monk

I hate to ask this because it's been discussed in many respects throughout BF. You hear alot about aluminum frames being much stiffer than carbon. But, like so many others, I have an aluminum frame with a full carbon seatpost, carbon fork, carbon handlebars and carbon crank. I don't have carbon seatstays. With so much carbon in "key" places, am I really going to gain much if I purchased a carbon frame? I also have quality components (Ultegra). Doesn't frame geometry have come into play as far as ride quality also?

WheresWaldo

Geometry is everything (not 100% true but almost). Frame material only plays a minor role in how a bike rides, depending on how good the engineers are. You can take a carbon frame and make it as stiff as any aluminum frame made, your can take an aluminum frame and make it as noodley as any Ti frame made. The difference will not be in the ride really but in how the road surface is transmitted to the rider. Even that is more affected by wheels, tires and especially tire pressure.

Don't run out and buy Carbon because you think it will ride "better" than what you have now. If you are in the market for a new bike, go and ride several different types made out of serveral different materials. ONly you will be able to decide if the ride is "better."

Jim Bonnet

Ive had several aluminum bikes k2, cervelo and now bmc. I also have several full carbon rigs, look 481sl, look 585 and now look 595. each of the carbon bikes rides much smoother than the aluminum bikes.

also, i wouldnt say that any given aluminum bike is stiffer than a given carbon frame. more plush ride probably.. stiffer? probably not. depends on how much ya spend though I suppose.

jim

Sprocket Man

That's an unanswerable question unless we know what kind of aluminum frame you have, what carbon frame you plan to buy, and find someone who has ridden both frames with the same setup (wheels, handlebars, seat, tires). By the way, quality components are nice but don't affect comfort (unless you expand the definition of comfort to cover ease of shifting)

Yes.

munkyv22

Carbon frames make you faster because they are cooler.

WheresWaldo

Cooler as in hip, or cooler as in temperature?

merlinextraligh

Both, the increased stiffness equals less flex equals less energy dissapated as heat.

howsteepisit

There is way too much emphasis on stifness. Yes, you want some stifness, but not at the expense of some kind of comfort. A frame designer can make a frame so stiff that its almost unrideable...ever ride a track ike on the road? It is not comfortable on longer rides. OTH, a frame can be made so soft as to be almost unridable. Most bikes are designed to fit the intended purpose, not to be as stiff as possible.

Cypress

HOLY F****** S***, Batman.

sogood

Ti is sub-zero!