Around 1987, my friends and I used to "hill climb" a steep, 1/8 mile hill, losers pay for beers. I broke 2 aluminum Treks in 2 weeks, neither of them mine. LBS wouldn't sell me one after that. I'm not sure what would have happened if I'd put a carbon Ironman under the same stress, and I'm not sure I'd want to know.

I like aluminum just fine, and recently acquired a couple, both over 20 years old. We'll see, eh?

Carbon fiber is nice, but when you're riding the road, looking at the nice countryside, and then look down, it's still more satisfying, to me, to be looking down at a steel top tube....Just seems more...substantial.