Fox Farm

See what you started! WHAT EVER YOU DO, DON'T ASK WHICH TO BUY, CAMPY OR SHIMANO!!!!

2manybikes

At the risk of sounding prejudice.... My sub 2 lb Ti frame is coming up on 7,000 miles and it's still going strong. I'm not sure anything else can do that.
But all frame materials have their place. Just not sub 2 lb. For some applications (like not being costly) this is not important. sub 2.5 lb is pretty good.

CycleFreakLS

Baloney.

A Litespeed Ghisallo is 6/4. A Siena is 3/2.5. I have a Ghisallo and am < 150. A friend has a Siena and she is < 110. We both ride the Small size. The Siena is an 02, the one without the carbon seat stays.

She has ridden my Ghisallo with her Velomax wheels (and I don't mean a test ride in a parking lot). She notices immediately that it is stiffer, accelerates quicker, but a little rougher than her Siena.

I have ridden her Siena with my 7701 wheels. It is smoother but does not accelerate (flat or uphill) as fast. The ride is smooth as glass.

The Siena has the oversized downtube.
The Ghisallo does not.
Neither rides like a jackhammer.

There may be some brands of Ti that ride rough, but Litespeed isn't one of them.
And I doubt Merlin is either.

sydney

Do you now what the word some means? I could have made a list for you,but my brain was tired.FWIW, you might want to check on the 6/4 content of that fine Ghisallo.It use to be 3/25.

shokhead

Please,name me some sub 2 lb carbon frames.

pinky

Any sub 900 grab frame, so off the top of my head...Scott's CFR-1, Giant's TCR Advanced, Cervelo's Bayonne, Look 585 (I could be wrong about that one)...they're out there

CycleFreakLS

Scott CR1 Team Issue
https://www.scottusa.com/product.php?UID=6234

Kestrel Evoke is close, 2.1 lbs:
https://www.kestrel-usa.com/bikes/evokesl.php

slvoid

I believe I changed that to 3 lb
So when I say pound for pound, you can just replace 2 pound for 3 pound.

sydney

And most often that is marketing hype weight using a small frame size, no dropouts, seat clamp or paint.

karesz3

I'm not sure how we ended up with weight issues, but I just rode an incredible bike this morning: Time VXRS with full Record.
It was lighter and stiffer than the BMC SLT01, and it pretty much blew away anything I sat on before.
Having said this, weight is not that significant. All bikes under 19 lb with the right setup will do jsut fine.

Cheers

slvoid

What about no down tube?

jbcNewYork

I wish to thank everyone who responded. I've tried to test ride bikes but no local shops have my size in stock. I'm 5'6" 140 pounds and my Specialized Allez is a 50cm.

Trev Doyle

Who cares that much about frame weight? You can build a 15 lb bike with a nice steel frame buy using (quality) light parts. Spend money on parts before breaking the bank for a light frame.

What would you rather race? A 2 lb carbon or Ti frame with an Ultegra group and Rolf Comp wheels? Or a Reynolds or Columbus frame with dura-ace parts and some Topolono wheels. I'll take the steel bike.

CycleFreakLS

Well, why don't you? I've ridden with many lighter riders (mostly women, probably 110-130) who are on Litespeed, Merlin, Douglas, Airborne ... never heard the comment "rides like a jackhammer" or "too harsh". Completely the opposite. Take a few moments for the benefit the others here to make a short list of: manufacturer, model, and year.

shokhead

Me,i dont want a superlight frame at 192 pounds. I just want a sub 18 pound carbon bike which souldnt be a problem.

sydney

Really? What frame should I start with?

Trev Doyle

I think Storck also has hit the sub-2lb carbon frame class. Also Dynamik. See Light-bikes.com

Trev Doyle

I did it with my 2001 LeMond Zurich 853, and over time I'll flip those parts onto my lugged steel Merckx, that is actually a lighter frame than the Zurich. Or were you being sarcastic?

slvoid

You forgot to read the part about the splintered ass. Perhaps you should learn to read. The splintered ass part was refering to you, the rest wasn't. And I'm a damn good enginmaneer, that's what.

