Originally Posted by zymphad

Chinese carbon seem like a good idea to me mostly because nearly all carbon bikes are Chinese... Who actually makes their own Carbon? Maybe Giant? For the US at least, that's all I can think of, oh wait and Parlee, down the steet from me. But I still don't see the appeal of Parlee's custom carbon... rather get a custom steel for less. Pay $3K for custom carbon that will 100% break and fail in the future, no thank you.
- I noticed if you search background info for the these companies, they are often the manufactureres of the big name OEMs... Just saying, the frames are from the same plant!

And on Ebay you can get Carbon as low as $250 + 80 shipping. From what I read so far and talking to shops, no matter how good carbon is, expect it to wear out and break. So if it's going to break anyway? $350 a year for a Carbon frame as disposable, sounds like a plan to me, if that's your interest. Though with CAAD10, Specialized Allez E5 around, Aluminum sure seem more tempting than Chinese carbon, especially if you really wanted to, you can build an Allez 15 lbs bike... with the same geometry and racing ability as a Tarmac carbon.

Maybe consider bamboo? I've been reading that Bamboo can be made light enough for racing/competition. It's stronger than steel and as stiff as any carbon bike, but absorbs shock and vibrations better than all other materials. Oh and it's cheaper than any custom carbon.