kmoy2002

I live in Chicago and go to school in Indiana. The terrain is fairly level with maybe a climb or two once in a while. Emphasis on once in a while. I've been riding a Specialized Allez 105 10 speed and a Felt F75 105 10 speed and have been used to aluminum and multi material cf/alu frames.

I've never owned or ridden a full cf bike. What would you recommend for a budget of $1500?

I was looking at:
'08 Kestrel Talon (new from bikesdirect)
'06 Bianchi 1885 aluminum with cf rear stays (used)

And thats all I've seen that sparks my interest on BD/ebay/craigslist

I like the Orbea Onix but I think that might be over my budget. Any other recommendations/comments/criticisms?

I would say Madone, but I own a Trek T1 track bike and I feel that the Trek brand name has been too hyped up.

intence

I think Orbea has an offering that MSRPs for around $2k, if you shop has it discounted slightly it might be close to what you're looking for.

The Cannondale Six Carbon 6 is also very close to your price range, also if you have a Performance Bike nearby they may have some deals on Fuji's, especially with the team Performance along with any 15-20% off coupons they may have.

Cycho

check out this thread.

merlinextraligh

$1500 for a bike would reak of conspiscuous conception I'm afraid. You really should look into a 80's bike used, preferably from a local shop that recycles older bikes for the homeless. That would be far more ethical.

PaulRivers

This is just my opinion, but all posts are just someone's opinion.

You price range is simply to low for a good full carbon frame. Mainstream full carbon frames start at $2,000.

Also, the ride characteristics of carbon vary widely between frames of different levels. If you have two aluminum frames with the same geometry there's unlikely to be any difference in the ride between them. But with carbon fiber there can be a huge difference in how they ride despite appearing exactly the same for example, the base level Specialized Tarmac made my wrists hurt after riding for a while, the next level up ("expert") did not nearly as much, and with the bike I purchased (the SWorks model, the top model) it's never been a problem no matter how long I ride or on what surface (I ride on crushed limestone trails quite often). On the other hand the Specialized Roubaix's I rode were spongy but smooth riding at the long end, and more responsive but still smooth riding at the top end. I also rode a bike by Scott that was incredibly stiff and jumpy - the back end up would jump up like a bucking bronco every time I went over any imprefections in the road. And I rode an Orbea that was smooth as butter, didn't notice almost anything.

So I'm saying I think at your budget I would stick with aluminum frames with a carbon fork. I don't think the bargain bin carbon frames you could afford would be any better than the aluminum ones, and personally I don't know that I would feel terribly safe riding a bargain bin full carbon frame.

sced

Guess again. From page 42 of the latest Road Bike Action, "Initial engineering and startup costs for carbon are high, but after the frames are rolling out of the factory, the difference between "ultimate" and "affordable" frame technology becomes pretty narrow. Experts agree that the feel of a well-designed and executed frame made from the least expensive of the three grades of carbon materials is nearly indiscernible from the nano tube-filled ultra-high-modulus carbon used for the creme de la creme models."

n8tron

bmc streetfire with rival from competitive cyclist

VA_Esquire

This.

Some of us are in college and barely work......or work alot to pay bills.

PaulRivers

I don't need to guess again. I have actual experience riding the different frames. You have someone writing an article in a bike magazine (who doesn't bother to mention who these "experts" are) who likely writes whatever they think you want to hear so they'll sell copies.

n00bL35

If I had $1500 for a new bike, I wouldn't hesitate for a second. BMC Streetfire would be the only bike for me. I know CF is pretty cool, but for the money, that bike can't be beat.

sced

It's nice that your riding different bikes gives you special knowledge. You must already know that there are ways to mechanically test frames under different load conditions to quantitatively describe and differentiate their performance characteristics. Maybe that's where the article was coming from. What a shame you don't write for them.

n00bL35

Don't you know that BF'ers are unaffected by the placebo effect? No self-respecting member would ever unconsciously favor a brand name item over a no name one, simply because of the price difference. That's crazy talk...

AngryScientist 

the OP sounds like he has two nice bikes, dont make it sound like he NEEDS a full carbon bike.

kmoy2002

I've already sold my Specialized Allez and and in the process of selling my Felt F75. I've owned multiple bikes and would like to just settle with the one

I looked at the BMC and it actually looks like a nice package. I'm not considering Motobecane only because I've bought and ridden generic branded bikes (I owned a Performance Scattante 105/Tiagra)

The Fuji's were nice however Performance near my place usually stocks low spec'ed Fuji's with Sora/Tiagra etc.

Realistically, I'm not looking to pick up a bargain bin cf bike ie Motobecane, Bottechia, etc. Searching around ebay turned some fairly decent sub $1500 bikes.

knobster

What was wrong with the two bikes you had/have? You just want a full carbon bike?

sced

I think that you always get what you pay for. I have never once in my life paid for a more expensive item that wasn't noticeably better than one that cost less, even when it was exactly the same item, e.g., Budweiser always tastes better if it isn't happy hour, and sex.............

PaulRivers

That is entirely correct, having actually ridden the bikes gives me special knowledge that someone who has has never ridden the bikes doesn't have. You could get that same special knowledge by riding them yourself. No matter how strongly an article insists something is true, if you're able to go out and try it yourself and find it's not true, either the article is wrong or you misinterpreted the article.

sced

That article at least had to go through editorial review. Hearsay from untrained individuals about any subject is deservedly held in low regard in all objective venues until independently corroborated by scientific means. People are notoriously often wrong in their perceptions and judgments, and an individual's experiences cannot be reliably generalized. These are facts, your opinions about bikes aren't.

WSKB

This video from bicycling.com is pretty good at succintly emphasising the alu vs carbon debate on a couple of Specialized rides. The Tarmac is out of your price range but still helpful - even though the video is produced by someone "who likely writes whatever they think you want to hear so they'll sell copies". $1,500 for a decent new full carbon bike, don't think so I'm afraid:

https://www.bicycling.com/channel/0,6...-0-0-0,00.html

PaulRivers

Those are the facts. And they have absolutely nothing to do with anything you've said or quoted.

Please feel free to write back when you have a scientific study to back up the claims. Perhaps one where a group of people is randomly given bikes which have been painted over (so as to not predispose anyone), in a double blind study where people are randomly assigned different bikes for a month then rate them in several different categories (ride quality, responsiveness, etc) all with the same wheels and tires, then at the end the results are put together. And this needs to be done by a group that's completely unbiased, so not anyone who has a marketing or financial stake in the outcome.

In the meantime, just as I do not need to do a scientific study to tell me that standing outside on a rainy day is wetter than standing outside on a sunny cloudless day, I do not need a scientific study to tell me that there was a very noticeable difference in ride quality between several of the different full carbon fiber bikes I rode. And yes, I definitely do believe my opinion personal experience in the real world over some handwaving article about what "experts" who they don't even bother to identify supposedly say. Big companies like Specialized claim that the ride quality and stiffness is different between their higher and lower end bikes, supposedly using very scientific means, but I don't put a lot of stock in their claims either just because they put it in print. If I believe it, it's because I've seen it for myself.