Compairing frames
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
Compairing frames
Is low grade carbon like the TCT Carbon better than high grade low weight aluminum seen in bikes like the Cervelo Soloist Team? Also is OCLV carbon way better or comperable to the high grade aluminum in the Soloist Team?
#2
Making a kilometer blurry
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 26,170
Likes: 93
From: Austin (near TX)
Bikes: rkwaki's porn collection
The value in CF is in the engineering (layup) more than the fabric. Cheap CF frames are likely not going to exhibit the desirable dynamics you might find in a well-engineered aluminum frame like the Soloist Team.
I think that at the premium aluminum price point (~$1000), aluminum frames will always feel better (and probably be lighter) than carbon fiber at the same price.
I think that at the premium aluminum price point (~$1000), aluminum frames will always feel better (and probably be lighter) than carbon fiber at the same price.
#3
I think that you are comparing apples to pears. No material is better than the other. Each one has different pros and cons. You may compare carbon to carbon or aluminum to aluminum, you may even compare specific characteristics of different materials (stiffness or lightness, for example) but since choosing one frame material over another involves several elements (objective and subjective), you may have a preferred material, but not a better one.




