Originally Posted by
base2
The properties are designed in at lay up. The type of carbon is only one consideration, of many. Orientation, weave, resin type, all factor in to the engineers endless iterations of compromises until the design is finalized.
There is a lot too it, and it's not all even carbon fiber all the time. I know of applications where copper sheets are used, fiberglass is used, filiments of exotic metals are woven in like chicken wire to obtain a particular property of one sort or another. It's fantastic & complicated stuff. Advertizing type of this or type of that is more about catering to a chosen targeted demographic. Usually to middle to high income, tech savvy, early adoptors, or the aspiring competative minded cyclist.
It's hard to buy junk these days an CF price point. Being a proud Cervelo R5 owner, I find myself shocked when I say this, but maybe they don't elaborate on type because it really just is not important. It's the sum of it's parts and the whole intrinsic experience on that machine that you are buying.
GT uses fiberglass in the Hellenic chainstays of their
Grade gravel road bike, because it's more flexible than carbon fiber, thus adding compliance.
Also, you're completely right about the rest of your post: the type of carbon is only one of many properties that determines how strong and light and stiff a frame is. It doesn't make sense to focus on one and ignore all the others. And since we're not privy to the whole thing and most of us don't understand how all this stuff interacts, it's better to just evaluate the frame as a frame.