Carbon / Alu / Tech

[Garfield2010]

I have a relatvively old full carbon bike (2007 model)....

 

The other day I realized that it was a lot heavier than some of the new aluminium bikes...........

 

Did the technology improve that much? Obviously bike components also carry weight etc but still..............

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Yep. Also the different ways of weaving carbon, and different lay-up techniques have a huge impact on how much material you need.to use to ensure a strong component. Also, the resin tech and curing processes have improved markedly over the years.

[Garfield2010]

Nice.

 

So I ride a full carbon bike that weights more than double of the new "lead-welded" bikes................

[Eugene]

There's more to a bike's weight than just the frame. There is a ton (pun intended) of other components which could account for the weight difference. Consider a super lightweight bike at 6.8kgs. Of that, the frame probably comes in at 1kg. That makes up 14% of the total weight.

 

Hi end aluminium frames are not very common now days, so 10-1, the aluminium frame you checked was a heavy entry level one with light weight parts.

 

Cannondale, is one of the few manufacturers that still have good quality high end alum frames and is probably lighter and better quality than many carbon frames of today.

[Andyb]

There are some very high quality alu frames about. Check out these for modern race frames. http://www.embrocationmagazine.com/store/gaulzetti-corsa

[Christie]

Cannondale CAAD 10 also deserves a mention. It weighs the same as a Pinarello Dogma 2 (if I remember correctly, the Dale is a few grams lighter)