Originally Posted by
Squeezebox
That's pretty much it. CF is about fast light responsive. Go with a cross or gravel bicycle for touring. Look what the self-supported cross country racers are using.
I have no experience with MTB or fat bicycles. I wonder what those folks think about carbon? The 2 MTBers on carbon I saw last weekend were smiling.
Have there been any bicycle advances in the last decade that was other than carbon?
Carbon bicycle frame do have an advantage in weight vs steel. The main problem for me is there's no direct touring-replacement for my steel tourers. There's no carbon bicycle that I'm familiar with that can be loaded like this:
I realize I could pack like this:
But why should I have to make all sorts of compromises just to save a couple of pounds.
Carbon-fiber is a dainty material that racers love. I'm all for a lighter-weight, touring-grade, direct-replacement, for my steel tourer. But I have no interest in adjusting my touring-style, until such time as a suitable replacement comes to market.
A minor, but personally important factor, is the aesthetics of logo-laden-fat-frame-tubes of most carbon fibers. To me they are fugly. I realize I may be out of fashion, but the thin steel tubes on vintage bicycles, are more elegant IMO. Maybe graphene can bring the ability to go-thin back into the fashion-cycle.