The CF bikes were the usual fair found in bike shops, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Scott, Bianchi, Fuji, Time and maybe one other brand I'm forgetting, and I tested several models within each brand. I just didn't care for the ride, the only one that I liked the best out of those was the Specialized with the Zerts (sp?) inserts which seem to make the ride more comfortable maybe close to that of a TI but the feeling was even deader than the others. Like I said, that's just my opinion, but in the end it was durability that triumphed even if I would have found the idea comfortable lively CF bike. All these bikes I road had low spoke count wheels and 23mm tires just as mine and the other two TI bikes I rode have. Oh and the other think I liked about my Lynskey...it can handle 28mm tires, as far as I know all the ones I rode could handle only up to 25mm.