Cheap carbon??

[Bike Mob]

they will still make the frames the same strength.

 

The difference is the 3K carbon will require more material than 10K carbon to achieve the desired strength. so the 10K bike will be lighter for the same stiffness.

 

It all comes down to the strength to weight ratio.

[MariusL]

for the cannondale fans: is a CAAD 9 really cheap?

 

 

cheaper than cheap carbon... yes...

[T-girl]

The scultura with 105 is R17k but they will give it to me for R15.5 they say. Aluminium 904 race lite with 105 is R12.5 k.

 

Also looking at cannondale synapse 5 105;going for R12.5 too,also getting the carbon version priced as it looks really good!also gt series 2 Aluminium... Too many options

 

Am happy for 105 components. Don't want anything higher!

[428 others]

Go for the Synapse!

[Willehond]

with carbon you can feel the responsiveness of the bike

 

What the heck does that mean?! What the heck is responsiveness. Any engineering type term you could use to bring it's elusive qualities closer for us mortals to understand?

 

(PS I have both an aluminium and a carbon caring bike. When I stand on the pedals, they both respond.)

Edited November 2, 2010 by Willehond

[cosborne]

The Merida Scultura looks like a hot bike! I had an allu Merida (904 I think) a couple years back and it was baie mooi!

Edited November 2, 2010 by cosborne

[Willehond]

Strange, I get the exact opposite effect. I wonder if the wheels, tyres, tyre pressures, saddle, handle bars, stem, seatpost or frame geometry might have some influence on this?

I think they all have an influence.

 

For me the difference in "feel" by changing my wheels far exceed the difference of my carbon vs. alu frame.

[428 others]

I think they all have an influence.

 

For me the difference in "feel" by changing my wheels far exceed the difference of my carbon vs. alu frame.

 

I had the same wheels on both frames...

[Gumpole]

The scultura with 105 is R17k but they will give it to me for R15.5 they say. Aluminium 904 race lite with 105 is R12.5 k.

 

Also looking at cannondale synapse 5 105;going for R12.5 too,also getting the carbon version priced as it looks really good!also gt series 2 Aluminium... Too many options

 

Am happy for 105 components. Don't want anything higher!

 

105 is plenty good enough - rather spend extra money on frame.

The synapse as far as i know has a more 'relaxed' geometry.. ie less aerodynamic + more comfortable

[liebenw]

I think they all have an influence.

 

For me the difference in "feel" by changing my wheels far exceed the difference of my carbon vs. alu frame.

spot on Hond, the best upgrade you can make to any bike starts with the wheels.

 

Perhaps t-girl needs to look at a combo of alu and a carbon rear triangle.

[AndreZA]

105 is plenty good enough - rather spend extra money on frame.

The synapse as far as i know has a more 'relaxed' geometry.. ie less aerodynamic + more comfortable

 

and about 1.4kg for frame only + 500gr for the fork.

[Seandmerida96]

Silverback monza. Good value Carbon

[covie]

Nope, never experienced that with my CAAD9...

 

Lol this is exactly the same as the other thread where we took 40 pages to explain to people that carbon does nothing for ride quality. Pitty i can't remember the thread title. The moral of the thread was, your air pressure in your tyres does more for ride comfort than any frame material, either carbon or alu.

 

Ride comfort is also dictated mostly by the design of the frame, as opposed to frame material. You buy carbon if you want the lightest bike available to you (if talking about road bikes) Just make sure its well insured, pretty much one fall and youll probably need to claim.

Edited November 2, 2010 by covie

[Minion]

I had the same wheels on both frames...

And tyre pressures, saddle, handle bars, stem, seatpost and frame geometry? Hell, even the amount of riding you've done in the days leading up to the comparison could make a difference: I know my bike feels different the day after a hard race to what it does after a rest day.

 

You can't make generalisations about carbon being a better ride than aluminium etc. There are too many other factors that contribute to how a bike feels. At best you can say that a specific carbon bike with specific components with a specific setup under specific conditions may feel better (what is better?) than a specific aluminium bike with (hopefully) similar components, setup and conditions.

[T-girl]

Ok. Alu it is then! now merida race lite 904, cannondale synapse 5 or gt series 2? Or or or??

[Minion]

Ride comfort is also dictated mostly by the design of the frame, as opposed to frame material. You buy carbon if you want the lightest bike available to you (if talking about road bikes) Just make sure its well insured, pretty much one fall and youll probably need to claim.

I reckon this is true for pretty much any lightweight bike part, regardless of the material and especially if it's lower cost (though you'd insure the higher cost stuff for other reasons).