Riding older carbon road bikes
- Thread starter Gritstone
- Start date
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I have bought my self two “ This will be my last ever bike” one when I retired, then when we received Mrs W’s inheritance from her mum. Both well specked carbon bikes. First with 11 speed mechanical Dura Ace with rim brakes, the second with Di2 ultegra and discs. Each one is an improvement on any previous bikes.
Now we are looking to down size house and move to Scotland. Already I’m thinking gravel bike with Di2 and a new best bike.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Now we are looking to down size house and move to Scotland. Already I’m thinking gravel bike with Di2 and a new best bike.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Vapin' Joe
Formerly known as Smokin Joe
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
Why not? Life isn't a rehearsal, we only get one shot. Lying on your death bed you don't get any points for how frugal you've been all your life.
Punkawallah
Veteran
Fie, Sir! Thou wilt turn mine head! :-)
mustang1
Legendary Member
- Location
- London, UK
15 year old road bike coming up to 50000km. Used for commuting, errands, fun rides. Zero problems but owned since new which I appreciate is different from buying a 15 year old used bike.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
gcn presenter got his old carbon bike out that was team issue and compared it to a modern one and it was about 3 km/h faster for the same power .
For pootlers like me the difference would be so small i doubt the £4 k + price tag justifies the outlay .
Milzy
Legendary Member
It’s as clear as a drunk man’s pi$$ that these high end bikes only save you a few seconds. If you race then fair enough if not you’re just wasting money.
Why. I have bikes that are delight ride, I don’t ever get feeling the bikes holding me back. Which on my heavier winter bike with 105 everything just feels a bit more laboured.
But as you haven’t got a high end bike I guess you need to tell yourself there a waste of money.😉
Jameshow
Guru
Rubbish I reckon a hi mod road bike bike is worth 1mph over a standard carbon bike.
Likewise a 531 Vs a gas pipe hi ten steel bike!
Wheels likewise deep section or light climbing wheels made a substantial difference.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- The Urban Fringe
But theres carbon, and there's carbon.
My beloved, and now somewhat elderly by road bike standards, alu Felt flew compared to my CF Boardman, both some the same wheels (im a DT Swiss man because of my weight). Theres a lot of overlap, and a lot of high end alumni bikes are an easy match for lower end CF.
And time and bike design moves on again, and my modern Alu framed Ribble gravel bike on cheap and nasty Kysriums and fat rubber is a rocketship compared to the previously flighty feeling Felt. Its mjnd boggling.
The performance advantage of CF is reduced mass. Make one to the same mass in, say, a dog food and sawdust composite and make it similarly stiff itll take the same amount of energy to accelerate and brake. Physics doesnt give a sheet that a frame of made from, only its mass - the numbers are stark.
I dont have a problem with carbon. Been there and done that, will probably again, and provided theres no visible damage an older one doesnt really worry me. But I don't buy in to the witchcraft and mystical properties of the material when used in a bicycle frame. It can be lighter than some other materials for a similar level of stiffness, but that doesnt automatically mean that it will be.
My beloved, and now somewhat elderly by road bike standards, alu Felt flew compared to my CF Boardman, both some the same wheels (im a DT Swiss man because of my weight). Theres a lot of overlap, and a lot of high end alumni bikes are an easy match for lower end CF.
And time and bike design moves on again, and my modern Alu framed Ribble gravel bike on cheap and nasty Kysriums and fat rubber is a rocketship compared to the previously flighty feeling Felt. Its mjnd boggling.
The performance advantage of CF is reduced mass. Make one to the same mass in, say, a dog food and sawdust composite and make it similarly stiff itll take the same amount of energy to accelerate and brake. Physics doesnt give a sheet that a frame of made from, only its mass - the numbers are stark.
I dont have a problem with carbon. Been there and done that, will probably again, and provided theres no visible damage an older one doesnt really worry me. But I don't buy in to the witchcraft and mystical properties of the material when used in a bicycle frame. It can be lighter than some other materials for a similar level of stiffness, but that doesnt automatically mean that it will be.
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Milzy
Legendary Member
I’ve ridden an an alu CAAD 10 against high mods and they can’t pull away from me & they are bigger riders. It’s not about the bike.
Do you need one of these.🏆or one of these.🏅
Jameshow
Guru
Exactly a caad 10 is a top flight alu bike. Look how many get dinged top tubes!
