Road Cycling - has anyone seen this carbon frame?

has anyone seen the carbon fiber frames in www.supergo.com -these prices are unbelievable. i know nothing about carbon. is there a bad carbon fiber frameset?

If you mean the Scattante CFR frame, I think it's made by Leader USA, which OEMs frames to a whole lot of other manufacturers, including Argon 18. I don't know much about the bikes, though I haven't heard anything particularly bad about them.

if their ad's are correct, i'm all for saving 2/3's by not having the hype attached to it. i know that well made steel is different than just steel. aluminum too. but can you screw up a carbon bike? they claim : why pay 3x more for colnago, etc....

$1599 for a full ultegra,mavic open pro, etc is unbelievable for any material....

i was going to buy a carbon frame and build, but these deals make it next to impossible to duplicate for less.

Well, the Leader Bike (http://www.leaderbikeusa.com/newLBweb/ldweb/LB.htm) Web site has some info about their products. I think the Scattante is an OEM version of lat year's LD 785 [but I'm not sure]. The reviews of Leader bikes on RoadBikeReview.com (http://www.roadbikereview.com/Frames+and+Forks/Leader+Bike/MPL_10272_2493crx.aspx) are generally favourable, as is the one review of the Scattante CFR frame (http://www.roadbikereview.com/Frames+and+Forks/Scattante+CFR/PRD_98235_2493crx.aspx). I personally would not buy a bike without trying it, so if you can get down to a Supergo store, that would be a good idea.

My take -- which may or may not be accurate -- is this: The Scattante's are OEM Leaders made in Asia. My experience with Asian production is that the product quality of Asian manufacture is equal to American or European. The difference is in the quality control/assurance, and this is mainly to do with production volume.

My one concern would be that Leader seems to have changed its design this year [not the seatstays], and the Scattante 03 might be leftover 02s... on the other hand, I'm finding it yard not to notice that the Scattante 03...

http://www.supergo.com/img/frames/full/ScattanteCarbon-bike-f.jpg

Does look a whole lot like the Kestrel 300 EMS...

http://www.kestrel-usa.com/300daredLayer1.jpg

I'm not saying that this proves anything, but I do remember reading that the lower-end Kestrels were made in Asia... it is entirely possible that the Scattante is the same bike as the Kestrel. No way to be sure, though...

If Leader USA makes the Scattante CFR frame, then who do you think makes the Kuoto (http://www.kuota.it/) frames? Their Korsa frame looks EXACTLY like the Scattante CFR, which looked exactly like Argon 18's Helium (http://www.totalbike.com/interbike/2001/argon18.html) (2002 model), which looks exactly like Pedal Force's (http://www.pedalforce.com/) ZX model. So who really makes these frames?

Well.. considerting that leader is a major contract manufacturer and says on its Web site that [i]Leader Bicycle in Taiwan makes frames, forks, and accesories for other companies in North America and Europe, I'd say the original manufacturer is Leader. Seems its CF frames are quite widely sold, eh?

Originally posted by velocipedio
If you mean the Scattante CFR frame, I think it's made by Leader USA, which OEMs frames to a whole lot of other manufacturers, including Argon 18. I don't know much about the bikes, though I haven't heard anything particularly bad about them.

I actually ride a leader frame, there really isn't anything bad about the frame, but it's not the greatest. For someone on a budget it can be a great frame to start with, but you may end up wanting to upgrade later on. As for the frame itself, the welds are nicely done, and for me there were no defects or poor quality manufacturing.

HAS ANYONE SEEN THIS CARBON FRAME??!!!!!!!!!! www.competitivecyclist.com/fondriest/pics2_thumbnails_top_carbon.htm

Originally posted by cane
HAS ANYONE SEEN THIS CARBON FRAME??!!!!!!!!!! www.competitivecyclist.com/fondriest/pics2_thumbnails_top_carbon.htm

Yeah, isn't that made by Leader, too? :p :D :)

No way, the Fondriest CF frame is made by the Minardi Fomula 1 racing team in Italy. Car racing technology baby!!!!!!!!!!

Comments re the SuperGo OEM Scattante have been very helpful.

This bike is made/sold to penetrate a market that has been dominated since carbon was introduced as a new material for its obvious benefits. That market was available only to a select few. The Scattante via Supergo will make them some bucks, in a minimum of 3 yrs, Trek (the leader in OCLV tech), Colnago, Fondriest etc will have a model with a sound group for a similar price and it may even come from Leader or someone else in Asia.

I am going to buy the 03 model tonight. Wheels, group not withstanding, the price is amazing. If I don't like the ride, I will strip it and put it on my 87 Vitus (glued Al fast bike) and ride like the wind.

Its all good.

I have to show my loyalties: Giant TCR Composite with full Ultegra and Mavic Cosmos wheel set. 16.5 pounds (without pedals, in medium) FANTASTIC ride. Makes my Dura/Ace TCR alloy jealous. $2600

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
I have to show my loyalties: Giant TCR Composite with full Ultegra and Mavic Cosmos wheel set. 16.5 pounds (without pedals, in medium) FANTASTIC ride. Makes my Dura/Ace TCR alloy jealous. $2600

I was in my FBS last weekend getting a new pair of handlebar plugs to replace the ones I lost in a recent (read: 3 hours earlier) accident and they were building up a TCR Composite with full Campy Record and Neutron wheels. It looks like it's going to be one sweet bike.

I have ridden the boss' TCR Composite Record bike, it is dreamy. You managed to crash and only knock out the bar plugs? That must have been interesting.

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
I have ridden the boss' TCR Composite Record bike, it is dreamy. You managed to crash and only knock out the bar plugs? That must have been interesting.

Yeah... I'm not sure how my bike came away so lucky. I was riding alongside my riding partner and he got distracted by something and drifted into me. We locked handlebars briefly and then he slid back along my right side and wiped out against my rear wheel which caused me to go down too. We were moving at around 20MPH and both skidded into the ditch. It was kind of funny actually. I picked myself off the ground, looked behind me and couldn't see my friend... just his bike. I then called out his name and up popped his head from under a thick pile of raspberry bushes. No real injuries... just a bit of road rash on knees and elbows. He lost a bit of bartape off the left side of his handlebars and my right handlebar plug managed to eject itself into oblivion.