Honestly, which is better Carbon frame or aluminum for a road bike???? - Page 2

I have ridden different model Cannondales for the past 7 years
CAAD3-7. Just bought a Giant TCR carbon WOW light as if not lighter than the CAAD7 dosent flex and has a sweet ride. Price wise its a good choice I purchased the frameset with fork for 1200.00........................GO CARBON !!!

I presently own a steel frame ( Renolds 531), but I could definitely tell the difference when riding a Trek 5200. I rode a Litespeed Arenedale and found it to be very flexible in the bottom bracket. It was not nearly as comfortable or as stiff as the Trek.

Hey everyone I got the Trek 5200 it is sweet. Thanks to all!!

The new Trek 2300 has a lighter-weight AL frame (Zr 9000) with carbon rear seat stay. After one set of test rides and the 5200, I couldn't tell which bike I preferred. The 2300 felt a little more natural to me, but I'm used to a steel frame. Either one provides a plush, well-damped ride, IMO. If I had decided to buy a Trek, would certainly go back for another set of test rides.

The LBS didn't have a scale, but the salesman thought both bikes weighed almost the same. I couldn't really judge which bike was lighter by picking them up. The saleman agreed he couldn't tell which bike he preferred.

I did also ride the 1000 as a reference point. No surprise, it felt very heavy and harsh-riding by comparison.

I think it comes down to what you're looking for in a bike: cost, ride, stiffness, durability, and selection/availability are all factors to look at. I'm going with the AL/carbon combo on my new bike.

Dan

"its not better, its different"

Its a difficult choice, I have had a Trek 5500 for 3 yrs and a Kenesis Alu winter/training bike, I have a Kona Hei Hei mtb to and like Ti for an off road bike, I have toured, raced and TT on the Trek it has never let me down, and been very comfy during hours in the saddle, the Kenesis how ever is a much harsher ride but works well for me as a training bike, when i get on the Trek after riding this I feel like I gained twice the fitness since my last ride.
But its all very subjective and relative to bike manufactures method of build a Trek Alu will feel diffrent to a Specialized, and like wise with the carbon bikes.
Try and get as many test rides as you can, and ask as many peoples opinons as you can (but remember thats all they are is opinions),. Then go buy a bike, then listen to everyone tell you why you should have got something else.
Hope you enjoy what ever you get.
For me at least for the as long as i can ride a bike it will be carbon.

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Lucky enuff to ride a Trek Madone5.9 10sp Dura-Ace Project One same result every ride .

Good advice. Agree they are all different, and that test rides are important. I'm looking to replace my old steel RT600 Raleigh, and have recently test ridden the Trek 1000, new carbon-stay 2300, and the 5200, the Kestrel Talon, and the Fuji Roubaix Pro.

Based on the plush rides of the 2300 and 5200, I thought all carbon bikes would be super-smooth. However, the Kestrel Talon definately felt stiffer to me, with a less shock dampening than the carbon Treks. It seemed very fast and responsive, ie, more of a pure time trial or crit bike, but I'm looking for comfort on long club rides so it didn't fit the bill. Note, tires on all bikes were inflated to 100 psi.

IMO, either the new 2300 or the full-carbon Treks are a great choice for the club rider looking for a comfortable ride. I was amazed at the plush ride of these bikes vs my steel Raleigh RT 600. In fact, I was set on buying another steel bike until I did these test rides.....that changed in about 60 seconds on the 2300!

One minor comment on the Treks. The SSM Era Lux saddles did not feel comfortable to me. Funny, since I ride a SSM Era Pro saddle and like it a lot. Not sure if the Lux is a different saddle, but it felt softer with less real support to me. Has anyone else noticed this issue with the Treks?

Dan

Speaking from personal experience, you can't beat the ride and comfort of a carbon frame.

I have a Giant TCR Aluminium that I have ridden for about 3 years, as well as a Giant TCR Composite that I bought recently (price was irresistable).

The alu frame is good, but the composite frame is in a class of its own (both have Ultegra - no difference there). There is no noticable flexing in the bottom bracket of the composite frame, my butt does not get punished on harsh surfaces, every joule of energy exerted on the cranks makes the bike move forewards, nothing is wasted.

I have retired the Alu bike (not really - I use it only on my mag trainer now).

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To me, a good AL frame with carbon rear stays and fork should have the same comfort as all carbon. Most of the european frame builders are offering these, (eg, Cinelli, Colnago, Cyfac, DeRosa, Pinarello) and many euro pro teams are using this combination as well. Just another option to consider.

Dan

Such purists around here! What about multi-material frames? Klein, Orbea, Felt, Time, Lemond and dozens of other great makers offer nice frames that combine various ratios of alu, carbon, and ti.

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i relish complicating the obvious and trivializing the stupendous

Yes, glad you mentioned Klein Q-Carbon and the others. Saw a couple of Orbea's at our club century, and they looked great in the Euskatel team colors. And don't forget steel/carbon, ala the Pinarello Opera. That should be a nicely-tuned ride. Problem for me is that I can't see and test ride the euro-bikes at the LBS, and I'm not inclined to order a new bike over the internet.

Availability/service locally is a factor. Of the bikes I've test ridden at the LBS's, Trek 2300 (carbon rear stays) was probably the winner for me. The bike is priced about $600 less than the 5200 with the same components, and I liked the ride every bit as well.

However, I'm most likely going with a Al/carbon frame built by the local shop here. I like the idea of knowing exactly what I'm getting, who's building it, and having choices on the tubeset, fork, components and wheels. A bit of exclusivity is a bonus as well. Lots of great bikes out their to choose.

Dan

Sounds good, Dan. Good conclusions. I think something along the lines of the 2300 would be a great choice.

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i relish complicating the obvious and trivializing the stupendous

I've had one of each - carbon and Aluminum. My road bike is Al. Honestly, all I can say is that I seem to climb better with the new bike. It probably has more to do with the geometry than the material.

Now the bike I used to REALLY climb well on was a 26 lb. Raleigh I got in college. Of course that might have more to do with my age at the time...

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"It's a dog eat dog world Sammy, and I'm wearing milkbone underwear." - Norm Peterson

I wonder how many more years will go by until another distinct frame material enters the mainstream. Ti and carbon are losing their exotic edge. Aluminum is easily the standard; steel, oddly enough, (even high-end, modern steel) is nearly more exotic than ti in the market now. It's got powerful retro or counter-culture value.

There's always Calfee's bamboo frame, as someone mentioned in another thread... they're pretty glorious. Gloriously pricey, too.

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i relish complicating the obvious and trivializing the stupendous

I already got me a carbon nanotube frame on order. $37million and it weighs only 14g. I'm counting the days until it ships in November-2008.

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"It's a dog eat dog world Sammy, and I'm wearing milkbone underwear." - Norm Peterson

Why not consider steel. The ride is much better than Al and it's generally less expensive and more durable than Carbon. Even if you're a weight weenie, steel frames are available that are virtually the same weight as those other materials. Look at Serotta and Rivendell websites for starters.