Originally Posted by
dvdt
....
My original question is really would one expect to notice a difference between the two bikes or is the difference so small, it's lost in the noise and one's perception? Why did the Carrera feel more lively?
Sounds like you answered your own question in that for you the difference is noticeable.
Wheels and tires make a huge difference in the feel of the bike. The stock tires ( Schwalbe Marathon Racer, 700c x 35mm) on the speedster are heavy durable and definitely not lively. If you tested the bikes with the stock tires that would make a big difference. Test again with after putting the Carrera Wheels on the Speedster and vice versa.
To me the most important parts of the bike are in descending order:
-Frame
-Fork
-Wheels
- everything else
Only the frame is hard to replace/upgrade so I concentrated on the frame when choosing a bike
Carrerra frame:
"Co-Motion exclusive zonally-butted Reynolds 631 steel tubing"
Speedster frame:
"Co-Motion exclusive zonally-butted Reynolds 631 steel tubing"
From the pictures it appear the tubing is the same diameter on both bikes but I would verify that since it effects the stiffness of the frame.
For me the ability to change the setup over the years of future ownership is a nice feature. Since both bikes appear to use the same tube set. I would look at tire clearance. Is there a difference? The Speedster takes wide tires, should you want to go that route. Does the Carrerra?