them cheap carbon frames on ebay

There is loads of discussion out there if you google it -> one forum has a thread that is on it's 5th incarnation of 200+ pages!

One guy even visited one of the factories..

be careful if you do go down the Chinese carbon route, and if you're buying outside ebay. Scammers set up fake versions of some of the suppliers in order to get your cash.

Here is the folding one, less racy design though

http://www.axman.com.tw/product-detail.php?class_id=30&page=14

When you look at the bare frame, it looks strange

http://www.axman.com.tw/product-detail.php?class_id=35&page=5

Whoa! Just thinking about Dave on that Axman… it wouldn't be pretty

Interesting bike, Gkam, though they appear to have forgotten to design in a folding mechanism for it

I dont know about the chinarello's and others on ebay

But i've always fancied an Axman SW since seeing them a few years ago

One of these

http://www.axman.com.tw/product-detail.php?class_id=30&page=13

I'd be very cautious - we have stripped cheap (and some not-so-cheap but still cheaper-than-average) carbon frames back and found things that scare me to death going on under that nice "12k" surface lay-up.

Problems we have seen are voids, high proportion of glass, high proportion of resin, poor jointing, assymetric wall thicknesses on fork blades and crowns ... none of which is a formula for a frame with longevity or nice riding characteristics.

We all know it's de rigeur to assume that bike manufacturers are all theiving, skanking b*stards that are ripping us all off - but in general that isn't true, though one can always dredge up examples ...

Muppets at the UCI claiming that cheap carbon frames can be had out of China for $40.00 don't actually help, either ... out by at least a couple of hundred US, there, Pat ...

I'd wonder if the guy who sourced the particular one that was referred to in the link above knows too much about bikes, as it says in the spec "fits V-Brakes" so his judgement about the quality *might* be questionable.

If you go for it, show us all the finished products.

We could form a Chinarello Cycling team.

Hi Fringe,
I did last year, similar model but with the bars, stem seatpost and they threw some bottle cages in. Absolutely cracking and at the door in about a week - same company.
I built it up with average(ish) kit and it was a cracking ride, light and handled well. Only small problem I had was getting a headset that fitted but most are pretty standard now. Put some flat bars and clip-ons as a commuter and excellent. Maybe a little naughty but I put some cheap stikers on it but wasnt too long before I took them off - created too much attention, if you know what I mean.
Would I do it again,,,,, in the middle of one now.
Piccy (naughty) above or below - wherever it loads.

Regards
Trikeman.

opinions on other (lesser ) forums range from being good frames down to held together with newspaper.
google "chinarello" (chinese pinarello - some are shaped like Dogma's) for more.