This description of harsh vs. comfort confuses me. I now do most of my riding on an '05 Cannondale Cyclocross Disc. I hear it is not supposed to be all that comfortable. Then, again, I read that carbon frames are also very harsh.

I have 4500 miles on the c'dale since picking it up in July of '05. My longest rides run 80 miles - and I do that two or three times a month - takes me six hours including a total of one hour in stops. Parts of the ride are gently rolling, some areas include climbing - around 2350 ft in climbing total on my favorite route.

The terrain varies from smooth to quite rough, although I'd say 80% is what I would consider smooth.

However harsh my bike is supposed to be, I can't say that I've ever been bothered by it (or the '73 steel Schwinn LeTour that I rode before purchasing the cyclocross).

I did have the opportunity to ride one carbon frame during a week when my Schwinn was in for rebuilding. This bike was made by Calfee. I guess my ignorance shown because I never realized that it was a carbon frame until I brought it back to the LBS. As for comfort, I cannot say it was better or worse than the Schwinn - just different.

I do remember climbing a few hills on that bike thinking to myself that I must really have had my Wheaties that day because I went up hills with an ease previously unknown to me.

I think that, someday, I might like to own a carbon fiber bike and would love to read more comments about them as well as some the ways in which you feel and/or evaluate a bike for its comfort/harshness.

Caruso