Fast... Light... Strong... Frames
 

Hello all... I'm sure this has been asked a gazillion times but since search is disabled I thought I'd ask it again. :rolleyes:

I'm looking at new road bikes and have some questions about frames. I'm currently riding a bianchi bergamo hybrid around Milwaukee and am looking for something faster and lighter. ugg... weighs 40+ lbs with all my gear on it. My concern with road bikes has always been that they seem so fragile. Many of the roads around here are not in good shape and there is a fair amount of debris. I'm concerned that if I plunk down $3000 on a carbon fiber frame I'll have it snap the first time I hit a nasty pothole. Is carbon fibre out of the question for urban riding? Should I consider a cyclocross bike? Thanks for your help.

Road bikes are not as delicate as you think. Ever heard of Paris-Roubaix?

If you really want something durable get a titanium bike, it will last forever. Really, any of the carbon fiber bikes currently produced are super durable. The Disco team justr rode madones in paris-roubaix.

Yes, I admit it, I'm biased in favor of steel (steel is real, man). It's strong, comfortable, time-tested technology and doesn't have to cost $3K. I looked long and hard at several cylclocross models before buying my Lemond Sarthe this spring. Lemond has a steel cyclocross, (http://www.lemondbikes.com/bikes/cyc...prad_disc.php) you might want to check out. I test rode the '06 model and it was a hard decision. Ultimately, since most of my riding was on halfway decent paved roads, the Sarthe won out based on how it felt during the test ride (it's geometry is different than the Poprad's). OTH, if you really want to spend $3K, check out a Waterford, custom made right here in SE Wisconsin (http://www.waterfordbikes.com/). What's not to like?:D

If you're under 250 lbs, you don't have to worry about snapping just about any frame. Most frames can even support people at 300 lbs. By spending more, you hit the law of dimishing returns. If you buy a $2000 frame, it's not 2x as nice as a $1k frame. It might be a little lighter, and perhaps a little better at dampening out road vibrations, but you're not going to see a huge performance increase.

Now, if you're riding a $200 frame, and you try a $2k frame, you'll definitely see a difference. Does the difference justify the price increase - only you can answer that.

What makes a frame fast? Your 40 pounder is going the same speed as a 3 pound carbon frame. The engine makes it go faster.

Not necessarily, some frames are faster than others (due to aero tubing, stiffer BB, et. cetera), but the difference in speed is very very small.

The Litespeed Firenze titanium frame is on sale at Colorado Cyclist at the moment.

If you're worried, just get something new with a warranty.

^^^ Warranty doesnt help when you are stranded 30 miles from your house with a broken frame and broken leg.

Like everyone else said, Ti is the absolute most durable but most bikes 'nowadays' are going to be very durable and light, at least from the top manufacturers.

I have read a few anecdotal accounts of frame failures and none involved injury. In fact, I think the bike was generally rideable (to a degree) after the frame failure. Have you ever heard of someone suffering a broken leg from a frame (not a fork) failure?