$3500 Chinese Carbon Road Bike After 500 Miles // In-Depth Review!

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Welcome to today's video where we unravel the truth about budget-friendly cycling with an in-depth review of a Chinese carbon road bike from Yoeleo. We've heard the buzz about cheap Chinese road bikes and their potential as a value proposition in the road bike category. From examining the Chinese carbon frames to the overall ride experience, this review aims to give you clarity on what to expect. Can these frames direct form Asia truly stand up to the test? And the ultimate question: Should you invest in a Chinese carbon bike? Join us as we pedal through the pros and cons. 🚴‍♂️

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PS. When I provide a link here to gear or equipment I sometimes get a kickback from it. But I NEVER link to something that I haven't used or did use and didn't like! 👍

[whitebeardcycles]

I have had the R12 no problems and sold it for £1700 2 yrs on no problem.
I currently have the R11 and I prefer it. Light, fast and comfortable.

When people talk about warranty Yoeleo now offer 6yrs and there customer service was excellent so i have no worries about it at all. You are definitely getting more for your money and wheels are always a riders first consideration for upgrade.

[schrodingerthecat]

So glad to hear this about Yeoleo frames. Been looking for the next bike build project and Yeoleo has been a consideration - been seeing more and more positive reviews of their stuff.

[fastbladeproductions]

I bought a Vitus Zenium Tiagra on sale for USD $1300 few weeks ago.... bought Vision Trimax 30 wheels and CF crank, CF seat post and seat, pedals, TPU, Conti 5000 tires .... bike weighs 7.6 Kgs without pedals.... (pedals are only 290grams but every bike manufacture lists bike weight without pedals) total cost USD $ 1950 before taxes.... I'm very very happy with it... extremely comfortable to top it off.... I have no issues with the mech disc it came with... stops on a dime with change left over... I rather have the 133grams savings.... Hydro are for people without forearms... lol... I've had no issues what so ever with the Tiagra... shifts fast even under Love the channel...learned a thing or two watching it... thanks and keep it going... 😀😀😀

[ShawnIsBatman]

Great and a very fair review! I appreciate the comparisons to the full Western brand bikes and I believe that your conclusions are fair and valid. For me, the tipping-point would likely be choosing the Western brand only for the service and warranty from a local shop, that is the point at which the Chinese brands fall short for me. What I like about the recent influx of the Chinese offerings is that as their quality and exposure go up, they will likely press the Western brands into being more competitive, in that, the consumer wins. For this level of bike and build, I would go with the Western brand and target my first two upgrades as wheels and then bars.

Great video, this is the type of video that will help the cycling public by providing them with real (not sponsored) fair information to make a decision!

[edafade]

Yeah! These are the videos I was looking forward to. Thank you for doing it!

[FurySpyder]

I usually find when building bikes you can easily undercut the prices of equivalent off-the-shelf bikes but the main reason I do it is to get the exact spec I want. You can't put a price on that! (well, you can, but ....😂)

[stuartdryer]

I have an R12. A different model. It is beyond reproach and I would pretty much parrot your comments. Very fast and comfortable. I have Elite Carbon 50D wheels, Ultegra Di2. I haven't weighed it. Certainly light enough (lighter than an older Tarmac I had previously). And as you say, great at descending. Looks very nice in the "Mint" color. I agree about the seat post cover. As for comparison to the western bikes you mentioned, I think you would find those frames at comparable price to be at least one spec below the Yoeleo in terms of weight, stiffness, etc. At my local Trek dealer, bikes that I think were comparable to mine were $5500 +.

[renegadeflyer]

I built a velobuild endurance frame bike 105 rim brake. I had the wheels, saddle and handle bars already. It cost me very close to $2000. Canadian. Very good deal. Comfortable, nice handling and fast bike. I had check out Yoelo. To pricey for me.

