Litespeed Frame w/Carbon stays

[spintaletommy]

I have read several opinions regarding the 2004-2005 frames with carbon stays but none seem to speak about the tech reasons for disliking them. I have several bikes with carbon forks and I don't have any complaints with them. Anyone have specific info regarding these frames??

Also, I am looking for a 2006 Ultimate 55/56cm...

thom

[Dave B]

I might be wrong, but some of those Litespeeds I think had a carbon wrap over titanium. They weren't full carbon.

A friend had one that I put some time on and I liked it a lot. Fun bike and very stiff. it had the shaped tubes not typical round ones.

[Mark McM]

I have read several opinions regarding the 2004-2005 frames with carbon stays but none seem to speak about the tech reasons for disliking them. I have several bikes with carbon forks and I don't have any complaints with them. Anyone have specific info regarding these frames??

Carbon unistays were common on many brands at the time. It was mostly a marketing feature, with little technical merit. The increased number joints in the seat stay added weight, while it also reduced rear tire clearance, without adding any particular performance advantage.

There was an article in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News about that time in which several manufacturers explained that the carbon unistay design actually decreased manufacturing cost because it reduced the number of welds required (it eliminated the need to fabricate a seperate brake bridge and required only one joint at the seat cluster), but allowed the frames to sell at a higher price.

[Nags&Ducs]

I have read several opinions regarding the 2004-2005 frames with carbon stays but none seem to speak about the tech reasons for disliking them. I have several bikes with carbon forks and I don't have any complaints with them. Anyone have specific info regarding these frames??

Also, I am looking for a 2006 Ultimate 55/56cm...

thom

I don't have any specific info on these frames but I will say that I just never saw the point of putting a carbon rear on a Ti or steel frame. On an AL frame, yeah I can see that since it's pretty hard to eliminate the road buzz by AL alone. I have ridden full AL Cannondales, Colnagos, Kleins, and De Rosas and the best was the Klein. It was better at muting the road buzz but still not as good as Ti and steel. I have never sought out a Ti or steel frame with a carbon rear, but a Litespeed Ultimate with carbon stays is one that I would consider buying if the price was right, to use for racing, since I wouldn't really care if I destroyed it in a crash. Are you looking at the Ultimate on eBay that is currently at $561? I'm in need of a racing rig that I'd be OK with if I crashed it so I put a max bid of $520. Don't think I would spend more than $550 so it's already above my max bid. Good luck if that is one you are considering.

[Fishbike]

Many bikes have carbon forks; the vast majoriity of new bikes and many bikes from past eras. Usually, carbon forks are light, comfortable and durable. A good steel fork will ride and look great, but there is a weight penalty.

Carbon stays on the other hand, really don't improve the ride of a quality steel or titanium bike. On an aluminum bike? Maybe. Carbon stays had some popularity when carbon was becoming more popular. The marketing spin is that the carbon stay smooth out the ride, but real world cyclists don't tend to agree.

I have a Viner with insanely stupid carbon-look decals over the steel stays. I mean it looks okay. But pretend carbon stays? Really?

[spintaletommy]

Thanks for responding.

I have done some carbon fiber work over the last 10 years on trimarans but not bikes...I looked over my friends bike and like the design of the forks/stays.

Regarding weight comparison between the carbon and the older titanium the carbon is a little lighter but the 2006 titanium frame is about 1/2 lb lighter than the 2005 carbon stay frame. [Ultimate frames compared]

The aero design may help someone alot faster than I am...but it looks cool to me...

thanks again,
thom

[oldpotatoe]

I have read several opinions regarding the 2004-2005 frames with carbon stays but none seem to speak about the tech reasons for disliking them. I have several bikes with carbon forks and I don't have any complaints with them. Anyone have specific info regarding these frames??

Also, I am looking for a 2006 Ultimate 55/56cm...

thom

Carbon fork, not a supported triangle with one 'leg' being carbon, is a much different beast.

Leessee..take a really nice riding material(titanium), if made well will last many lifetimes and then glue a carbon piece in it, that reduces it's life time, makes it often heavier and more expensive, and doesn't do anything to make the ride better.....hmmmmmmm

Same for carbon butt ends on steel..makes no sense except to the marketeers.

[dekindy]

Carl Strong did an NAHBS bike a few years ago using steel, titanium, and carbon; selecting each material for what he considered it's best application. For the seat stays he selected titanium. And I recall some Serotta owners indicating they preferred the ride of titanium seat stays to carbon seat stays. I would tend toward titanium just because of my perception that welds are stronger than glue but my thinking is evolving on that.

On the other hand, I may be nieve, but I don't think my Serotta Legend has a carbon unistay because it is a marketing gimmick or less expensive and simpler to manufacture. Maybe it is true that most manufacturers did not have the expertise to implement on it's merits.

If it were true that it is cheaper, I would think that the Serotta Fondo, targeted at a lower price point, would have a carbon unistay seat stay design.

[mcteague]

Carbon fork, not a supported triangle with one 'leg' being carbon, is a much different beast.

Leessee..take a really nice riding material(titanium), if made well will last many lifetimes and then glue a carbon piece in it, that reduces it's life time, makes it often heavier and more expensive, and doesn't do anything to make the ride better.....hmmmmmmm

Same for carbon butt ends on steel..makes no sense except to the marketeers.

I used to feel the same way but ordered a Seven 622 SLX anyway. Hope I am not being crazy. Still, similar money to your Campy 80th anniversary group.:rolleyes:

Tim

[oldpotatoe]

I used to feel the same way but ordered a Seven 622 SLX anyway. Hope I am not being crazy. Still, similar money to your Campy 80th anniversary group.:rolleyes:

Tim

Maybe at retail, I are a bike shop and wholesale is one teeny benefit to owning a bike shop.