[Manchestercyclist]

Hello,

I’m looking to get a new set of wheels, probably around £500 and fairly lightweight. I was thinking of 45mm carbon rims if possible.

There are lots on Ebay from china that seem to be fairly well reviewed, but I don’t know how to calculate the duty, does anyone have any opinion of reliable Chinese makes and the duty situation.

Thanks.

Topic

[KDee]

Which non-standard spares?

Which non-standard spares? Spokes are no problem if you stick with J-bend (still not convinced of any benefit in straight pull other than saving wheel building time). Cartridge bearings will be standard. Only leaves the freehub, which again can be dealt with by getting well known hubs, such as Novatec like Drinfinity mentioned. I have a set of Prime RR-38 v3’s and they also run on Novatec hubs (as the nice man at Wiggle helpfully informed me just before they went under).

[john_smith]

More Chinese tat. Just what

More Chinese tat. Just what the world needs.

[Drinfinity]

I have two wheelsets in the

I have two wheelsets in the fleet ordered via Ali Express, a XC and a 42mm road bike pair. They were supplied by Speedsafe Carbon Bike store. You can specify which hub you want – I had Novatec. They have been on for a few years now, so far so good. 

[bikeman01]

With no brand wheels I would

With no brand wheels I would be worried about availability of non-standard spares and lack of warranty.

Personally I wouldn’t trust a Chinese wheelset, or anything safety critical for that matter.

You know what they say ‘Buy cheap, buy twice’.

Import duty is basically 20% vat, a levy dependant upon type of goods, plus an admin fee. Rates are here https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff

[Richbeck]

I can highly recommend DCR
I can highly recommend DCR wheels – David will build you whatever you need, or want!

[OnYerBike]

I think you’d be looking at

I think you’d be looking at 20% VAT, a 4% import tariff, and whatever charges the shipping company decides to add on.

Personally, I wouldn’t be ordering wheels direct from China unless it was a very well established brand such as Light Bicycle, although for reputable brands the cost probably isn’t especially attractive compared to a good offer from a UK retailer. 

For one thing, I would be worried about the potential for failure which, for a wheelset, could be catastrophic. There are plenty of things where I might take a punt, but something that your life might literally depend on, no thanks. 

Secondly, if something goes wrong (and it doesn’t have to be as catastrophic as the previous paragraph suggests) you have very little recourse. A bit out of true or hubs not running smooth out of the box? You’re on your own.

I would just shop around and see if you can find a good deal from a UK-based retailer. Having a quick gander, Merlin have a couple of options: https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-cdr-2-carbon-clincher-disc-road-wheelset-700c-245852.html or https://www.merlincycles.com/vision-sc-40-carbon-clincher-disc-road-wheelset-175221.html which might suit you?

[Rezis]

I’ve used JustRidingAlong a

I’ve used JustRidingAlong a couple of times who build wheels just outside York. They’ve been good wheels one set for the road and one set of enduro/ebike wheels. Some decent offers on at the minute too so I just ordered some TT wheels from them. I’ve also had good service when wanting to change the axles on my road wheels, parts all available etc.

Currently are offering 40mm deep carbon rims, Sapim CX-Ray spokes and Bitex based hubs for £525 if you’re happy with the blue color…

Just Riding Along wheels – front page

[hawkinspeter]

I’ve bought some (not

I’ve bought some (not necessarily cycling) stuff from AliExpress recently and the cheap stuff is really bad, but the more expensive items seem to be the same as you’d buy in this country, but cheaper as it goes through less middlemen. As a guide, I paid just under £60 duty on a £350 laptop and cheaper stuff seems to escape duty fees.

I’ve been intrigued by a bunch of cheap carbon wheels with carbon spokes on sale there, so how about you buy a set and let us know how you get on with them?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006578757553.html

[Stebbo]

Have you considered getting a

Have you considered getting a set hand built?  The hubs in a lot of pre built wheels from China are not very good. Handbuilt by someone local with great components are always better.

Have a look at https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/

I have used Malcolm for  a set of wheels for my wife’s bike a year or two back. They are excellent with very simple service access to the hubs. 

[Author]

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