I think it's that the bike rears the uglier side of its stiffness on really rough chip and seal roads, and I don't ride too much on surfaces like that. It actually has some vertical compliance and road shock absorption. I think it's hard to make a really uncomfortable CF frame, and part of it is that I'm heavy enough @ 170 lbs or so to really compress any rear triangle with my body weight, and that's vertical compliance. The bike is harsher than some CF bikes, but I love the feel of the frame, the responsiveness and particularly the climbing characteristics. And I go back and forth between this and the Cervelo. The Cervelo is more comfortable, but I really do like the Scott now. Very happy with both bikes.