Stuck with a bike?

[classic33]

That's just it though. Fixes. Carbon doesn't give a pleasant ride. It just seems like a con.

Keeping your arms bent slightly, as opposed to rigid is a fix as well.

 

[jefmcg]

The bike. I just think it's odd that you can't take a bike back easily. But you can pretty much anything else.

I took it out for a 60mile test ride to really see what's what.

OK, I'll bite. What other things can you return after several hours of serious outdoor use?

Not clothes, shoes, cars, camping equipment, rackets/balls/goals. I am having trouble of thinking of any.

 

[classic33]

Taken a tent back after a weekend.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Ha, most amusing. I don't live on the forum so hope suspense wasn't too crushing.

I got a carbon synapse. I took it out for a 60mile test ride to really see what's what. And the ride compliance is awful. Every bump felt. The road buzz left my fingers in pain an having to ride on the centre of the bars.
The worst thing is it's a bitch to get one's feet out the clips. I fell off twice in traffic as i was frantically trying to get out of spds. Never had problems on my old bike with same pedals an shoes.

Then theres the rattling from the internal cables on Berkshires finest roads. Basically i can't stand the bike. If this is what carbon bikes are like, i must be some kind of delicate flower. This is why i was querying what others have done when stuck with a bike. I'd probably loose £5-600 on it if i sold it.

I don't think my story is relevant to what i asked. Which is peoples experiences in this situation.

Adapt it. Either double layer bar tape or one of the gel pad under tape systems. I use that on all my bikes and they all have steel frames. Paired with spesh gel mitts. No more white fingers. Easily fixed.

Spuds can be adjusted, new pedals with old cleats can be a 'mare. Easily fixed.

Changing the seatpost and remove buzz from the 'arris. My Hope post damps everything, in combination with a ti-railed Brooks, and my backside is much happier.

Tyre pressures, and better, more compliant tyres.

Me? I find carbon frames, well the one's I've tried, feel too rigid but I don't mind a bit of brake and mech rub when honking on a steel frame (big unit) and as I'm not a pro-racer as plastic bike doesn't really fit my needs or float my boat.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

OK, I'll bite. What other things can you return after several hours of serious outdoor use?

Not clothes, shoes, cars, camping equipment, rackets/balls/goals. I am having trouble of thinking of any.

All of the above if mis-sold or not fit for purpose. But few of us are prepared to push hard enough to assert our rights.

 

[biggs682]

That's just it though. Fixes. Carbon doesn't give a pleasant ride. It just seems like a con.

I agree re carbon doesn't give as good a ride as steel but we have to try these new more modern technology.

This is another reason why I suggest buying pre used over new where possible.

@Steelchap if you fancy trying a few steel bikes you would be most welcome.

 

[simon.r]

I had a similar experience with a Specialized Tarmac. The ride was too harsh for me on the Yorkshire roads around my place and I never did get on with the Sram double tap groupset. Tried fiddling with the tyre pressures (and fitting wider tyres) but that didn't help. The only thing to do was sell the bike and buy something a bit more compliant- and put it down to experience. Sometimes life is just too short.

An almost identical experience to mine with a Planet X RT58. With the benefit of hindsight I think the bike was too fast for me - it rode really well at 20mph + but the vast majority of my riding time is spent at well under that speed.

It hurt, but the only sensible option was to sell it and accept I'd made a mistake which cost me a few quid.

 

[Steelchap]

we have to try these new more modern technology.


@Steelchap if you fancy trying a few steel bikes you would be most welcome.

Why do we 'have' to try these new technologies? Magazines an shops (even the GCN youtube boys) keep plugging carbon. But mostly based on weight. I don't care about a 1kg here or there.

I did 75miles of the ridelondon route today (not the central london) on Columbus slx cromo, i passed loads of much younger chaps on noisy carbon bikes. Most of whom are likely to have never ridden a silky smooth steel bike.

I also disagree with those questioning spd pedals. The Synapse is wider on the main triangle, making it tougher to clip out. I have some old Look PP166 pedals I'll give a go for confirmation.

 

[Steelchap]

To be honest, if you think that a Synapse is too harsh for you, then maybe road cycling is not for you. A Synapse is one of the most forgiving frames going. I would give it more time and practice.

Do you own or have you ridden a carbon Synapse? What type of bike do you ride?

I've been road riding for over 20yrs. Today i did 75miles in under 4h30m with 3 surrey climbs. I'm no expert but I'm confident riding on the road, or off road on my mtb (15yr old 26" aluminium).

 

[srw]

Why do we 'have' to try these new technologies?

You don't. Almost all my bikes are steel or titanium.

But it was your choice to drop a few hundred/thousand on a carbon bike without doing a proper test ride.

You can either hang on to the thing and see if you can adapt the components so that you get to like it, or else give it up (prematurely, I think) as a bad job, and sell it for as much as you can get for it.

 

[User33236]

An almost identical experience to mine with a Planet X RT58. With the benefit of hindsight I think the bike was too fast for me - it rode really well at 20mph + but the vast majority of my riding time is spent at well under that speed.

It hurt, but the only sensible option was to sell it and accept I'd made a mistake which cost me a few quid.

My RT-58 is a joy to ride, only time it wasn't was on a cobbled section around the town centre in Arras but then I doubt any of my bikes would have been.

....Magazines an shops (even the GCN youtube boys) keep plugging carbon. But mostly based on weight. I don't care about a 1kg here or there.

Not all things carbon, frames included, are lighter than their metal counterparts.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I also disagree with those questioning spd pedals. The Synapse is wider on the main triangle, making it tougher to clip out.

Eh?

 

[ianrauk]

Eh?

Sits here scratching head.....

 

[StuAff]

+1. Bizarre idea....

 

[Bollo]

I like carbon bikes because they're hard and uncompromising, like my other half.