How Do You Know Which Chinese Brands You Can Trust?

Video Description

Chinese cycling products are gaining massive popularity, but navigating the sea of brands on AliExpress can be risky. We spoke to industry experts Luke (Trace Velo) and Joe (Panda Podium) to discover how to distinguish legitimate "Tier 1" manufacturers from dodgy resellers. From spotting AI-generated websites to understanding what UCI approval actually means, here is your guide to buying Chinese bike tech safely. Chapters: ⏱️ 00:00 - Navigating the Sea of Chinese Brands 02:25 - Tier 1 vs. Tier 2: What’s the Difference? 06:24 - Spotting Fake Reviews & Forum Manipulation 08:16 - Why You Should Avoid Unbranded Products 10:13 - Red Flags: AI Websites & Photoshop Fails 14:31 - The Reality of Warranties & Returns 15:37 - Is UCI Approval Actually Worth Anything? 18:57 - The Future: Chinese Groupsets & Innovation 23:46 - Parts to Avoid: Chains, Bars & Lightweight Tech 26:50 - Conclusion Useful Links: GCN Tech Uploader 👉 https://gcn.eu/techuploader Subscribe so you don’t miss a thing 👉 https://gcntech.co/subscribe Insurance: Viewers in the USA and UK can explore GCN Insurance products 👉 https://gcn.eu/GCNinsurance Sign Up To The GCN Newsletter 👉 https://gcn.eu/Newsletter Visit the GCN Shop 👉 https://gcn.eu/gcnshop GCN WhatsApp Channel 👉 https://gcn.eu/GCNwhatsapp GCN Instagram Broadcast Channel 👉 https://gcn.eu/instagrambroadcast Join the GCN Club on Zwift and ride with us! 👉 https://gcn.eu/GCNClubRides Have you purchased Chinese carbon parts or frames before? Let us know your best (or worst!) experiences in the comments below! 👇 Watch more on GCN Tech... 📹 https://youtu.be/hnXQc9p7Gxs 📹 Watch our Editor’s Choice Playlist 👉 https://gcntech.co/EditorsChoice 📹 Watch the latest GCN Tech Show 👉 https://gcntech.co/GCNTechShow 🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵 Rarities - Ryan James Carr Dakoro Funk - David Nystrom Keyboard, Razer, Typing, Fast #gcntech #gcn #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #bikelife #biketech 📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency Brought to you by the world’s biggest cycling channel, the Global Cycling Network (GCN), GCN Tech is the only channel you need for all things bike tech – past, present and future. Simply put, we’re obsessed with tech: we seek out and showcase the best in bikes, components, tech, accessories, upgrades and more from races and events, tech shows and product launches across the globe to bring you the best in road bike technology. We’ve got great maintenance videos to help you get the most from your bike; pro-bike tours from all the biggest races; special features and the weekly GCN Tech Show! Thanks to our sponsors: Canyon Bikes: http://gcn.eu/-Canyon Orbea Bikes: http://gcn.eu/Orbea Pinarello Bikes: https://gcn.eu/Pinarello Topeak Tools: http://gcn.eu/Topeak CamelBak: https://gcn.eu/Camelbak Pirelli Tyres: https://gcn.eu/Pirelli Vision Wheels: http://gcn.eu/Vision Wahoo Fitness: http://gcn.eu/Wahoo-Fitness Park Tool: http://gcn.eu/-parktool Selle Italia: https://gcn.eu/SelleItalia Zwift: https://gcn.eu/Zwift Silca: https://gcn.eu/Silca MET Helmets: https://gcn.eu/methelmets Core Body Temperature: https://gcn.eu/corebodytemp Precision Fuel & Hydration: https://gcn.eu/precisionhydration Elitewheels: https://gcn.eu/Elitewheels CeramicSpeed: https://gcn.eu/GCNCeramicSpeed Watch our sister channels: Global Cycling Network - https://www.youtube.com/@gcn GCN Racing - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnracing Global Triathlon Network - https://www.youtube.com/@gtn GCN Italia - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnitalia GCN en Español - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnenespanol GCN auf Deutsch - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnaufdeutsch GCN en Français - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnenfrancais GCN Training - https://www.youtube.com/@GCNTraining Global Mountain Bike Network - https://youtube.com/@gmbn GMBN Racing - https://youtube.com/@gmbnracing GMBN Tech - https://www.youtube.com/@gmbntech Electric Mountain Bike Network - https://www.youtube.com/@embn