VIDEO. We bought a racing bike on AliExpress for 93 euros (and regretted it)

“Zhongzg.” A difficult name for a promising motorcycle. It looked great with its dynamic looks, built to take the miles: disc brakes, road steering wheel, 24 speed, sport geometry. The machine also attracted us with its favorable price: 93.64 euros on the Chinese online store AliExpress. By comparison, Decathlon’s first price for a road bike is €260.

But “Zhongjzg” is, first of all, a bike that we will never buy again. Too much waiting, fear, cold sweat, trying to gather strength. A nightmare of plastic and steel.

The site is already assigned to DGCCRF

AliExpress promises its customers multiple deals on a very wide range of products – from hair clips to giant swimming pools, including dog slippers and fancy smartphone cases. The Chinese giant Alibaba’s market is also full of bicycles. A simple search returns over 4,000 results.

But amazing stocks can hide some pretty nasty surprises. In 2019, the site was flagged by the DGCCRF and six consumer protection organizations for abusive sales terms. We are talking, in particular, about the violated legal right to refusal within 14 days, the impossibility of filing an appeal with a French judge, or even about insufficiently detailed guarantees. Alibaba then committed to “endeavor to comply with all rules and regulations applicable in the markets in which it operates, as well as consumer rights.” »

On Ali Express, the buyer often orders directly from the manufacturer. We buy our bike without a middleman from the HRI Outdoor Fitness Store. But when ordering, the promise of getting a bike for less than 100 euros quickly fades. The shipping cost was €207.97 and our bike ended up costing us €300.77. The website states delivery at the beginning of January, but our parcel will arrive a month late.

“I’m afraid the bike will slip out from under me.”

Upon receipt, the packaging is perforated, the steering wheel protrudes from the cardboard. And, surprisingly, our seller did not consider it necessary to put the wheels in the package. They will arrive later, without warning, in two separate packages.

During the editing, carried out with the help of YouTuber Gonzaga Dambricourt, the difficulties multiplied. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he marvels, “ugly plastic and metal. It doesn’t exude quality.” And it’s not for nothing that some parts arrived deformed. Like that brake rotor that can’t be screwed on, that front wheel that’s touching the fork, or that twisted derailleur. “I knew the quality wouldn’t be very good, but I thought at least we could edit it,” the YouTuber says impatiently.

After two grueling hours, the bike seems ready to move, without a front brake… “It’s Frankenstein, Frankenbike,” jokes our specialist. In the saddle, wobbly parts make the ride dangerous: “You feel like everything under your feet is not moving the way it should. And I really don’t dare change gears,” admits the tester. After a few hundred meters the chain drags along the ground. The steering wheel dives sharply without warning. To operate our €93 Zhongjzg, we now have to stand with our arms outstretched in front of us and hunched over.

“The bike shouldn’t happen this way! »

But despite these obvious shortcomings, could this bike live up to French standards? To find out, head to CRITT Sport Loisirs in Chatellerault (86). This independent organization has a laboratory for the approval of bicycles sold in France. Sebastian Barrou, head of the laboratory, detects anomalies at first glance. “Bicycling shouldn’t happen this way. The brakes are upside down! – our interlocutor asks in surprise.

Each part of the bike will be tested for 20 hours on machines that simulate the forces exerted by the cyclist. At the end of testing, only our frame, fork and saddle are still eligible for certification. The pedals, carriage tube and handlebars are broken. “This is not a very good assessment in the sense that very dangerous organs have broken down,” concludes the head of the laboratory. Thus, during use, a broken connecting rod can have serious consequences: “The user’s foot will fall into the void, and this is a guaranteed fall,” warns a CRITT employee.

Therefore, our “Zhongzg” could send us to the hospital. At €93, it’s much more expensive than expected.