stapfam

I test rode quite a few CF bikes last year. Not many of them had a good feel to them after riding Aluminium. In fact- that is why I bought the Boreas. Although I was looking at quality bikes-This frame and bike was the best within my budget. Then the TCR was one I had not tried and after riding the Cheap Ally OCR to the LBS- I was put on the mechanics TCR and sent out of the shop for a ride. Bought it but up against the Boreas-It is not far behind on ride quality.

I think you have the priority wrong in looking for a well specced frame with the top end drive chain. The heart of the bike is the frame. That is what is going to denote how the bike rides. Looking at the TCR range- and that is the best affordable C.F. frame that I have tried- It can start of with a lowly 105 gruppo or go up to Dure Ace if you want. Same frame- different gruppo and wheels- but basically the same bike. And they don't ride much differently either. There will be a difference in parts spedded to the frame the higher up you go and with a correponding loss in weight - but in ridability- there is not much difference on the models. Now within the frame- Even Giant cater for the Masses with the C.F. framed OCR. That was the frame I tried last year and it did nothing for me.



http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/road/