Yes, it says so on the bike, actually: “Aluminum (but good enough for overweight older dudes)” is something like what’s written on there.
Yup, the old, already retired from the market TCR composite 2. @marasan, out of curiosity… could you post a picture of your bike?
Different angle. Not sure what you want to see.
Some handlebar tape on those TT bars that’s what I want to see.
Bike does look clean though! 
Actually, for my bike bag, it turned out to be good thing I hadn’t done this. I can loosen things up and push the aero bars back through the U-joint holding them to my handlebars so they don’t stick forward too much, and then tighten things back up so that the bike fits in the bag better. I don’t have to completely dismount the aero bars this way. I might have to buy new aero bars sooner this way, but it really does make things easier. I will probably travel around more in the future so this works out well.
Has anybody purchased from bike24.com previously? How long does it take for a shipment to get to Taiwan? I would have assumed it was roughly the same as Australia but it’s taking long enough for me to start worrying that it may have been lost somewhere along the way!
Thanks!
It might be a TCR 1. I always get that mixed up. When I checked the website yesterday, it showed the TCR 2 at the price I bought my bike for and so thought that’s what I have. I always thought one was more expensive than the other and that I had the cheaper one.
But…I don’t think the difference is that one is aluminum and the other is carbon. I think it’s a smaller difference, and so I get confused. There seems to be a “1” on the frame of mine.
Sorry about not being sure about any of this. I just get out there and ride when I can and don’t worry too much about everything else!
Check if the shipment is stuck at Taiwan customs. Sometimes they are a-holes when it comes to things bought from overseas online sites.
I previously bought something from Rapha and Chain Reaction and they both got stopped at customs and I paid a nice 1000NT for them to pass customs. Never again.
Hm, never thought it would be beneficial to not put bar tape on there. Hands don’t get slippery during rides though?
The U-joint wraps around close the bars the extend forward, even when I loosen the thing all the way. I wouldn’t be able to slide the bars back with tape on them.
As far as my hands, I don’t really grasp the bars unless I’m going over a bump or unless I need to turn suddenly. I just rest them lightly on the portions that are angled upwardly. Most of my weight is on the elbow supports.
No right or wrong way. Was just concerned about your safety!
The only reason I put heavy ass/thick/tacky bar tape on mine is because I am afraid I’ll slip one day.
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Haha, I’ve had that problem too (having to look up my bike’s model name on the web), but I can finally name it 
(after many kms! )
May be you want to post a picture of your aluminium horse, there’s a specific thread for that
Normally, for second hand stuff, I like to buy from friends. This way I know what the parts have gone through. The C24 wheels and 9000 group set (minus the crank set) were bought from a friend. Crank set, saddle and pedals were all bought on second hand FB groups.
Ruten is the second hand or business 2 consumer website. However, it’s a pain in the ass to sign up/buy/sell. I would use it as a reference for price matching.
There’s one major second hand FB group that people post some very legitimate components. Check this FB group “2017 你 愛 他 全新 二手 商品交易平台”. This is where I bought my crank set and saddle. Your FB profile pic has to be cycling related to get in. A fair warning, admins are pretty strict on the rules, make sure you read them or have someone translate them for you before buying/selling.
The group is a buyers market. Sucks to be a seller, but it’s a good way to get rid of higher end components if you don’t want them sitting around. Shoot me a PM if you have any other questions. I’ll be happy to chat about it.
Thanks for that, have sent a request after changing my FB pic and will have a look. You’re right though, the dude’s written an entire thesis on how to set rules for a Facebook group…
I don’t know how base pricing ultimately works, but when the AUD was strong against NTD, I would say things are cheaper here. But now that the AUD has fallen a fair bit, almost everything is more expensive in Taiwan. Even if we take RRP out of the equation though and assume they are exactly the same after currency exchange, in Australia for a non-custom bike, you can realistically get 18-20% off the price in the form of cash, not vouchers or credit.
The only thing I’ve found cheaper in Taiwan thus far is the Shimano DA rubber brake hoods, but even then I had another shop quote me a price twice as expensive!
This really really varies by shop, but make sure you know what you’re buying.
The price difference is most likely the difference with or without warranty. Check this out…
No warranty: 16,000NT
http://goods.ruten.com.tw/item/show?21305225620211
Shimano Warranty: 27,000NT
http://goods.ruten.com.tw/item/show?21407111353558
One quote was from Giant next to work, the other from Jesler. I assume both are pretty reputable.
But alas, this literally is just for the rubber hood, not the shifter itself, so warranty not required :).
Exactly. Same component, but hundreds maybe even thousands of NT in difference.
I’m curious if that rubber hood has warranty…
Doubtful. the DA9070 rubber hood has to be the most fragile POS I’ve ever touched. putting it on/unscrewing the clamp will generally stretch it so it no longer fits on the shifters properly, and a strong pull will rip it. Quite documented on the internets now and I’ve had the exact same experience via shops and installs myself. 
Guys, anyone have any suggestions for GoPro + Garmin 2 in 1 mounts?
On my other bike, I use the Gearoop one (pictured below) and it’s awesome despite it being held on by a single bolt into the stem.
Any thoughts?