alu bike: carbon front fork or rear back?
 

What would be your preference? (front carbon fork ór a rear carbon? - why?)

I think the question you're trying to ask is whether people want a front triangle that's carbon or a rear triangle that's carbon. All new race bikes have a carbon fork.

I'd prefer a carbon front triangle.

Why can't he mean an aluminum frame with as carbon fork OR carbon rear triangle. Is there such a thing as a bike with a carbon front triangle and aluminum rear?

Carbon/aluminum mixes in the frame are pretty silly, IMO. You can engineer either one to give the characteristics you want. The combination is pretty much about marketing - carbon is the current wonder material, and it sells. Part aluminum, part carbon frames allows a customer to get Carbon, the Wonder Material, at a lower price point, and the manufacturer to put an added mark-up on a frame that isn't necessarily any better than a full aluminum frame. I like carbon just fine - I have a very nice carbon fork and carbon brake levers on my road bike, and if I had the money, I would happily ride a full carbon bike. I don't especially want to pay a premium to put carbon where it isn't needed in my aluminum frame.

Cannondale System Six.

EDIT: Er, was that the Six 13? I don't remember. One of those C-dales!

Seems odd..

He means carbon seat stays. Not the complete triangle. I'm assuming of course.

Correct. Unfortunately no longer made, but you can still see pcad shill his two six13s...

So does viewing a bicycle as art, but we're all entitled to our opinion, aren't we?

In case of carbon 'rear' I would think that the OP does infact mean seatstays. I had the six13 in mind, hence the usage of triangles :)

I don't own a Pegoretti for the paint job or consider it art. If you ever get to ride one (i'm 100% sure you have not yet) You may have an opinion on them worth listening too...:thumb:

Good, it floats some people's boats. Personally, I'd be too scared to ride something I thought was art.

Never ridden one of Dario's bikes. Unfortunately, I doubt he'll be around when I'm going through a mid-life crisis and want to buy one of his bikes. It'd be a lot cheaper than some other stuff people buy. I'm only 19 now though, so that won't be for a while.

I've ridden and raced an 84 trek 760 with reynolds 531P tubing. Beautiful ride, and Trek's framebuilders really knew how to make a good steel frame. From my understanding of it, most of them went on to become good custom builders so my trek has some pedigree as well ;)

Though it's no pegoretti ;)
I really liked yours though :)

A well designed and built Aluminum frame with a carbon fork will do anything and everything asked of it. If done well it can be your friend for century's as well as your racing tool. In my opinion carbon seat stays are more of a gimmick than anything else. Tire selection and inflation will be more important for the ride quality.

I'd prefer all of one and none of the others when it comes to frames.

So an Alu frame with an Alu fork!!!!

IMO a carbon fork makes for a smoother ride, rear triangles add weight and realy not much else...

[quote=ridethecliche;7900270]Correct. Unfortunately no longer made, but you can still see pcad shill his two six13s...[QUOTE]

incorrect. the six13 has a carbon top tube and downtube, and an aluminum headtube. the system6 is the one with the full carbon front triangle. its also like the best frame made, ever.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...ystemsix-1.jpg

Pay attention.

agreed. mixed material frames are the biggest marketing gimmick out there.

Maybe it's just their marketing dept being awesome, but I have to say that I kinda believe cannondale's stuff out there, especially when they're doing the reverse of everyone else except with their new model with the carbon Seatstays.

The carbon front, Alu rear is really appealing. The caad9 rear triangle is incredible and if the front end is any better, then what's not to like?

There marketing department IS very awesome. They have managed to market and have consumers believe that the best frame design is full aluminum frames, full carbon fiber frames, aluminum frames with just a carbon top and down tube, and frames with carbon front triangles and aluminum rear triangles all at different points in time. They know how to sell what they produce at any given time.

For some info on mixed material design here is a great link.

http://www.calfeedesign.com/whitepaper1.htm

If you dont want to read the whole thing then section 4 of this part is most relevant (Interfacing Carbon with Metal Parts).
http://www.calfeedesign.com/whitepaper8.htm

You linked to a website of a company selling their own product. How is that any less marketing than Cannondale?

What do feel that a carbon front/Aluminum rear mixed frame will do for you that a high end full Aluminum frame/carbon fork won't?

I should't even respond to this because I know you didn't read what I posted. If you did read it you would realize what you said makes no sense whatsoever. The article covers all different combinations of materials and construction. They find no major construction flaws with 100% aluminum, titanium, steel, or carbon fiber frames. The only construction method they have problems with are mixed material frames. Read the article, take a material science course, this is not rocket surgery.

+1

Nice assumption. And I did read it. Still is an advertisement. By the way, I don't disagree with any of it, but if you don't think he's trying to sell something, then I don't know what to say.

+, Calfee won't repair frames with "defects due to design", such as metal-CF hybrids.

Hello all respondents, I was questioning what would be the "best" choice - an alu bike with a carbon fork - or an alu bike not having a carbon fork; and would a carbon seat stay or carbon rear tubing (?) - be even more preferable?
It causes enough reactions and some useful idea's to take along when going shopping.

I just rented and tested a full alu Fuji road bike and could compare it with my (hybrid) Trek Soho 2 full alu frame/fork. It (the Fuji) felt much smoother, and made me wonder if this is the bike to go for or save some more money for an even better (first) road bike.

Your input is valued, and really helpful to make a choice.
Oh, and that's especially because I am not in a position to test several bikes - my LBS will probably let me test one or two, but I doubt if he will let me test 3 or perhaps 4 bikes on one day...