Carbon bike

[zennmotion]

Originally Posted by donevwil

This is a tough thread to follow for those of us who don't fit anything stock and, thus, will likely never have the opportunity to try a CF bike or be able to afford a custom.

Hampsten's prices for custom carbon models are on a par with comparable factory bikes. One would have the same challenge of finding something to try out no matter the material anyway, right? Steve would make sure it fit right!

[bob heinatz]

Used prices for any frame material drops like crazy. Just follow some of the ads here.

[rnhood]

Originally Posted by Bentley

I have Carbon, Alloy, and Steel. The Carbon bike is best in fast group rides and days with lots of climbing. I can sense the weight difference on the metal bikes, the alloy less but the steel bike has a great all-day ride quality.

Today, all bikes are good, I think that having all types gives you choices.

If you can afford it, do it.

Ray

This is a good short & sweet summary. And yes, all bike depreciate as a rule. But you don't lose near as much as you lose when you sell or trade in your car, as a rule.

[Volksbike]

Originally Posted by bob heinatz

Used prices for any frame material drops like crazy. Just follow some of the ads here.

Used Carbon Look 595 Ultra is how I plan to get into my first carbon bike...would be nice reduce some weight to a noticeable difference!

Prices are more reasonable for used. I have enjoyed steel and aluminum frames for many years and as a tall rider carbon is not always an option on some frames. Glad to see others have gone this route with success.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[paredown]

Originally Posted by rePhil

Carbon, specifically Look 585's convinced me to sell my custom steel (Strong) and Ti (Moots) and not look back
The 585 fits me as good as anything I have owned, and the ride is excellent.

I wasn't looking for another bike when a like new Fuji Altamira landed on my doorstep. It built into a nice bike, the lightest and stiffest bike I have ridden. If I were forced to only have one I would be happy with either. But if I could choose I would pick the 585 every time.

In my opinion the price of new bikes is crazy. I bought all of mine used after doing my research, asking plenty of questions, and looking at a lot of photos.
There are some good deals to be had if you are patient or do a WTB.

Good luck, have fun.

I'm a late comer to the carbon world as well, but got a heck of a deal on a project 585 on the forum.

It has not made me dump my steel bikes, but I can see why people thought this was the bees knees when the 585s were new. To me it is like refined steel with more dampening. The rest--stiffness or whatever--disappears in the noise, but I do appreciate the dampening on the torn up roads around here.

Sometimes I miss the exquisite connection with the road you would get on a perfect Italian steel bike (the old joke--run over a quarter and tell if it was heads or tails facing up) but Imma getting old, and I like the comfort now.

[zap]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

If I were looking at carbon, I'd think very hard about what my expectations were. For one, I get the feeling that carbon depreciates like a rock -- especially the big brand companies. I'm not sure that I'd want to spend top dollar on it.

My observation, the Treks and Specs of the world are very very well liked, well known commodities and values hold up.

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

If I were looking at carbon, I'd think very hard about what my expectations were. For one, I get the feeling that carbon depreciates like a rock -- especially the big brand companies. I'm not sure that I'd want to spend top dollar on it.

I actually think carbon frames tend to hold their value pretty well, with the bigger names holding more value than lesser names (at least until you get into boutique, so a Trek / Specialized will hold value better than a Felt, but not as well as a Crumpton).

In my experience, when people complain about bikes losing their value, they're often comparing the used price to MSRP, but not to the street price. Shops regularly have end-of-season sales, and give meaningful discounts to racers, club riders, and loyal customers. As a hypothetical example, suppose a shop is offering a 33% discount on new bikes as part of an end of year clearance sale. A bike that has a $5,000 MSRP would sell for $3,350. Someone who bought a bike at MRSP at the beginning of the year, and rode it for 1000 miles and tries to sell it might only get $2,500 for it. The person selling it may think "oh no, my bike used for 1 seasons is selling for a 50% discount because it is used", but in actuality the used bike is only selling at 25% discount to the same bike new.

[nmrt]

I own carbon and titanium and alloy bikes. and I would disagree that they feel the same. In my case, they certainly do not even when they have the same groupset, saddle, handlebars and wheels. Why? Because: 1) the geometries are very slightly different, and 2) i think it is because of the difference in the material.

Now, how can I tell? Many ways actually. But the most telling is that I cannot ride my carbon bike for more than 60 miles and not feel fatigued. After about 60 miles, even bone in my body shudders when I hit any small imperfection on the road. In essence, the carbon bike is great for up to rides of 60 miles. It reacts, at least it seems like it, immediately to any force on the cranks. The bike feels stiff but not stiff to tire me out (at least for under 60 miles). And it feels fast, really fast. I actually love it. What is the bike? 2017 Cannondale Supersix HiMod Evo.

I also have a Look 695 which actually feels different than the cannondale but I do not have too many miles on it to come to any substantitive conclusion.

Now, I have a 2012 Ti Desalvo (with a 44 mm HT, larger diameter Ti tubes) and a 2004 Seven Ti/carbon bike (old school skinny Ti tubes). Suffice to say that with the same wheels and groupset as my carbon bikes, not only do these two Ti bikes ride differently from the carbon bikes but also different from each other. I like all my bikes. But where I plan to ride and for how long dictates which bike I pick.

