H'm, cyclists obsessing over stiff tubes. I wonder why?
Originally Posted by
1987
New frame materials will most likely be much stiffer than todays carbon fiber frames.... Will it result in shorter times and/or less loss of energy?
Actually, most high-end CF frames are already at maximum stiffness, e.g. they barely deflect at the BB. They're also very light. Even the marketing materials are starting to acknowledge this.
At the risk of blasphemy, I think today's high-end bicycles are already very close to their optimal forms. Further improvements with that über-snazzy buckyball nanotube Unobtanium-framed bike will be vanishingly small... even as they strive to make your bank account vanish faster.
Would a super stiff frame be a good ride?
Go ride a Super Six and decide for yourself.