Pickled Posted July 22, 2008 Share Ok, another one of those who prefers what questions. In terms of MTB XC bikes, rather take carbon frame or alu frame?? Which is the better option in terms of durability, chances of breaking etc??? I am looking at a bikes, costs are similar, so that is not a factor, simply the material of the frame. What say the wise... (ok then the people) of the hub??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singletrackmind Posted July 22, 2008 Share alu!!! will never let you down and plus the weights are almost the same depending on what frame you get Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted July 22, 2008 Share alu!!! will never let you down you're kidding right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer X Posted July 22, 2008 Share If you want plain out durability go for aluminium it will be far more resilient. That said it is not indestructable. Have you ever seen a alu bike after its done the Imana, not a pretty sight.The pro's of carbon are basically its weight and slightly more forgiving ride. That's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIRR Posted July 22, 2008 Share If you don't mind having to fork some $$$ out on the odd occasion you manage to break your carbon frame they rock. Otherwise stick to an alu, you can at least keep on riding it if it dings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoLefty!! Posted July 22, 2008 Share Having seen more than a few carbon survive where alu bikes ahve failed, I am inclined to believe that carbon frames are tough and stiff. Also they seem to be able to take quite a lot of punishment.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted July 23, 2008 Share The past weekend I had a look at the new GT carbon frames. There is a new model that has the same team frame but lower specced with LX groupset. You do get an alu version of the bike with the same parts. The carbon costs R6500 more and weighs 300g more. So I thing performance should be amazing to compensate for what you are losing in your wallet and gaining in weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPWTF Posted July 23, 2008 Share if you can afford carbon then why not go for Ti - I know of plenty of people who've had there Ti mountain bike 10 years and still rave about it...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted July 23, 2008 Share if you can afford carbon then why not go for Ti - I know of plenty of people who've had there Ti mountain bike 10 years and still rave about it...... exactly, if you're gonna be a ponce, do it properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPWTF Posted July 23, 2008 Share On-One Lynskey Ti 456http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Ti_456_467.html http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/frames/mountain/product/lynskey-ti-456-08--31339 right now this frame is getting some of the best reviews i've ever seen PPWTF2008-07-23 00:25:24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted July 23, 2008 Share On-One Lynskey Ti 456http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Ti_456_467.htmlhttp://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/frames/mountain/product/lynskey-ti-456-08--31339right now this frame is getting some of the best reviews i've ever seen they reviewed it in the MountainBike UK mag and it looks amazing. It is still a true Lynskey but just much cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xak1 Posted July 23, 2008 Share It is a myth that an alu frame is stronger than a carbon frame. As everything in life, the answer is not straight forward. A frame is only as strong as its weakest point, which on an alu frame is where it is welded. Same for ti frame, with the added complexity that ti welding is very specialised and baically consists of heat fusion. Theoretically carbon should be stronger in the areas where an alu bike is welded, but it also depends on how the carbon is composed and overlayed. Carbon fibre is a composite material, so recipes differ. Carbon has superior strength in one direction, that is why they use different overlay directions on frames. Carbon does, however, not have great impact strength, i.e. when something sharp hits it hard. As it is a composite, with a molecular structure which consists of a hard and soft matrix, it would generally not result in a catastrophic failure - that is why you see it cracking not in a straight line. The bottom line is that I think a well constructed carbon frame with good overlays and a good composite structure, will always be stronger than an alu or ti frame (as the weld will always be weaker). In a fall, carbon may pick up impact damage easier, but it should not have any risks of fatigue cracks as you see on welds in alu frames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickled Posted July 23, 2008 Share Ok, so, the bike options Trek Ex 9 Specialized Epic Comp BH Trail Racer D45K Trek Top Fuel 9.8 (2007) These are my choices at the moment... What would people take??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPWTF Posted July 23, 2008 Share I'd go Trek. Made massive strides in the last 3 years with there mountain bikes. Top quality gear (I had a 2005 9.8 hardtail) and a great ride The specialized has just had a total redesign, so you may find a deal that way, but plenty of people have had mixed experiences with the brain shock on the old design... The new Epic has something more like the FSR suspension set up no idea about the BH but I'm sure someone here will have owned / ridden one and can give views on..... PPWTF2008-07-23 04:05:21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrubber Posted July 23, 2008 Share Is Cromoly dead? I thought that steel was real. Apparently not any more. Kona Explosif, Orange P7, Wanga Voodoo, Salsa Ala Carte, Redline Monocog, Jamis Dragon.....not too many more name brands as far as I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now