Carbon Fibre...has it made bikes more beautiful or uglier?

[Fab Foodie]

Can't help thinking that the 'plastic' capabilities of CF has produced frames and shapes that are seemingly uglier and wierder. Thinking the latest Trek Madone, the Curvy CF Bianchi's the weird stays and forks on Pinarello's, Zertz weirdments on the new Spesh Roubaix etc. Many of these designs are more about fashion than function surely.

Is the simple metal-tubed bike in all it's many forms more elegant?

Discuss!

 

[Melvil]

Generally uglier, though I think that G-T-G-F's Bianchi is an exception!

 

[gavintc]

I love the lines of carbon bikes, so much more elegant than boring round steel tubes.

 

[domtyler]

CF any day.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Generally uglier, though I think that G-T-G-F's Bianchi is an exception!

You see I think G-T-G-F's Bianchi is seriously ugly...like a bike designed by Salvador Dali on a bad day! (Sorry G_T_G_F ), but beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, hence the question.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Much better looking. The steel frames that looked beautiful in their day now look like hideous old relics.

Life's to short to live in the past.

 

[Melvil]

You see I think G-T-G-F's Bianchi is seriously ugly...like a bike designed by Salvador Dali on a bad day! (Sorry G_T_G_F ), but beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, hence the question.

No offence FF but do you seriously think that Salvador Dali would have designed a bike with two wheels or even a frame?

BTW - if you're ever in Spain again (remember you posting a while ago from somewhere in Spain?) go and visit the town of Figueres where Dali designed and built his Teato Museu Dali over the course of a few decades - it is seriously mind bending and well worth seeing!

 

[Membrane]

I don't like that manufacturers usually want to show that it is carbon by painting them transparently. I prefer nice colours and a pattern design. I also find bulky joint reinforcing sometimes seen on carbon frames butt ugly, examples are the head "tube" on Planet-X carbon road frames, reinforcing around the bottom bracket, or the reinforced upper end of the seat tube like on many carbon Lapeirre frames.

Having said that, if I were to buy a road bike, I'd probably go for a Focus Cayo triple. At least the Focus Cayo frame is beautifully shaped.

Another ugly irritant of modern bikes for me are compact frames, a horizontal top tube looks much more agreeable to me. A sloped back top tube reminds me of a the cowardly figure of a jackal.

 

[Fab Foodie]

No offence FF but do you seriously think that Salvador Dali would have designed a bike with two wheels or even a frame?

BTW - if you're ever in Spain again (remember you posting a while ago from somewhere in Spain?) go and visit the town of Figueres where Dali designed and built his Teato Museu Dali over the course of a few decades - it is seriously mind bending and well worth seeing!

Hi Melvil
No I'm sure Dali would have come up with something better than a melted bike.
I'd loved to have visited the Museum in Figueres, but the rest of the family did not want the travel....shame on me for not pursuading them. Another day maybe

 

[got-to-get-fit]

Hey, no offence taken fab Foodie........everyone has different tastes, it what makes the world such an interesting place.

I think Carbon has made bikes sexier (but i would say that) I guess its like watching old movies ....i would never get turned on watching ginger rogers or debbie reynolds et al .....but stick Hale Berry or Cameron Diaz in front of me and....whoaaaaaaaaaaa mama.

I appreciate that old fashioned things have a charm and nostalgia but new is so much better otherwise we wouldnt keep inventing, we would just stick with what we have and be happy with it.

 

[starseven]

The object of my desire.


Elmys ,Ipswich has one of these frames and forks for sale 1k.

MMMmmm where did I put the kids bulding society books?

 

[Panter]

I love the look of the CF bikes. The pic of the Bianchi that got-to-get-fit posted in his thread is simply stunning.

I also love the look of the weave, mebbe it stems from my appreciation of the first carbon fishing rods, whatever it is I love them.

I've only ridden a carbon bike once, and very briefly, but it was a beautifull machine

 

[Kirstie]

I think it's all in the proportions...my 853 ultra is very sexy (as long as you remove the mudguards and pannier rack), and my roadie, which is one of these, is just gorgeous. Neither of them have any of the curvy nonsense going on though - it's also coming into the mtb world as well. I'm really not sure about it. I'd be interested to know if it has any performance advantages.

 

[Chris James]

I think .... it depends.

A classic horizontal top tubed lugged steel frame is extremely elegant to me.

SOME carbon fibre frames are objects of beauty. Some are hideous. Flicking through the last C+ they had a the new Orbea Diva which I thought had a very attractive frame. As has been mentioned above some carbon efforts look clunky, have horrible stepped diameters and extra reinforcing wraps that ruin the line of the frame.

I also think that sloping and curving top tubes look hideous.

So I think carbon fibre has liberated the designers and allowed an aesthetic that was not possible when they were restrcited to steel tubing. But some designers have done a better job at produding frames than others.

So CF can be beautiful, steel is often elegant.

Having said all that, oversized tubes and A head stems look ugly to me (but my most recent bike has both)

 

[papercorn2000]

I think it's all in the proportions...my 853 ultra is very sexy (as long as you remove the mudguards and pannier rack), and my roadie, which is one of these, is just gorgeous. Neither of them have any of the curvy nonsense going on though - it's also coming into the mtb world as well. I'm really not sure about it. I'd be interested to know if it has any performance advantages.

Wow, I remember that Kestrels were the TT and Tri riders objects of lust in the late 80's early 90's.

I like the rakish angles of compact and semi-compact frames. There are very few bikes that I actually find ugly.