Originally Posted by
climber7
maybe. if the carbon is stiffer, it probably accelerates faster, and that might be noticeable...but it won't change your avg speed much over the course of the ride.
i haven't ridden Ti (or a nice steel road bike for that matter), but i would guess road feel also has something to do with it. don't steel and Ti have a softer ride than carbon? that might make them feel a little less quick and snappy...don't really know, just speculating.
This. My CF is stiffest, followed by Ti (custom where I spec'd rigid rear stays), and steel. My speeds are iden tical but the CF probably accelerates quickests and just feels the fastest.