Originally Posted by KonAaron Snake

I don't disagree that they're insanely light...I just don't think a CF guy is going to see the numbers as similar enough to switch. To him, he's going to say it's about 30% heavier. Ti is still a touch lighter than any steel and ti isn't really selling much either. As much as we may not like it, I think CF is here and it's here to stay. I also keep hearing how it gets stronger and more durable every year.

I think the other thing to consider is just profit. I'm no expert, but I'd wager that CF bikes are a LOT more profitable than ti or a steel like 953. With CF, once you get past the initial mold investments, it's relatively cheap to produce, especially from a labor standpoint. At least that's my (limited) understanding. So long as Trek, Specialized, Giant, etc. are making more money on CF, they're going to continue to push that more heavily...they're going to continue to make sure that pro riders are on CF...and the club cats will always follow the pros. I think the CF/Aluminum dominance has as much to do with bike company profits and what they market as it does with customer preferences.

Scooper...is there a way I can tell what model of Merlin I have? I know the frame is internally butted. I know the end result is, by my standards, light as hell (maybe 18ish pounds).