Road Cycling - Advice needed on Carbon Frames

About five years ago, I bought a Trek carbon frame and loved everything about it. It's gone now, sadly, and I'm looking for a new carbon frame. I am thinking about going back to Trek, but also wondering about other caarbon frames like Fondriest, Colnago, Look and DeRosa. I ride about four days a week and race about once a month. Any thoughts? Thanks. :confused:

Originally posted by Onewheelup
About five years ago, I bought a Trek carbon frame and loved everything about it. It's gone now, sadly, and I'm looking for a new carbon frame. I am thinking about going back to Trek, but also wondering about other caarbon frames like Fondriest, Colnago, Look and DeRosa. I ride about four days a week and race about once a month. Any thoughts? Thanks. :confused:

What did you like in particular about the Trek?

I would check out a Calfee:
http://www.calfeedesign.com/
I recently got a Calfee Luna Pro and really love it. Also, the people at Calfee, in particular, Stella and Craig, are very customer oriented, and generally interested in you.

Worth some consideration in my opinion.

My advice is to first consider all your options. Then, ride as many of these options as available. After that, your decision may not be any easier, but you'll @ least be making an educated decision based on fit and ride.

Good luck.

PS: For what it's worth, I bought a 5200 last year, and I simply love this bike! :)

Don't forget to consider the 'Time VX Special Pro'

It's pricey, but hey, so is the C-40 which you seem to be considering. It's sexy as heck, and I've great things about it's stiffness from riders who you would think could flex ANYTHING.

I'm sponsored by Time now, but wouldn't say that I am biased in making my suggestion because I chose to persue sponsorship from them on the basis that I thought there wasn't a nicer frame than anything else in the world (although I'll admit, I'm gonna miss racing my custom scandium Pegoretti).

- Maurizio

You may also want to consider a bike using either an aluminum or titanium main frame coupled with carbon fiber seatstays. It's been my experience that these are more responsive and actually ride better than the 5200 and KG381 that I've ridden. Litespeed is making excellent bikes of this type and is doing zero percent financing right now.

any of those hi end bike frame that where mention are good choice, and by the wayz welcome to BFC

Originally posted by mikemets5
I would check out a Calfee:
http://www.calfeedesign.com/
I recently got a Calfee Luna Pro and really love it. Also, the people at Calfee, in particular, Stella and Craig, are very customer oriented, and generally interested in you.

Worth some consideration in my opinion.

I believe Craig Calfee also frequents the rec.bicycles.* newsgroups too and seems pretty responsive. For my part, I'll throw in an endorsement for Aegis Bicycles (http://www.aegisbicycles.com/). I ride a 2001 Aegis Aro Svelte. their prices are pretty reasonable and the quality is top-notch. They're also very responsive as a company.

I'll further the recommendation for Calfees. I've had two, and I have just ordered a new one. The ride quality is superb and the handling is excellent. While I have had zero problems with any of my Calfees, the company has responded quickly to my questions and comments.

Calfee is a small company with a large following.

I also must cast my vote for the Calfee. Although I have yet to own one, they will build my next road frame (just built a new FS Mtb no $ left for new road bike). From what I've seen at my LBS (and Calfee dealer) everyone has been very happy with the quality and service of Calfee. And no, Calfee isn't the only carbon frame carried by the shop. Like Mikemets5 said check out the web site, you'll see the kind of company they are.

Another brand to consider is Giant, they aren't as "popular" as the brands you mention but are very good value for money and come with a 10 year warranty. I just bought a TCR1 and am amazed how much better it rides than my old Giant CFR1 from 1996. Even though the old bike was full carbon with aluminium lugs, there is no comparison. They are made in Taiwan, but I don't believe an Aussie, American or Englishman working for a bike company on a production line has any extra credentials to put a bike together.

Good luck with the new steed, whatever you choose.

CHEERS.

Mark

Originally posted by Dutchy
Another brand to consider is Giant, they aren't as "popular" as the brands you mention but are very good value for money and come with a 10 year warranty.

I always thought Giants were a more popular brand. Or are you talking about "prestige"? FWIW, I'm fairly impressed by the bang for buck Giant's been able to deliver. I think the only drawback with them is their sizing scheme. As long as it fits...

Isn't Giant one of the largest mfgrs in the industry? I seem to remember hearing that several other brands have Giant mfgr bikes for them. Giant just didn't market real hard in the States. There are a lot of carbon frames out on the market today. If you want a race frame your going to toss at the end of the season it won't make as much difference than if you plan to ride it for a while. An example of a good "disposeable" race package is the carbon Fuji. Great weight, decent groupo, and priced to sell.

