New bike - Carbon v. Alloy?

[Deleted User]

I'm thinking about treating myself to a new bike for this year and want to get something that will be fast enough to race on. I'm likely to be getting the bike from a manufacturer here in Germany who has just released a range of carbon framed bikes. The bottom of their carbon range costs just over €2,000 which compares with their second top of the range alluminium framed bike. The difference is that the ally bikes comes with dura ace while the carbon bike comes with ultegra.

Question is which one would you choose? The bikes weigh 7,1 kg and 7,4 kg respectively - is this light enough to be competitive? Are there any disadvantages to having a Carbon framed bike?

Have a play with this - its all in Germany but you'll get the idea.

http://www.canyon.de/rennraeder/vergleich.html

fat buddha

interesting site - at least you can look at specs side by side.....

personally I'd go carbon given the choice as it will be more comfortable than aluminium.........alu's fine for short distances but carbon is much more forgiving over long rides - less road buzz.......

there's not a great deal between Ultegra and Dura-Ace (personally I'd go Campag!) and you can always upgrade the components later if finances allow.......

strange that the are charging less for a triple setup on the Roadmaster than a double; but the other way around on the Carbon - there may be a mistake there as triples should cost more....

Boniface Earl Jones

Having bought an all carbon bike this week I'm not sure if I could ever go back to Aluminium - it's much more comfortable than my old alu bike with carbon forks - and speed wise it felt almost like going from a mountain bike to a road bike!

I have ultegra componants with a double at the front - an improvement over Tiagra front and 105 rear derailleurs on my old bike. Yet to miss a gear.
Dave

candy ollier

carbon is more comfortable, but it can feel "flat" or "dead" on the road as it absorbs a lot of the feedback.

if you are doing long rides, i'd go carbon every time. but if you only do shorter ones, then i'd see if you can try them out and see which you prefer.

on the rare occasions when i ride my alu bike (which was a top of the range trek a few years ago) i'm always surprised by how fast and responsive and stiff it feels. however, i think the fact that these are "rare occasions" speaks volumes - i rarely ride less than 70 miles on the road, so the carbon is much better

[Deleted User]

Thanks.

I will almost certainly go for a triple as I want the lower gears for climbing.

fat buddha

MH - you could also consider Titanium - I have just bought a Ti bike......

it feels like steel (so nearly as comfy as carbon and comfier than alu), responds quickly (especially with carbon rear stays), is very lightweight, and will last forever (doesn't corrode).........

was a close thing between carbon and Ti but went for the Ti on the grounds that Carbon was a bit "dead" for my liking (as Candy mentioned)

candy ollier

yeah, i think that Ti is the best of both worlds, as FB says. stiff and responsive, yet comfortable.

costs a fortune though!

my bike looks sexier than his though, as carbon can of course be sculptured into beautiful aero shapes.

its just a pity that i'm on top of it, spoils the aesthetic a bit

candy ollier

but then again, FB is on his!

candy ollier

off topic, but my groupset is knackered after a year of abuse, salty riding, and zero maintenance. so i'm buying a full new groupset.

dura ace or the top of the range campagnolo one?? what's the difference? (particularly, will i be able to switch between chain rings without the fr*gg*ng chain falling off mist times?)

also, if i do this will i be able to bung a triple on? it currently has a double. however the IM Lanzarote course apparently has a hill or two.

[Deleted User]

Airborne do some pretty nice Ti frames, and they're certainly not as expensive as Litespeed or Merlin.

Think my custom valkyrie comes in at about 1200 euro, but you can get non custom ones for less than 1000 yoyos.

candy ollier

_most_

fat buddha

My Ti is Omega.......

Candy - go Campag Record - as it looks the bollocks as well with all the carbon bits......

and Campag doesn't need as much fettling as Shimano

and yes to a triple - I don't use the granny ring much but it's nice to know it's there when I am knackered or that hill is just too steep to bust a gut on........

Suffolk Punch

I'm with FB - Campag Record - there is no substitute. I've always been a great campag fan and I still use an early 80's Super Record rear mech on my hack bike (it's nearly 21 years old!!).