[cisdolce]

I own a Yoeleo R11 with Sram Red Axs and hunt wheels. I spent about 6500 USD on the build. It's a fantastic ride. Easily would choose this build over anything else at the price point.

[TheMoodyedge]

Rode mine (my first road bike) round my first Fred Whitton this year and it was spot on. Have done many miles on the shitty lake district roads here and it hasn't missed a beat.

[kt]

Thanks for the follow up Jourdain! I have a Yoeleo R11 rim brake bike from 2021, They made several small changes to it for 2023 including raising the price $400 haha. I have a few thousand miles on mine now and it has been great overall. Complaints: Paint scratches easily, Aluminum shim between the stem and steer tube kept loosening. Had to use carbon past to resolve, round mount for seat post allows the seat to slip. Both the disc brake and Rim Brake models for 2023 have a better design. I reached out to see if the new seat post would fit the old frame, they said no. Your bike is heavier than I expected, but I am sure that is mostly in the 105 Disc brake group set. I built my Rim brake version with mostly used Ultegra some new Ultegra and Chinese carbon wheels. With pedals it comes in at 15.7 pounds. I could not have bought what I built for the price I paid during covid. I really cant now either. In the US people are still asking COVID money for their used bikes. Not sure what the UK market is like but I bet better. I have sourced many parts from the UK because it is simply cheaper to buy new and used parts from there. While I don't really know, I suspect the biking environment, for road anyways, is much bigger over there than in the US allowing for way more used parts and competitive pricing in general. Keep up the good work!!

[donwinston]

My R-11 (Rim brake) is an extra large (59cm no tube is 59cm so WTF?) It weighs only 7.5 kg. Must be the super light Elite wheels, Ultegra rim brake and derailleurs, and Dura Ace crank. Three years ago I spent a little over $4000 building it. (Not counting bike shop costs)

[Osrszombie]

As much as I love building bikes I find it more fun building a used and ones loved bike. And at the moment I am working on a beginner bike for the first time and really am loving it more then the most expensive ones I've done. It's a btwin500se 😂 such a cheap bike and I am loving working on this one it's just so simple and I have ridden it today for the first time. And you can tell its an ally bike and carbon forks but it really has surprised me I've even got my hands on a cheap set of easton wheels with the blue hubs and 2 white spokes and its really pulled the bike together 😂 got some more bits coming tomorrow and can not wait to get it completed and used as a winter bike. 😀

[aspenyellow]

Great vid as normal Jourdain, any idea what was written on the path @ 5:52?, LOL

[lestonycyclistone]

I just done built my Yoeleo R11 with mechanical Ultegra, 7.6kg . This is my 1st impression : responsive and few lightweight, stiffness good when climb. But holding during cruising above 38 - 40+ will need effort to keep pedal if compare to aero Falath Evo bike.

Tis will be great for climb and rolling hill.

[Italianlegodude]

Could you try the ICAN enduro frame next

[belverticale]

Hmmm! I've been looking at a new frame, Yoleo or Elves. I do agree with you that it looks class. Pleased to learn it handles solidly.

[DerekGreen]

Another great video, cheers JC 👍😀

Always interested in proper real world reviews of bikes/brands like this, which offer a more 'reasonable' value proposition (at least as far as that's possible in the currently high-priced cycling world!)

(P.S. Perhaps it's not the best idea to give any anti-cycling loonies 'extra ammunition', by having a publicly available video showing you cycling through the "no cycling" section of the Woolwich tunnel 😛- I know I know, most people do, and as long as everyone is respectful of those around, I have no problems 👍)

[purelyrecovery]

Great video. Would you say it’s a bike to race on? Thanks 🙂

[blinzi]

I am running the G21 and I feel the comfort and vibration absorbing is rather low - its a very harsh feel - especially for a gravel bike that is supposed to have good flex. Idk but it might be built too stiff overall to fit my needs. Even with gloves and gel pads under the tape it feels too stiff so that it causes pain in the hands after long rides.