dfvcad said:
Performance Bicycle. What is the general opinion of this forum in respect to the Performance bicycle products such as there Forte carbon fiber forks, carbon fiber handle bar, pedals, seatpost and saddles. Are they any good and do they hold up to the test of durability and reliability? It seem that some of there parts are lighter than some of the big names and subtancially less expensive. Opinions needed. I am looking at there Perf Forte Pro Carbon Handle bar and Perf Forte Classic Mag/Ti Look style pedals. Any good?
Here's my take on generic or house-branded parts in general (Nashbar, Supergo
(Weyless), Performance, etc). I think those product pools can be a great resource for inexpensive, basic parts -- a solid seatpost, a simple, sturdy stem, and so on.
Though I can't support it through evidence, and thus could be completely mischaracterizing the industry, I do believe that once you start wading into more exotic materials and technologies, the stakes are raised -- if you're going to get spendy seeking out carbon fiber, titanium, magnesium, or even ultra-lightweight aluminum parts, more issues come into play involving quality control, durability, and so on, and all for more $$$.
Fancy brand-name stuff can be ill-designed and failure prone as well, but when it comes to investing in exotic stuff, I'd rather take chances where greater money has been spent on research, manufacturing techniques, and quality control; it's also more likely that the carbon bar from Deda has a volume of rider feedback to draw from than a Weyless Carbon bar.
In summary, my hunch is towards buying economy-stuff appropriately. If I'm assembling a simple, inexpensive and toughness-oriented rig, I'll buy whatever burly seatpost has the right price tag. Big, heavy, whatever.
If I'm trying to build a svelte carbon and magnesium featherweight, though, I'm going to sink those dollars into bigger labels for peace of minds' sake.
Just my hunch.