Carbon or not ?

bobbyOCR said:

The frameset alone is $1500, which is about 60% of the avanti's full cost. That says something about research, development and materials.

OFF TOPIC... BobbyOCR, are you telling me that you actually bought your BMC for less than 1500 US? :eek:

Powerful Pete said:

OFF TOPIC... BobbyOCR, are you telling me that you actually bought your BMC for less than 1500 US? :eek:

I live in Australia, work at a bike shop part time, and got the frameset, I couldn't afford the whole thing. getting the full BMC SL01 for less than $1500 US would be a miracle. I couldn't tell you what I got mine for, but less than $1500 AU

bobbyOCR said:

... work at a bike shop part time, and got the frameset...

Aha, ok, that helps explain things. Good on you.

I just recently bought a full carbon bicycle after my steel ride was destroyed in an accident. (Nothing like getting hit by a car that ran a red light to brighten your day!)

I ended up going with a Cannondale Synapse 1. The frame was stiff, light and very pleasing to the eye in naked carbon with black on black decals (I think Cannondale calls the color BBQ.)

The geometry allows for a more upright position in the drops and is a good fit for riding longer distances. It helps that the majority of my courses take me through the mountains so the stiff and rather light frame suit my riding very well. I got the entire bike on sale as it is a 2006 model so I paid a bit over 4k for a full bike with Dura Ace components and the Carbon Si cranks which are made by FSA for Cannondale. I sprung for some new pedals (Look Carbon Keo w/CroMo axles) since I felt my old quill pedals with clips and straps would look funny on this bike.

It amzed me how light and stiff the frame was. I have been riding steel for a while and didn't really consider carbon until I tried a few out and found them to be within my price range.

The best thing to do is go to the shop and take a test ride to see if it is worth it for you to invest the extra cash in carbon. I found that given the price range of bikes I was looking at the frame material was irrelevant with respect to the price and that component levels became the determining factor. At the 5k price point you can get Al, Steel, Carbon, Ti or any mixture in between. Going from Ultegra to Dura Ace affected the cost more than the frame material. I would have liked to get a Campagnolo build on the Synapse, but I've ridden both DA and Record and either one is fine by me. I'm not a pro, I ride for exercise and enjoyment and if I have the extra bucks to spend for the looks I figure, why not.

Besides after being almost killed by a negligent driver I felt that since you only live once, might as well spend the extra cash on some trick components. The wife gave me her blessing to budget up to 5k for a new ride, so I tired to get the most bang for the buck and still splurge a bit. 105 level stuff is fine for me, but since I could afford the fancy looking DA, why not?

I hope I'm still riding into my seventies gfp1931! Congratulations on your new bicycle purchase and I hope you have many safe and fun miles on it![img]cyclingforums.comsmile.gifOpen ↗[/img]

I been riding a complete steel road bike for 2 years. I have recently bought a full carbon fibre bike and put about 1050 miles on it so far.
Riding it is a completly different sensation than my old bike which was steel. I felt a difference immediatly from the get go. Riding the all CF frame was smoother ride without feeling all the small bumps on the road.
As far as effectiveness or flexing of the frame and all the other tech stuff about frame materials, I consider those very small variables that do not make much of a difference only possibly important if your a pro, and I heard some people say its about personal preference as well.
-Cheers

3rensho said:

I just recently bought a full carbon bicycle after my steel ride was destroyed in an accident. (Nothing like getting hit by a car that ran a red light to brighten your day!)

I ended up going with a Cannondale Synapse 1. The frame was stiff, light and very pleasing to the eye in naked carbon with black on black decals (I think Cannondale calls the color BBQ.)

The geometry allows for a more upright position in the drops and is a good fit for riding longer distances. It helps that the majority of my courses take me through the mountains so the stiff and rather light frame suit my riding very well. I got the entire bike on sale as it is a 2006 model so I paid a bit over 4k for a full bike with Dura Ace components and the Carbon Si cranks which are made by FSA for Cannondale. I sprung for some new pedals (Look Carbon Keo w/CroMo axles) since I felt my old quill pedals with clips and straps would look funny on this bike.

It amzed me how light and stiff the frame was. I have been riding steel for a while and didn't really consider carbon until I tried a few out and found them to be within my price range.

The best thing to do is go to the shop and take a test ride to see if it is worth it for you to invest the extra cash in carbon. I found that given the price range of bikes I was looking at the frame material was irrelevant with respect to the price and that component levels became the determining factor. At the 5k price point you can get Al, Steel, Carbon, Ti or any mixture in between. Going from Ultegra to Dura Ace affected the cost more than the frame material. I would have liked to get a Campagnolo build on the Synapse, but I've ridden both DA and Record and either one is fine by me. I'm not a pro, I ride for exercise and enjoyment and if I have the extra bucks to spend for the looks I figure, why not.

Besides after being almost killed by a negligent driver I felt that since you only live once, might as well spend the extra cash on some trick components. The wife gave me her blessing to budget up to 5k for a new ride, so I tired to get the most bang for the buck and still splurge a bit. 105 level stuff is fine for me, but since I could afford the fancy looking DA, why not?

I hope I'm still riding into my seventies gfp1931! Congratulations on your new bicycle purchase and I hope you have many safe and fun miles on it![img]cyclingforums.comsmile.gifOpen ↗[/img]

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience. I too was hit by a car 3 years ago, saved by my helmet but still needing brain surgery. You are right - we only have one life so make the most of it. I will certainly pay what it takes, you and our other fellow cyclists have convinced me that carbon is the way to go. I got my first bike @ 12 years old, a super bike with 3 gears and probably heavier than me but it got me to places I would never have seen otherwise. Now we go to great lengths to shave off a few more grams to get there faster, what a weird bunch we are, but the greatest nevertheless.
Keep those pedals turning and good luck to you all. 🙂 😄 🙂

🙂

ackgot said:

I been riding a complete steel road bike for 2 years. I have recently bought a full carbon fibre bike and put about 1050 miles on it so far.
Riding it is a completly different sensation than my old bike which was steel. I felt a difference immediatly from the get go. Riding the all CF frame was smoother ride without feeling all the small bumps on the road.
As far as effectiveness or flexing of the frame and all the other tech stuff about frame materials, I consider those very small variables that do not make much of a difference only possibly important if your a pro, and I heard some people say its about personal preference as well.
-Cheers

Thanks for your feedback too !! My mind is now made up, as you say the high tech stuff is for the pro's and rightly so.
Best Wishes.