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There's No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

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Re: There's No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

#31

Post by vehemenz »

henriquez wrote: post #3

It’s not necessarily about “elite racing performance” for a lot of people. Carbon fiber frames dampen road vibrations a lot better than aluminum and are noticeably less “harsh” to ride. For road bikes which typically don’t have any shock absorbers, a decent quality carbon frame is simply much more comfortable to ride on than the equivalent aluminum frame from the same manufacturer. This can make a huge difference on…

I don't really disagree with your points, but I would still advocate for steel over carbon because the extra cost of good carbon isn't worth it. You're saving a few seconds on a climb. Recreational cycling has normalized spending thousands of dollars for such incremental improvements, but when you take a step back it's pretty hard to justify.

Re: There's No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

#33

Post by whalesalad »

chihuahua wrote: post #28
whalesalad wrote: post #22

steel is real! honestly my favorite bikes have been made of steel. they absorb a lot more of the roughness in the road and don't transmit it into your body as much.

Are other materials (e.g. aluminum, titanium, carbon) not real, or not as real as steel? Can you explain in what sense are they less real?

it's an expression used by people who like steel bikes. the other materials are indeed real, lol. https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/blog/steel-is-real-but-why-is...

Re: There's No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

#34

Post by danielovichdk »

303uru wrote: post #18

No good reason? Aerodynamics, period, end of story. I spend all my training hours on a titanium road bike. Why? It's durable. On race day, though, I'm on a top of the line aero road bike. Why? Because it's fast, noticeably. You simply cannot make round tubes aerodynamic and when you're racing at 25+ MPH it does make a real difference.

I too ride titanium and have ridden my share of both time trial and racing bikes made of carbon.

There is no speed benefit for a non professional on a carbon frame, but wheels and positioning are a totally different story.

I ride titanium only these days because it looks good and its a tiny bit more soft than carbon, so for longer rides its more comfortable.

Bit I ride 40mm corima wheels or 60mm dt Swiss when I need to go fast in the bunch. And that makes the most difference along with my posture on the bike.

And if you lose 2 kg you can ride on a cheaper frame and get the same result due to your own weight.

Cycling for amateurs is more about looking good, egos, and spending money than it is to make the sacrifices around what it takes to go really really fast.

But ride your bike. It makes one happy.

Re: There's No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

#35

Post by E39M5S62 »

yodsanklai wrote: post #11
henriquez wrote: post #3

It’s not necessarily about “elite racing performance” for a lot of people. Carbon fiber frames dampen road vibrations a lot better than aluminum and are noticeably less “harsh” to ride. For road bikes which typically don’t have any shock absorbers, a decent quality carbon frame is simply much more comfortable to ride on than the equivalent aluminum frame from the same manufacturer. This can make a huge difference on…

> Carbon fiber frames dampen road vibrations a lot better than aluminum and are noticeably less “harsh” to ride. It's a common argument but I wonder how much more comfortable a carbon bike can be (I never had a carbon bike). Would bigger tires compensate for a more rigid frame?

I went from a (heavy) steel gravel bike running 700x42mm tires to a carbon fiber bike (frame, fork, stem, bars, wheels) with 700x38mm tires. There's such a vast difference in comfort on gravel roads that it's difficult to fully quantify. I still ride a titanium road bike, because it's plenty fast and I'm not as interested in comfort on those rides.

Re: There's No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

#36

Post by mantas »

chihuahua wrote: post #24

By the same reasoning, there's no good reason to buy jewelry, a watch that costs more than $50, nice clothes, sports cars, nice silverware, and lots more things. Some people who are into cycling have a lot of disposable income, and they want to buy themselves something nice. Then they feel happy for a while. The author claims that there are only "pro racers" and "everyone else", but that's not true - there are also a…

Titanium is nice, expensive and durable :)

Re: There's No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

#37

Post by Findecanor »

henriquez wrote: post #3

It’s not necessarily about “elite racing performance” for a lot of people. Carbon fiber frames dampen road vibrations a lot better than aluminum and are noticeably less “harsh” to ride. For road bikes which typically don’t have any shock absorbers, a decent quality carbon frame is simply much more comfortable to ride on than the equivalent aluminum frame from the same manufacturer. This can make a huge difference on…

I don't have a racing bike. My bike is an aluminium city bike. And I like feeling the bumps, it makes me feel more connected with the road surface.

I also like crafting with manual hand tools over 3D-printing, and I like using kitchen knives that are not too sharp. I also tactile mechanical keyboards with my computers. I suppose I'm just a touchy feely guy. Each to their own.

Re: There's No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

#38

Post by jackmott42 »

rokkitmensch wrote: post #32

People who ride carbon mountain bikes absolutely baffle me. The thing is going to get seriously chewed up if you're having fun and pushing your limits, why make it a glass canon to boot?!

This is a misconception. Carbon fiber mountain bikes are not more delicate. Designed properly they are more durable. The idea that carbon fiber is innately delicate comes from road bikes designed to be as light and stiff as possible, and they can end up brittle, and weak in areas that don't normally see stresses. Not all road bikes are designed like this, even high end ones, but some early ultra light bikes were.

Bikes that need to be durable use different types of fibers that can bend more before cracking, and may include layers of kevlar or other composites with more 'toughness' in key areas. My wife has a carbon fiber mountain bike and has been racing every weekend, winning, jumping, crashing, riding every day, for 3 years now, bike is fine.

Re: There's No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

#39

Post by jackmott42 »

whalesalad wrote: post #22

steel is real! honestly my favorite bikes have been made of steel. they absorb a lot more of the roughness in the road and don't transmit it into your body as much.

That is a myth. Material alone doesn't determine this, and modern road bikes are on 28mm tires at ~70psi so this isn't nearly as much of an issue as it was 20 years ago (and it wasn't a real issue then either)
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