I'm also a great fan of steel frames. Having ridden both aluminium and carbon, nothing beats the ride feel and handling of steel. But I love the way carbon climbs, so my new frame is a mixture of steel and carbon bonded tubing. Carbon chain stays and forks with steel seat, top and head tubes.

candy ollier

that's 2 grand for the groupset and the wheels. but the good thing is it still looks like the same bike to the untrained eye, so 'er indoors wont even notice, unless she sees my credit card bill. which she undoubtedly will. oops and she might not have grasped that i've entered IMUK yet, either.

Suffolk Punch

Oh yeah - and be a man! Triple chainsets are for wussies and welshmen. Double chainset only - 42/53.

[Deleted User]

According to campags website, if you weigh over 80kg, you're components are in trouble, and you should take them in for mantinence every few weeks.
Considering I'm 90kg and a grinder, I despair...

Was going to go for an omega, but the bloke at the shop does both and said that airborne is comparable in quality, but significantly cheaper, due to it being made abroad. Seems a shame not to support british firms, but then at the time I wanted as good as I could get for the money.

candy ollier

maybe that's why my mixed ultegra/dura ace/105 groupset doesn't like changing chain rings. its been maintained once, before IM Florida. and ridden right through the winter. and rarely cleaned. or oiled.

also, i "go" on the bike.

candy ollier

is p!$$ corrosive?

Suffolk Punch

Wot - you thinking of "doing it" on the move Candy?

[Deleted User]

Stick a dirty penny in your bedpan overnight Candy. If it comes out clean then you know the answer.

My spd petals seem to have caught an std so will have to try and sort them out at the weekend

candy ollier

i spent all last summer perfecting the technique, did you miss the saga?

the key thing i learned is: dont wear socks. (at least, not on your left foot!)

also, if you wear those ridiculous bike ponce cycling shorts with the disposable nappies inside them, then going on the bike might cause problems.

i can report that louis garneau tri shorts have excellent wee wicking characteristics though!

candy ollier

this year i'm going to learn to p!$$ while running, that's the real skill.

one of my team mates in Florida did it in transition while he was sitting on the floor in the changing room putting his bike shoes on. filthy boy.

Iron Rose

haha lol ! pi$$ing on the bike is fine if there are downhills doing it while running, its still too cold to do it in training !!!!

candy ollier

yeah, agreed on that one Nicholas!

if it isn't going to wick away and evaporate within 5 minutes, then don't do it!!

imagine doing a 7 hour bike ride with your goretex bikesters dowsed in freezing cold p!$$? doesn't bear thinking about....

fat buddha

2T - I suggest you look at the quality of finishing and welds on the Omega vs Airbourne.........the reason Airbournes are cheaper is that they are put together in China so labour costs are low but also quality of craftsmanship is lower.........


Omega are up there with Litespeed in quality terms..........

when Petal picked hers up last week they showed us the TT frame they are building for Michael Hutchinson........and with Sean Yates using their bikes as well that is some endorsement..........


we also saw a bike they are putting together for Chris Eubank - I nearly peed myself........it's most odd, but then that dosen't surprise me!!!

candy ollier

i thought Michael Hutchinson accidentally throttled himself whilst w***ing.

candy ollier

but then again, you can't really blame him, he was sh*gg*ng Sean Yates at the time. i think Bob Geldoff had a lucky escape.

[Deleted User]

FB - that's what I was told about the welds, but according to the guy who's ordered it for me they've improved significantly in the past few years. He does omegas too, which is what I was originally going to go for, but it was him that (rather bizzarely) suggested the airborne as a cheaper alternative.

fat buddha

he's probably getting a bigger margin on the Airbournes - which is why he is pushing them!! why not buy direct from Omega and cut him out???


www.omegacycleworks.com

speak to Mark Reilly and say I put you in touch......he won't know me as FB though!!

candy ollier

either that, or omega are crap!

[Deleted User]

He doesn't make any mark up on frames - he's a wheel builder of some repute, and makes all his money from them and components.

Anyway, bit of an academic point since it's already been built and is getting shipped over as we speak (apparently, since they've just moved back the arrival date)