Heaps of mountain bike products are offered on platforms such as Temu or AliExpress. These include pirated copies from well-known manufacturers. From frames and add-on parts to clothing, all areas of the colourful MTB range are affected.
A parallel world of its own has long since emerged on the websites of low-cost Asian retailers. Products that sometimes cost thousands of euros in the original cost just a few notes. There is no question that this is tempting. We bikers love cheap deals on exciting parts. After all, the counterfeits usually look deceptively similar to the originals and the Asian suppliers don't shy away from any detail.
However, the fact that mountain bikers can also jeopardise their health is far too often accepted. We show six frightening examples and use two of them to explain how to recognise fake products.
AliExpress - Fake products
Manufacturers from China have been able to offer their products to an international audience on AliExpress since 2010. The giant Alibaba Group is behind the online platform. AliExpress itself has no physical contact with the goods on offer, like Amazon, for example, but only provides the marketplace where companies can make contact with private or business customers. The business model can therefore be compared to eBay.
AliExpress is repeatedly criticised for selling products that are harmful to health. For years, the headlines have been full of the pollutant content and defect risks of Chinese products. Images of burning electronic devices and sharp-edged toys have been doing the rounds.
In many cases, companies clearly do not adhere to European directives on product safety. In the mountain bike sector, there is nothing on AliExpress that does not exist. The following sample products are just a few mouse clicks away.
Counterfeit Scott Scale hardtail frame
The Scott Scale is a razor-sharp race bike that bears the dubious title of the most expensive hardtail in the world. Professionals like Nino Schurter rely on the performance and reliability of the carbon frame. The chassis is extremely elaborately constructed, light, stiff and efficient.
Years of optimisation, design and testing go into the development of a product like this. Numerous highly trained people work on a high-end product like this. The weight-optimised version of the Scott Scale RC SL HMX is only available as a frameset with suspension fork and add-on parts for a whopping 4999 euros.
AliExpress has a strikingly similar offer. Here, however, for a slim 622.39 euros with free shipping. That would be a saving of around 4377 euros. The advert sounds promising: From Boost to UDH, all modern standards are said to be included, and the stated weight of 875 grams is identical to the original manufacturer's specification.
Apart from a few blurred logos, even the product images are one-to-one copies of the original. In other words: stolen. Nobody can say how much development work and quality control went into the fake. That can only be surmised from the price.
Incidentally, Scott's component brand is also eagerly copied in the Far East. The original Syncros Fraser IC SL handlebar-stem unit made of carbon costs 399.95 euros. On AliExpress, the fake is available for less than seven per cent of the price, namely just 24.39 euros. The Chinese company even copies the logo and lettering.
But: In practice, enormous forces act on a mountain bike cockpit. At BIKE, we have repeatedly confirmed in breakage tests how important the tests on the manufacturers' test benches are. Anyone who entrusts their life to an untested, cheap carbon handlebar-stem unit is acting recklessly.
Santa Cruz Bronson frame - a fake
Santa Cruz is also known for its high-priced carbon frames. The original Santa Cruz Bronson V4 CC frame costs 3899 euros at RRP. Just like Scott, the Chinese counterfeiters did not use the current V5 version, but an older frame generation. However, the price on AliExpress is a good 3266 euros below the original at 632.39 euros.
The original is also produced in Asia - in Taiwan to be precise. This is where most bicycle frames are produced today according to the strict quality specifications of the manufacturers. The labour, environmental and, above all, quality standards of counterfeit products are shrouded in mystery.
In addition to Santa Cruz and Scott, other high-quality frames from bike companies such as Specialized and Cannondale are also affected. We strongly advise against carbon frames that have not passed genuine test standards.
Counterfeit products on the Temu platform
With aggressive advertising and absolutely dumping prices, Temu has also managed a rapid rise in Germany. The online marketplace with its headquarters in Shanghai was only founded in 2022. Products based on the same business model as AliExpress have only been available in Europe since 2023.
"A shopping experience like billionaires" - Temu attracts its customers with slogans like this and ridiculously cheap, sometimes bizarre offers. The portfolio no longer just includes fashion and electronics, but also MTB accessories. Here too, most of the products come from dubious sources in China.
POC jersey - counterfeit
Two of the biggest upward motors for Temu are cheap beauty products and cheap fashion. The original POC Reform Enduro long-sleeved jersey is not necessarily cheap at 89.95 euros. The fake for 8.87 euros, on the other hand, is.
Whether this piece of clothing is really as quick-drying and breathable as promised in the description text is questionable. In any case, the POC logo on the Temu website looks deceptively real. Here, too, it is completely unclear whether the Chinese manufacturer has complied with any harmful substance standards.
Stem forgery
What biker doesn't love a CNC-milled stem in a chic colour? This part here looks like a mixture of Industry Nine A35 and Race Face Turbine. RRP of the originals: 172 and 119 euros respectively.
The fake product is available for 9.21 euros from Temu and, incidentally, in identical form for just over 20 euros directly from Amazon. Stems are absolutely safety-relevant components. Even for a shiny look and an unbeatable price, no mountain biker should risk serious injury.
Fake products: Example from Bike Ahead
Another victim of counterfeiters is Bike Ahead. The company manufactures high-quality carbon parts in Germany and is currently warning against illegal copies on AliExpress and Temu.
It is true that most counterfeits can be unmasked quickly due to poor technical and visual realisation. However, there are also fakes that are offered with product photos by original dealers under the name Bike Ahead.
Particularly problematic is the resale of counterfeits via eBay or classified ads, where alleged originals are offered with copied sticker labels. The carbon wheels Biturbo and the cockpit unit The Unit are particularly affected.
In the event of suspected counterfeiting, Bike Ahead expressly requests that you contact them to clarify the authenticity.
Bike Ahead tested some of the counterfeit products from AliExpress itself and came to a devastating conclusion. None of the counterfeits passed the ISO 4210-3:2023, 4.6 test standard without damage. In fact, this test, which simulates driving through a pothole, revealed serious images. In practice, such major defects in carbon parts can lead to serious injuries. Bike Ahead therefore advises you to pay attention to the following features:
Bike Ahead Biturbo wheels Original
- Raw carbon look (no paint!)
- Serial number firmly laminated into the rim base
- High-end hubs from brands (e.g. DT Swiss)
- Typical spoke shape Bike Ahead
Biturbo forgeries
- Almost always painted
- Often different spoke shape than the original
- Cheap no-name hubs
- Counterfeit serial number as a sticker
- Heavier than the original
Bike Ahead The Unit Original
- Raw carbon look (no paint)
- Logo lasered
- Handlebar ends with No Slip application (anti-slip coating)
- Laminated serial number
Bike Ahead The Unit fake
- Lacquered
- Logo stuck on
- Handlebar ends without No Slip application
- Counterfeit serial number as a cheap sticker
- Heavier than original
Jan Timmermann
Editor
