Originally Posted by kdelong .
I'm an idiot too when it comes to the bikes in question. As to the material that the frames are made of, aluminum gives a slightly stiffer ride than carbon fiber frames. Many manufacturers equip their bikes with a CF fork to lessen the harsh ride of aluminum. CF and CF forks have been around long enough to prove that they are not going to break shortly after you get it. In fact, unless you ride thousands of miles every year, your aluminum or CF frame bike will probably out live you if you take moderate care of it and follow the repair guidelines, especially with the CF frame and torque values. As for the jump from aluminum to CF, there is not a big difference unless you are competing in events where every gram and nanosecond count. The best thing for you to do is test ride all of the bikes that have caught you eye and buy the one that you like best. We can give you all kinds of advice based upon our opinions, but in the end, it is you who has to ride the bike so you should do all that you can to to ensure that you are getting the one that you actually like rather than the one that most of us like.