Old 11-15-05 | 10:07 PM
  #3  
BigFloppyLlama
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Bay Area, CA

Bikes: Trek 1000, Giant TCR Composite 2

Here's a very good discussion about where carbon frames are made, designed, badged, etc.
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/ph...pic.php?t=5277

I think Gizmomeister makes a pretty good point with this:
Engineering is what seperates the different brands. Many of the lower cost "branded" carbon frames are off-the-shelf frames that Asian carbon frame producers engineer in-house and sell to anyone who wants to buy them. They slap a sticker on and call it good. Many of them manufacture for cosmetics, weight, fatigue tests, and costs, not necessarily for ride quality. There are exceptions to this rule as Giant and Hodaka have some pretty good engineering departments. However, much of their design inputs come from customers. Established brands like Scott, Specialized, Kestrel, etc. engineer their frames not only for the previously mentioned properties, but also for ride quality. This improves the breed as carbon manufacturers in Asia learn from experience gained from making everyone's frames.
Those frames you listed are probably all very fine frames, but likely based on borrowed technology without any innovation. I'm sure we'll see carbon frames on cheaper bikes soon, but I doubt we'll see those frames being equivalent to the more expensive ones.
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