Carbon Or 7005 Triple Butted Aluminum?
- Thread starter Atyl1972
- Start date
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Banjo
Fuelled with Jelly Babies
- Location
- South Wales
I asked a similar question and had a variety of answers. Personally I would rather have a good quality ally bike than spend the same money on an entry level Carbon with lower quality groupset.
If money was no object then it would be a different question maybe comparing Top end carbon with top end Titanium.
If money was no object then it would be a different question maybe comparing Top end carbon with top end Titanium.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Carbon will generally be a little more comfortable, but like above, a cheap carbon won't be as stiff as a quality alloy frame.
Look at the stuff Cannondale does with the CAAD frames.
There should be very little weight difference anyway.
Look at the stuff Cannondale does with the CAAD frames.
There should be very little weight difference anyway.
fossy, what would you get out of these 2? as there is a £375 difference.. please let me know asap....
http://www.cube.eu/en/road/pro-series/agree-sl/
http://www.cube.eu/en/road/pro-composite-series/agree-gtc-race/
http://www.cube.eu/en/road/pro-series/agree-sl/
http://www.cube.eu/en/road/pro-composite-series/agree-gtc-race/
what makes you think i may not get the use out of it, just because you assume I'm a beginner?
abo
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Stockton on Tees
Well, in your OP you said 'as a beginner' so I guess what's why he assumed you were a beginner...
vickster
Legendary Member
I have ordered a carbon bike, never had a road bike but am riding a reasonable light aluminium hybrid. I was initially going to go alu, with mixed forks, but for a similar difference in price I get the carbon, bespoke build starting with the frame - being a taller woman getting a man's frame, I was always going to need to spend money on changes, such as saddle, bars, stem etc.
I think to do the upgrade, may as well do it properly - all depends if you can afford the difference and indeed can justify it. Personally, I think I will be more inclined to use the carbon bike as much as possible simply because it will feel much more different to the hybrid it terms of ride (and I will force myself to due to the cost)!
OP - I thought you had already made a decision and ordered the bike?
I think to do the upgrade, may as well do it properly - all depends if you can afford the difference and indeed can justify it. Personally, I think I will be more inclined to use the carbon bike as much as possible simply because it will feel much more different to the hybrid it terms of ride (and I will force myself to due to the cost)!
OP - I thought you had already made a decision and ordered the bike?
Because you don't really know if you will use it until you actually get it. Kids do it just as much as adults do - they want something then 5 minutes later they don't. I did it with countless mobile phones when I was younger as well, and to be honest now at a week short of 19 I do it still. All I'm saying is, going with alu instead of carbon is cheaper, but if you don't take it up properly, you haven't lost as much money but you've still got a decent bike if you do. I'm not saying get a crap hybrid from tesco, but don't just spend a fortune on a carbon bike because you can.
Having said that, if you want to spend an arm and a leg on a carbon bike, then feel free.
Globalti
Legendary Member
My first road bike was Columubus SLX steel, nice, but stiff and punishing.
I rode an alloy bike 45 miles and felt beaten up.
I wondered how I was ever going to build up my miles if road bikes were so punishing.
Then I got a carbon bike and it was a revelation. Now I ride 50-60 miles at weekends and don't feel beaten up, just tired legs.
I rode an alloy bike 45 miles and felt beaten up.
I wondered how I was ever going to build up my miles if road bikes were so punishing.
Then I got a carbon bike and it was a revelation. Now I ride 50-60 miles at weekends and don't feel beaten up, just tired legs.
yeah i was the same at that age too but as you get older you learn to appreciate things a lot more, your opinion leans more towards a ALU bike Rather than a carbon, not sure why that is but hey ho as some people have stated on other forums about the weight, IMO its not about the weight its about the stiffness of the ride and if I'm going to be doing some serious miles all i wanted to know, ( not having had a carbon b4 ) is there such a huge difference, from what I've seen so far cannondale make the best ALU bikes with their CAAD series however, i do not like the ride on them..
I've reserved the placement for me to ride first with no commitment and having rode today the carbon for sure feels quite a bit better even on smooth road surfaces, took 2 bikes out, one ALU and the other carbon and within 5 minutes i noticed a considerable difference, people had warned me off of cube bikes as they said that cube pay more attention to detail in the groupset rather than their frames but what i can tell is that they build very very good quality bikes IMHO, doesn't appear to be many cube users on these forums but certainly a few on other sites, and the ALU was only 2lbs in weight difference i personally couldn't tell...
I'm not biased toward either - I've never ridden a carbon bike and I'm not likely to for a very long time as I can't afford one.
If I was you (and to be honest, I am from what I gather) I'd get a reasonably decent road bike but not a carbon one, which is what I did. Less expensive and still a decent bike, and you can get a stiff bike without going carbon.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
A higher end alloy frame like CAAD frame is likely lighter and stiffer than any low end carbon frame.
vickster
Legendary Member
I am getting a Pearson carbon bike and was told that they use the same type of carbon (went into lots of techy detail that was straight over my girly head) through the range while some of the larger manufactuers use a lower grade at the bottom end versus the top end (e.g. Specialized)
Get the bike that you most like the look & feel of and of which that you can justify the price. I know what I am like - if I had gone for the cheaper aluminium bike, I would have been itching to upgrade next year, so decided just to make the big jump now while I know I can afford it (and then don't take the depreciation hit)!
Get the bike that you most like the look & feel of and of which that you can justify the price. I know what I am like - if I had gone for the cheaper aluminium bike, I would have been itching to upgrade next year, so decided just to make the big jump now while I know I can afford it (and then don't take the depreciation hit)!
