaches are the bottom brackets and the headset/fork crowns.
But hey, at that price point, you can't really complain.
That guy probably has 50,000 of them sitting in some warehouse somewhere in China.

Most of this stuff is just OEM for big bike brands. They don't care if they stamp out a frame that looks slightly different from what their client actually ordered, as long as the check clears.
If you want your own custom carbon line, get ready to drop about $5,000 just for a new mold.

They build frames for all sorts of European Union companies. Nobody cares that they have their own lineup because they aren't peddling knockoffs—it’s actually the opposite. They sell genuine parts without the branding or under a different name. Now the only trick is finding a supplier you can trust. Best bet is paying only after the goods arrive. Plus, I need to find another one since shipping costs the same for two bikes.

Thanks for the heads-up. I can just put it on my wife's card, no biggie. The European Union is hitting Chinese carbon fiber with a 48.5% dumping penalty and Vietnamese stuff at 36%. Just wanted to confirm we don't have those same issues here in the States.

If you think I missed the mark, then you guys really missed it by paying three times more for carbon frames. This isn't even directed at people who haven't bought anything yet—it's for the ones who already did. I don't have the Customs hotline number or know how their process works, so I figured I'd ask someone who actually knows. Here's the deal: the brand on the frame doesn't matter; big global companies just slap their stickers on them and markup the price. I'm not an idiot! Since the US has those 48.5% anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports, I wanted to check.

http://miracletrade.en.alibaba.com/p...cle_frame.html

In this picture, it’s $360 unpainted and $410 painted, among other options. Shipping is $160 for two bikes. You'll see these same frames in the US for $1,100–$1,200. Some mechanic at a well-known local shop told me they once imported a whole container of frames for $90 a piece because their boss went straight to China to grab them personally.

Does anyone know if there are any US anti-dumping duties on Carbon Fiber Technologies? Also, what’s the deal with standard customs fees and the import limit before things get complicated—like, are there any special discounts for people just bringing stuff in for personal use?

🙂🙂🙂🙂