Your first Carbon bike [back when] or pic of it?

[robt57]

A post in the 'Let's See your Carbon Bike" Y-foil entries got me yester-yearing....

To start the thread: My first Carbon Road bike.

The flexy purple beast it wuz. But I piled 10k on it in two seasons. This is the one the that really got me going!

Rolfs.. Zed... [Agent J, MIB]

9 Speed Dura Ace with 8 speed Dura Chainset. LOL

[tv_vt]

Here's mine. Look kg481sl. Really a nice frame, with a couple of quirky features, including a sliding rear dropout and an expanding wedge to hold the seatpost in place - that also sucked with the Look carbon seatpost, eventually cracking it.

Bike was stiff and quick steering, a little too much of each for me in the end. Very nice graphics and cool race cred, as in 'ridden in the Tour' cred.

I have since had 3 more Looks, all various versions of the 585. None in stable now, though. All replaced by a Serotta carbon HSG.

[Chris]

Broke my Serotta CRL (FD braze on) and sent it back to get repaired. The bike shop I worked at had a Soecialized Epic in my size, aluminum fork and all. I couldn’t believe how dead it felt riding, but after a month on it, I found I really liked it.

[zmalwo]

A chinese carbon frameset with American Classic wheels and Centaur/Veloce mix. I thought it was such a good bike back then.

[Johnnysmooth]

C40 with woundup fork and campy record
Bought it off a college grad who was going pro and needed cash
Shipped for $1500
Best bike deal ever, at least for me

[Seramount]

I posted about this bike in the other thread, but it's a wet, sloppy day and I'm stuck indoors, so you'll just have to indulge the repetition...

my first...and only...carbon bike. 1991 Specialized Allez Epic. came with DA 8 STI and is still mostly in stock condition.

only mods have been a carbon seat post, Flite saddle (came with a Turbomatic II), and Mavic OP wheels (the original Open 4 CDs got roached when a Ford F-150 ran a stop sign).

this was regarded by many as a 'noodly' frame...but guess I never produced enough power to flex it. the aluminum fork produces a certain feel, but nothing I ever found overly distasteful.

there were some frame failures with the first generation of these lugged carbon bikes, but Spec reportedly changed the adhesive used to bond the tubes/lugs. the second gen bikes have a dark gray BB shell to indicate that the different glue was used.

however, in a CYA move, Spec issued an advisory statement saying the frames should be retired after 10 years of use. uh, sure, fine...

have 50+K miles on mine, but only put about 100 miles per year on it now. it mostly gets duty on the rollers and an occasional road ride. there's some mild galvanic corrosion on the surface of a couple of the alum lugs, but its nothing that causes me any concern.

[Black Dog]

Pick up this frame (2007) and rode it for a year or so and sold it. I had been on steel since I started out in the late 80's and was not really impressed with the bike or being on carbon. I picked up a Ti bike and knew that I would not be needing carbon again. Just steel and Ti in my garage. Carbon fork on the Ti and cranks etc..no problem...carbon frames...meh. I have ridden new high end carbon bikes and still prefer a well laid out steel or Ti bike.

[NHAero]

First and only - Pivot MACH429C, full suspension 29er. No carbon road frames as yet.

[buddybikes]

Kestrel 4000 circa 1988?. It was dumb sold my 1981 de Rosa

[quickfeet]

2008 Madone 6 series. Way hot!

[weisan]

My old LOOK KG 281 built up with shimano 9 spd drivetrain is my dedicated loaner bike and when it's not being loaned out, it stays on the trainer. It's not junk (see attached) but it's also something I won't cry over if it gets trashed. I have loaned it out three times so far, once to South African friend who doesn't have a bike but is a super strong rider and second time, to a friend doing a short sprint distance triathlon. And now (third loaner) a girl that I met at a swap meet who told me she really wanted a road bike but couldn't afford one so I "volunteered" my LOOK to her. As far I know, she's riding it daily on her commute to work at Apple Inc.

It's 55 TT and can fit a good range of riders with different body lengths, not optimal but beggars can't be choosers.

[robt57]

For all you Look folk, Not my first so OT for the thread.

One of my stable right now is a Striped to carbon Look 585 with a SR 11s with Chorus 11s chainset and Ti Record skeletons. It is sick light, rides like a dream like nothing else that isn't a flex machine does, and it isn't.

I just clean and apply 303 UV protectorant juice a few time a year.

It is old enough to be some folks first I guess. And with all the 'French Carbon' now in the thread I must give it a mention. It is one not likely ever to leave my possession.

It is stealthy sexiness on two wheels IMO. No road bike I have ridden to date feels like it, or is as comfortable.

[merckx]

Calfee 2002 Tetra. It was okay except for the 1" steerer tube. Too flexy in the front end for me. No pics. I don't think cameras were invented at that time.

[alexihnen]

Specialized Epic for me. Never liked the bike at all, though the 19c tires at 120psi might have had something to do with it.


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[glepore]

Not mine, but one of these, a closeout from Ted in Piermont NY