Or are you talking about "prestige"?
Yes, prestige is a better way to describe it. They certainly don't have that "wow" factor that some European and American bikes have. Although when I took my new steed to the race on Saturday, it did get a lot of attention. They are the largest bike company in the world and make 7,000,000 bikes a year. In Australia, Giant is very popular, they are everywhere. I guess different countries have different marketing strategies.

CHEERS.


Mark

Originally posted by Dutchy
Yes, prestige is a better way to describe it. They certainly don't have that "wow" factor that some European and American bikes have.

I dunno about that. I was always pretty wow'ed by the ONCE team bikes. Then again maybe I was more wow'ed by the ONCE team riders. |8^)

Only Beloki and Galdeano get Carbon bikes and that's because they show up on television and in pictures. Giant's sizing of their carbon frames which are now available to the public, were originally sized to fit Beloki and Galdeano.

The rest of the team all ride custom made-to-measure scandium Pegoretti's (the Fina Estampa model). And yes, I am positive about this. My friend at the bike store paid a visit to the Pegoretti brothers in their shop in the dolomites, and he said he saw ONCE's bikes for the new season.

The Pegoretti's are of course painted and badged to look like Giants.

The Truth.

- Maurizio

I am a OCLV nut. Look on ebay. There are a bunch of frame and fork sets that are going to decent prices. If I did not have 2 of them I would buy one from ebay.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&query=oclv&categoryid=&ht=1&category2=7294&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&BasicSearch=&from=R2&catref=C3


Bill F.

Originally posted by Maurizio
The rest of the team all ride custom made-to-measure scandium Pegoretti's (the Fina Estampa model).

Wow! (there's a lot of wowwing going on for the offseason|8^) Very interesting. One learns something new every day. Thanks for the info.

Here are some links to some of the well-known carbon fiber bikes/frames.
Aegis Victory:
http://www.aegisbicycles.com/lo/frames/victory.html
Argon Platinum:
http://www.veloargon18.com/eng/velo_platinum.htm
Calfee Design (various carbon fiber frames):
http://www.calfeedesign.com/
Colnago C40 B-Stay:
http://www.colnago.com/catalogoonline/catalogo.html
Fondriest Top Carbon:
http://www.fondriestbici.com/inglese/homeing.htm
Kestrel 300EMS:
http://www.kestrel-usa.com/products/road/300ems.html
Look KG 381:
http://www.lookcyclesusa.com/f-kg381i.htm
Trek 5200:
http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2003/road/5200.jsp
I'm sure there are others, just a sampling...

That seems to go against some of what I have read and seen photos of. Here is one article below but I have seen other ONCE riders on carbon bikes.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id=2002/features/giant10k_diary


Originally posted by Maurizio
Only Beloki and Galdeano get Carbon bikes and that's because they show up on television and in pictures. Giant's sizing of their carbon frames which are now available to the public, were originally sized to fit Beloki and Galdeano.

The rest of the team all ride custom made-to-measure scandium Pegoretti's (the Fina Estampa model). And yes, I am positive about this. My friend at the bike store paid a visit to the Pegoretti brothers in their shop in the dolomites, and he said he saw ONCE's bikes for the new season.

The Pegoretti's are of course painted and badged to look like Giants.

The Truth.

- Maurizio

Racer X: Of course when ONCE gets press for their bikes, they whip out the carbon models, because that's what they're SUPPOSED to be promoting.

I may be wrong in saying that Galdeano and Beloki are the ONLY ones who use the carbon. What I should have said was, generally, the only ONCE guys using the carbon bike, are designated team leaders for a given race. And that DOES include others than Beloki and Galdeano.

Take the 02' Fleche Walonne for example (a year when Giant's carbon bike was out). Jorg Jakshe (sp?) was the teams leader for the day. He MIGHT have been riding the carbon bike, I'm not sure because he doesn't show his face in the Fleche Walonne DVD. In the finale of the race, it is Jose Azevedo who is in the break away. He was not the team leader. If you take a look at his bike you will note not only is it not carbon, it also doesn't have an 'aero' shaped down tube like Giant's aluminum bikes. The down tube is round -- just like Pegoretti's. Obviously, his bike is painted and badged just like the Giant bikes, but underneath the paint lies a Pegoretti.

- Maurizio

Well, I certainly don't doubt other makers make the team bikes. I agree that there is more "spreading of the wealth" of actual Giant products amongst the team, that is all I wanted to say.