Originally Posted by MassiveD

That is really interesting stuff on the record setting. Though one has to take a lot of that with a grain of salt given the nature of promotion. I would be loath to ride a Cross bike, certainly not a road touring ideal. That is where the problem comes measuring some tenuous benefits of carbon vs some tenuous benefits of having the dead correct frame design wise.

All that stuff about carbon durability sounds a little fishy. Carbon is certainly capable of long term durability, when they get the bugs out design wise, and when they don't go nuts in the lightness direction. There is an interesting thread on this in the Framebuilding forum currently. Carbon is also a solution that brings with it a lot of aluminum, which is not my favorite material where they use it. I don't mind it in tubes, but not a fan in steering tubes and drops. I like carbon for a touring bike, light or heavy, but it is not something I would want pres a peddler, so to speak.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-years-or-more