Originally Posted by GuitarWizard
This is why I love my OCLV Trek.....has unbelievable road dampening abilities, it's stiff where it needs to be but doesn't beat the crap out of you, and handles great. It just gives an overall great ride. It's technically a "race bike", but it has all-day ride comfort. Best of both worlds, IMO.
Mine "sings" to me as well.....on those rare days when I actually get a tailwind and can hear the drivetrain and wheels whirring along at 26+ mph, with no interruptions from the frame making any noise (since carbon is a non-ferrous material). Took me a bit at first to get used to it....and like many others, I thought it "felt dead" at first, but then I learned to embrace it, and now I love it.
I would really like to try a Ti bike someday though, as it's the only frame material I haven't ridden on yet.
I did test ride the 2006 OCLV Trek (the $5000 model) and liked it, but thought the Cannondale Six13 was a more responsive bike overall.
But 'responsive' doesn't quite convey the lively feel that a good Ti frame imparts when you ride it. Not only would you have to experience that first hand to know what I'm talking about, I had to own both a CF (or in the case of the Six13 an Alu/CF mix) and a ti simultaneously - and have a chance to 'A-B' compare them on a daily basis for a month or two - before I really knew what I was talking about here. Very tough for most cyclists of course, since a good Ti bike - or a good CF bike - will EACH set you back $4-$6K for the most part. That's a lot of dough.
Always knew I loved my Ti bikes - now I know more specifically why. That doesn't mean I'd give up the Cannondale or some other high zoot carbon ride like the Giant or Trek - just that Ti is DIFFERENT and in some important respects superior. In overall feel/ride experience. But this is all quite subjective. Just one weenie's view.