Road Bike - Alu or Carbon

[Grahjam]

Hi all

After a bit of advice.

Have been riding around on my Wilier Triestina Mirage for the last 3 years doin regular rides around the 50 mile mark with some occasional 80's (mainly when me & my mate get lost)

Really liked my Wilier which was an aliminuum frame with carbon forks and seat stay. Unfortunatley had quite a bad crash and cracked the seat stay which seems to have reulted in the bike being written off. My mate who was also involved has a full ali road bike that survived without a scratch.

So now after a new bike. Was looking for something italian ali, with a good campag spec, but after several long conversations with my LBS the choices keep moving towards carbon, as ali seems to top out at around the £1k mark with xenon specs.

Following our crash I'm a bit unsure about carbon as it definately came of worse and does n't seem to have the durability of ali.

So can anyone provide any comments on the durability of carbon, longevity of the frames (lifespan of the frames - how long one would last in normal use), warrantes that manufacturers give for the frames or any other comments

My current bike options I've narrowed down to

Carbon
Wilier Izoard xenon
Kuota Khama - with veloce
Bianchi sempre veloce

Ali
Wilier laverdo
Bianchi via nerone xenon
?

As you can see quite a few more carbon options there, but I still have this nagging doubt

 

[Dayvo]

How about this just to confuse matters!

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/de-rosa/milanino-2011-road-bike-ec025955?query=De Rosa

 

[zexel]

Aluminium is better, no carbon is better, no aluminium is better, ad infinitum.......

 

[Grahjam]

How about this just to confuse matters!

http://www.evanscycl...025955?query=De Rosa

that looks very nice, expensive, but nice - have you ridden one?

 

[Dayvo]

that looks very nice, expensive, but nice - have you ridden one?

No, unfortunately not. But I'm 6' 1" and 105 kg and those bikes are for pedal dancers.

A bit like me wearing a bespoke Saville Row suit.

 

[Davidc]

Aluminium Steel is better, no carbon steel is better, no aluminium steel is better, ad infinitum.......

FTFY!

 

[vickster]

Alu Bianchi with veloce http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bianchi/via-nirone-7-veloce-compact-2011-road-bike-ec025811
​

Not inexpensive but it is a pretty colour,carbon front and back​

 

[smokeysmoo]

It's not Italian, but then again the bikes you mention will have probably all had their frames built in the same factory in the Far East anyway, but if not, certainly not in Italy!

Therefore I can 100% recommend the Cannodale CAAD10, all the benefits of aluminium and lighter than the majority of carbon frames, win win

Check the CAAD10 range out HERE

If your LBS was a Cannodale dealer they would certainly receommend it to you, as they are pushing you to carbon tells me they are not.

I won't say anything negative about carbon as it does have it's place, although where that place is could warrant it's own thread!, but you've experienced the major downside of carbon first hand anyway.

If money is no object go carbon and hope you don't have another crash, if you want an equally fast and even lighter bike without the crash worry/cost of replacement issue, I'd seriously consider the CAAD10

 

[brockers]

It's not Italian, but then again the bikes you mention will have probably all had their frames built in the same factory in the Far East anyway, but if not, certainly not in Italy!

Therefore I can 100% recommend the Cannodale CAAD10, all the benefits of aluminium and lighter than the majority of carbon frames, win win

Check the CAAD10 range out HERE

If your LBS was a Cannodale dealer they would certainly receommend it to you, as they are pushing you to carbon tells me they are not.

I won't say anything negative about carbon as it does have it's place, although where that place is could warrant it's own thread!, but you've experienced the major downside of carbon first hand anyway.

If money is no object go carbon and hope you don't have another crash, if you want an equally fast and even lighter bike without the crash worry/cost of replacement issue, I'd seriously consider the CAAD10

Weren't you just as gushing about Focus bikes when you had one ??

 

[smokeysmoo]

Weren't you just as gushing about Focus bikes when you had one ??

I certainly wouldn't say I've ever gushed about Focus bikes, (unless advertising one for sale ), and it's true that they do make a decent bike that is extremely difficult to beat if value for money is top of your priority list, that's what I have said, and I was not aware I was saying anything different now.

My views on carbon fibre frames are well documented on various threads, and I have no wish to detract from the OP by getting into a carbon debate and muddying his thought process further.

As stated in my earlier post, I believe carbon has it's place, and I also have my views on where that place is, again a seperate discussion.

Fact is, after careful consideration, I am now 100% carbon frame free and have never been happier.

Ride safe

 

[brockers]

Just teasing

 

[smokeysmoo]

Just teasing

 

[Dayvo]

I've got a CAAD10 105 and it's a great bike.

Looking closer at that web-site, SS, it looks a bit odd. http://www.wheelbase.co.uk/product_13695.htm

5p saving!!!

 

[smokeysmoo]

I've got a CAAD10 105 and it's a great bike.

Looking closer at that web-site, SS, it looks a bit odd. http://www.wheelbase...oduct_13695.htm

5p saving!!!

Now that's what I call a bargain

 

[Grahjam]

Looks great - but I still fancy campag groupset - just what I'm used to and I've never had a problem with it. Any thoughts on the De Rosa previously mentioned, I've never seen on but it seems to tick all the ali / campag boxes, although are you buying the name from a factory somewhere in china etc

I'd also looked at the Bianchi mentioned previously but the carbon seat stay is what puts me off, its the carbon seat stay thats gone on my wilier

It's not Italian, but then again the bikes you mention will have probably all had their frames built in the same factory in the Far East anyway, but if not, certainly not in Italy!

Therefore I can 100% recommend the Cannodale CAAD10, all the benefits of aluminium and lighter than the majority of carbon frames, win win

Check the CAAD10 range out HERE

If your LBS was a Cannodale dealer they would certainly receommend it to you, as they are pushing you to carbon tells me they are not.

I won't say anything negative about carbon as it does have it's place, although where that place is could warrant it's own thread!, but you've experienced the major downside of carbon first hand anyway.

If money is no object go carbon and hope you don't have another crash, if you want an equally fast and even lighter bike without the crash worry/cost of replacement issue, I'd seriously consider the CAAD10