K&M

In the end, different people prefer different bikes. Some people hate Ti frames. Some people love them. Same for carbon, aluminum and steel. I think my Litespeed Liege is absolutely fantastic. I've tried the new Time carbon frames and they're fantastic too. Other people no doubt think differently. There's just no substitute for getting out there and riding them.

sydney

You spent a small fortune if you turned that pig of a frame into a 15 pound bike, or you are using a Billy Bob liars special fish scale. Lugged Merckx lighter than the lemond..Really? what model?

Marlin523

I have a Seven full Ti and a Look carbon. Very different bikes. Which is better? Good question. It's like asking what is your favorite color?

Cycledelic

I am also shopping for a bike and am at a point where it's nearly a cointoss between carbon and Ti.

I have yet to go out and actually TRY these bikes, so don't think that my leanings are supported by anything but brochures, the internet and ads!

Anyway, from my perspective, there's my budget - I don't want to spend more than $4000,- all included - yes, that includes pedals, the pump and wadda-wadda).

I also have to take into account the following: late thirties, and I could lose two Scott CR1's weightwise, if you know what I mean. So the sub two pound argument is not that important to me. I want a SOLID, RIGID, BEAUTIFUL bike that will offer no excuses to sit in the garage.

The carbon bikes out there are sweet indeed. If I could buy a European version of the 2005TCR COMPOSITE, I'd do it in a snap. Why on earth did they have to paint those US frames like that? JUST GIVE ME BLACK! The Scott is a beauty, but I can't help but think that it's too light - too fragile? for a 6'2'' 220 pounder...?

On the titanium side, there sure are some sexy beasts out there, ...but at some hefty prices. I'm eyeing the Litespeed Solano (3000 w/ ultegra 10 speed) which price-wise seems to be one of the more affordable ones. With Ti, be prepared to see prices go REALLY high, especially if you want a really light bike.

My quandary is that I'd like my bike to 'last'. Not only in terms of materials, but also in style. Here, the titanium bikes score points, as the market is set to be submerged with carbon going forward. The flashy TCR frames will seem 'old' in a few years, whereas Ti is like French wine. I love that beat-up look on well-used Ti frames. Obviously, this is because I expect to own this new bike for a few years. Grow old with it. If you know what I mean. So yeah, Titanium is probably what I'll go for.

Funny, but nearly all shops around here (Northern Jersey) have dropped their Ti offerings. There's carbon EVERYWHERE.

I guess I'm going to wait a bit for the roughest portion of the winter to pass, and then go out and test those bikes. As several people have said, proper fit is everything, and if you've got that, then you can worry about the rest.

Good luck with your buying experience!

shokhead

Tarmac Pro,all carbon, DA and Elites for 3300 but i've seen them for 3K. Stiffer then the Roubaix and racer. Red to.

zacster

There is no reason a ti frame will look beat up. My old steel frames don't. But they do have that retro look.

I guess today's carbon frame will look old next year. As it is, I've been scanning the classifieds and I won't consider a cf bike older than an '03, but the ti bikes haven't changed much. Maybe its the pricing. I've only gotten back into this in the last year, but my understanding is the prices have dropped considerably on CF with frames from asia. You can buy an Ultegra/CF bike for little more than the cost of the group at the LBS. I wouldn't be surprised for CF to become the cheapest frame material as time goes by. After all, the cost is in the process, not the raw material, and the process will be improved. At some point, they'll replace cheap steel frames on dept store bikes. That may be a stretch, but why not? Cheap, light, stiff, compliant. What more would you want? Long lasting? Throw it out and get another one! How many computers have you bought in the last 5 years? And how much did that last one cost and how much faster was it? If only we could get a 10x increase in speed with our bikes every 3 years