Now given that I have never ridden what people call the creame de la creame, of carbon bikes i.e., Crumpton, I would not ever pick a carbon bike as my only bike. Mind you, I have ridden a Parlee Z5 and found that it did not ride as well as my Cannondale Supersix Evo HiMod.

So, if you put a gun to my head and asked me to choose among all my bikes, I would pick my Ti DeSalvo.

My advice to you: Spend a few hundred dollars and ride a few carbon bikes for long distances. Then decide. A spin around the block for even 20-30 miles will tell you little.

Good luck! And enjoy the hunt!

Originally Posted by dzxc

I have owned many carbon and non-carbon. Like anything, there's almost no difference as long as the tire pressure and tires are the same, and everything is quiet and put together well. The same way blindfolded (and set up similarly) you couldn't tell a Richard Sachs from a Motobecane, it will be the same among carbon bikes. So it's just more about your aesthetic taste. I like the looks of the Trek Emonda and Scott Addict personally, and love optimizing for weight because it's fun, not because it makes any practical difference.

[bob heinatz]

It is possible to rent or buy a used carbon to check it out.

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by nmrt

I own carbon and titanium and alloy bikes. and I would disagree that they feel the same. In my case, they certainly do not even when they have the same groupset, saddle, handlebars and wheels. Why? Because: 1) the geometries are very slightly different, and 2) i think it is because of the difference in the material.

Now, how can I tell? Many ways actually. But the most telling is that I cannot ride my carbon bike for more than 60 miles and not feel fatigued. After about 60 miles, even bone in my body shudders when I hit any small imperfection on the road. In essence, the carbon bike is great for up to rides of 60 miles. It reacts, at least it seems like it, immediately to any force on the cranks. The bike feels stiff but not stiff to tire me out (at least for under 60 miles). And it feels fast, really fast. I actually love it. What is the bike? 2017 Cannondale Supersix HiMod Evo.

I also have a Look 695 which actually feels different than the cannondale but I do not have too many miles on it to come to any substantitive conclusion.

Now, I have a 2012 Ti Desalvo (with a 44 mm HT, larger diameter Ti tubes) and a 2004 Seven Ti/carbon bike (old school skinny Ti tubes). Suffice to say that with the same wheels and groupset as my carbon bikes, not only do these two Ti bikes ride differently from the carbon bikes but also different from each other. I like all my bikes. But where I plan to ride and for how long dictates which bike I pick.

Now given that I have never ridden what people call the creame de la creame, of carbon bikes i.e., Crumpton, I would not ever pick a carbon bike as my only bike. Mind you, I have ridden a Parlee Z5 and found that it did not ride as well as my Cannondale Supersix Evo HiMod.

So, if you put a gun to my head and asked me to choose among all my bikes, I would pick my Ti DeSalvo.

My advice to you: Spend a few hundred dollars and ride a few carbon bikes for long distances. Then decide. A spin around the block for even 20-30 miles will tell you little.

Good luck! And enjoy the hunt!

I agree. You could set up both my steel bike and carbon the exact same and I could tell you which one is which. All materials ride differently. My aluminum frame also had a specific ride.

However I disagree about carbon being less comfortable. I think its as comfortable BUT there is a ride to steel that I really love and sometimes I rather ride steel than carbon.

Same with aluminum. When I sold my alum bike I said, I never want to ride alum and I have really missed aluminum, I really enjoy the ride of that as well.

[uber]

I too am a fan of a steel Pegoretti and am very happy with a Colnago C60. Were I looking at a new carbon bike today I would take a hard look at Sarto and the new Bianchi Specialissimo. I feel the Colnago is very stable descending as my Peg is. I think a comparison from steel to carbon is difficult for me to articulate. I like them both and they are different for sure. I am more likely to leave the steel bike home in the rain. Hah.

[kramnnim]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

I still have a steel bike but have 2 carbon bikes now. I bought a parlee z5 and its just so good, probably one of the best bikes I ever been on. That is what made my decision to go carbon for the next gravel bike and now have an OPEN.

For comparison, I rode a Z5 for ~20k miles. I like my Ridley Helium SL and BH Ultralight a lot more. Evo Himod was maybe a little better than the Z5.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

this tarmac i rented recently was so good that i'd be happy to have it as my only bike.

My wife -- who is notoriously hard to please in the bike fitting/comfort department (as a former professional dancer and a licensed massage therapist with an extensive anatomy and personal training background, she has ridiculously sensetive proprioception...and fitter Paul Levine has referred to her numerous times as "The Princess & The Pea") -- rented a stock Trek Domane last summer and was ready to buy it then & there. She liked it as much if not moreso than her custom Strong, which had previously been the only bike she is (was?) ever comfortable on.

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by kramnnim

For comparison, I rode a Z5 for ~20k miles. I like my Ridley Helium SL and BH Ultralight a lot more. Evo Himod was maybe a little better than the Z5.

Would love to try some more carbon road bikes, in due time.

[mtechnica]

I call BS that there is no difference between other materials and carbon. Carbon rides better than any steel or aluminum bike, is stiffer than any steel bike, and is lighter than any metal bike. (all else being equal). Owned carbon: Calfee, Look, Bianchi. There is a reason all of the pros ride carbon bikes.

I've probably said all this before but the carbon Vs. debate is starting to look like the climate change "debate" which is basically ridiculous. Carbon is lighter and stiffer and rides better. Believe it, or delude yourself. I'm sorry. it's true that some steel frames come close, but overall, no.