Alloy so good nowadays I wont be buying carbon in a hurry

[Steaming Pile]

If somebody bought say a Cannondale caad10 , those alloy bikes weigh what a carbon one does and the caad10 is just as good for a fraction of the price. Id be terrified to take an expensive full carbon out onto uk roads these days with the shocking driving we all witness daily and the roads are like pothole city. It just takes a hit in the wrong direction and carbon failure can be catastrophic, I know a guy who rode full carbons who had a coming together with another rider and the other guys crankset destroyed his downtube with a huge crack.

Are there any other riders here, who aren't endorsed cyclists that get a new bike when the old one is crocked, who share the view that with alloy bikes that have carbon forks being so good these days then why bother or take the risk with full carbon types ?

 

[mcshroom]

Steel is a better ride than Alu, even with the carbon forks

 

[Steaming Pile]

For sheer lushness and comfort you are on the money regarding steel bikes, however one of my training routes has an 11% climb that the thought of using a steel bike on it would terrify me as with steel comes xtra weight and flex.

 

[Davidc]

For sheer lushness and comfort you are on the money regarding steel bikes, however one of my training routes has an 11% climb that the thought of using a steel bike on it would terrify me as with steel comes xtra weight and flex.

The ali equivalent of my tourer didn't weigh any less than the steel one, and by the time mine was made Dawes had gone back to steel. Steel is less prone to sudden failure than ali too.

My round-town bike is an ali mtb and with the front suspension weighs quite a lot more than the steel tourer.

 

[cyberknight]

http://road.cc/content/news/74227-team-madison-genesis’-steel-genesis-volare

 

[smokeysmoo]

I own a CAAD10, but it certainly wasn't 'a fraction of the price' of a carbon framed bike, although it does weigh less than any carbon road bike I've previously owned.

You can pay £1k for a CAAD10, you can pay £2.5K for one, the same goes for carbon. You can buy a carbon road bike for £700, or you can pay £10K!

I do agree though, carbon is not the be all and end all, and certainly not the automatic upgrade that many seem to believe it to be.

That said, and IME it's all about fit, and the proof my CAAD fits me better than either of the carbon jobbies is that I can ride the CAAD further and in more comfort than I could either of the other two.

It will be a long time before I even consider buying another carbon bike, because IMO there is simply no need.

 

[Kies]

Defy 1 v entry level carbon cube

I'll keep the Defy thanks.

Friends cube doesn't weigh any less and came with mainly Tiagre @ £1250. Defy was £999 with mainly 105.

 

[outlash]

Or, just buy the bike you like and enjoy it regardless of what the frame is made of.


Tony.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

For sheer lushness and comfort you are on the money regarding steel bikes, however one of my training routes has an 11% climb that the thought of using a steel bike on it would terrify me as with steel comes xtra weight and flex.

Oh, I don't know though. These are pretty light:

£1300 for the frameset mind! http://road.cc/content/news/94665-condor’s-super-acciaio-steel-race-bike-gets-lighter

 

[Hacienda71]

Titanium

 

[Rob3rt]

Carbon bikes are not fragile! An impact that would write off a carbon frame would most likely write off an aluminium frame as well.

 

[biggs682]

just started using an alloy framed with carbon forked bike , rides nice but just not the same as a good Reynolds tubed bike

 

[Dusty Bin]

If somebody bought say a Cannondale caad10 , those alloy bikes weigh what a carbon one does and the caad10 is just as good for a fraction of the price. Id be terrified to take an expensive full carbon out onto uk roads these days with the shocking driving we all witness daily and the roads are like pothole city. It just takes a hit in the wrong direction and carbon failure can be catastrophic, I know a guy who rode full carbons who had a coming together with another rider and the other guys crankset destroyed his downtube with a huge crack.

Are there any other riders here, who aren't endorsed cyclists that get a new bike when the old one is crocked, who share the view that with alloy bikes that have carbon forks being so good these days then why bother or take the risk with full carbon types ?

Do you check that your holiday jet doesn't have carbon fibre wings, before you get on it?

 

[BSRU]

For sheer lushness and comfort you are on the money regarding steel bikes, however one of my training routes has an 11% climb that the thought of using a steel bike on it would terrify me as with steel comes xtra weight and flex.

Strange how they managed to ride the Tour de France on steel bikes in the past, I'm sure they have climbs in that.

 

[Venod]

Strange how they managed to ride the Tour de France on steel bikes in the past, I'm sure they have climbs in that.

Glad you said in the past. I don't see many steel bikes on the tour nowadays, I wonder why ?