Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
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Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby purni76 » Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:11 am
New to the forum. Wanted some advice, looking at moving from a mountain bike to a flatbar road bike for my 20Km (each way) commute and longer weekend rides. Found drop bars a bit uncomfortable so looking at a flatbar road bike. Wanted some advice (pros and cons) on buying a full carbon frame vs alloy. My understanding is that the carbon frame will be more comfortable (i.e. forgiving over bumps) compared to an alloy frame while the material would not make much of a difference to the weight. Is it worth the extra $'s for carbon. Will it be a noticeable difference?
Thanks in advance.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby Nobody » Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:46 pm
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby jasonc » Fri Jan 18, 2013 1:26 pm
agree. mostly. there's a guy I see all the time who has converted his carbon trek roadie to a flat bar. looks good, sort of.Nobody wrote:Comfort primarily comes from lower tyre pressure and a saddle that suits you well. It's not worth the extra money for carbon in my opinion.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby rkelsen » Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:14 pm
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby jasonc » Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:22 pm
you can have an aero alloy bike. maybe what you are saying is a brick into the wind on any material bike is still a brick into the wind.rkelsen wrote:On a flat bar, you're sitting more upright, which negates all of the aerodynamic benefits that a carbon bike would normally bring.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby barefoot » Fri Jan 18, 2013 3:30 pm
However.
They tend to be a gateway drug. Not many people who buy a flatbar roadie stick with flatbar roadies for long. Most end up upgrading to a drop-bar roadie within 18 months.
Of course, it could simply be that most people who get heavily into cycling on any bike tend to upgrade within 18 months. But it's a very visible phenomenon with FBRs.
That being the case, I wouldn't recommend going all out and spending a fortune on your dream bike this time around. Get a very nice bike, by all means, and love riding it. But experience has shown that your dream bike in <2 years will be different to your current dream bike... and most likely, it won't have flat bars.
Count this as a vote for alloy. Save your carbon credits for when you upgrade.
tim
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby jasonc » Fri Jan 18, 2013 3:44 pm
*sticks his hand upbarefoot wrote:Most end up upgrading to a drop-bar roadie within 18 months.
still ride the flat bar. but if I were looking now, I'd now look at a CX for commuting (all weather, disc brakes being the reasons)
Have done well over 16000kms on my flat bar. still commute on it when not doing an extended ride/when the weather may turn to fud (carbon melts in the rain)
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby TDC » Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:03 pm
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby gassyndrome » Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:17 pm
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby purni76 » Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:16 am
I have a had look over the weekend and ridden a few. I think I will stick to a aluminum / alloy frame.
Down to two bikes.
http://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/produ ... rix-10-xl/
http://www.cube.eu/en/tour/cross-road/sl-cross-pro/
Any thoughts or opinions on the Scott Vs the Cube?
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby gururug » Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:24 am
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby jasonc » Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:33 am
has a couple of better components too
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby boss » Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:54 am
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby Nobody » Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:21 am
Better braking?boss wrote:Cube looks heaps better. Whats the deal with V brakes though?
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby boss » Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:47 am
Is it? I've always pondered this, if there was an inherent advantage of v-brakes over sidepull calipers, why don't we run them on roadies?Nobody wrote:Better braking?boss wrote:Cube looks heaps better. Whats the deal with V brakes though?
I figured that given the limited traction on 23-30mm tyres, increased braking power probably isn't a good thing.
Happy to stand corrected - I'm just thinking out loud over here.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby Nobody » Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:08 am
Yes. As one of many that has used both, V brakes generally have more effective leverage as a brake than calipers. So for the same apparent lever input, you get more braking power.boss wrote:Is it? I've always pondered this, if there was an inherent advantage of v-brakes over sidepull calipers, why don't we run them on roadies?Nobody wrote:Better braking?boss wrote:Cube looks heaps better. Whats the deal with V brakes though?
I'd rate my Avid Ultimate V brake as either equal to better than my BB7 disc brakes in dry conditions. I don't know of any other rim brake type I'd rate as equal to them.
Depends on what tyres you use, what pressure you run them at and how you use your brakes.boss wrote:I figured that given the limited traction on 23-30mm tyres, increased braking power probably isn't a good thing.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby jacks1071 » Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:05 pm
Why would you bother?purni76 wrote:Hi All
New to the forum. Wanted some advice, looking at moving from a mountain bike to a flatbar road bike for my 20Km (each way) commute and longer weekend rides. Found drop bars a bit uncomfortable so looking at a flatbar road bike. Wanted some advice (pros and cons) on buying a full carbon frame vs alloy. My understanding is that the carbon frame will be more comfortable (i.e. forgiving over bumps) compared to an alloy frame while the material would not make much of a difference to the weight. Is it worth the extra $'s for carbon. Will it be a noticeable difference?
Thanks in advance.
Put slicks on the MTB or go to a full road bike otherwise you are moving sideways, not fowards.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby thejester » Wed Jan 30, 2013 2:23 pm
it is only when the wind is blowing a gale that I curse, but I understand everyone else on drop bars curses too.
a carbon seat post was worth every penny. Still have the same seat, but my bum is happier.
would love a full carbon flat bar: Trek fx 7.7
for the money however, there are some very good deals to be had on drop bars, especially when you work in a bike shop that doesnt sell Trek
Giant CRX4 - Black Ghost
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby thejester » Wed Jan 30, 2013 2:40 pm
answer: vibration dampener.
carbon forks, hard to find ones with pannier lugs.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby purni76 » Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:00 pm
That is an interesting point as that is what is making my decision hard. The Cube has slightly better running gear but the Scott has a carbon fork and a carbon seat post, potentially making it more comfortable. Is that more important than the slightly better running gear.thejester wrote:and, if alloy is so good why do so many alloy bikes have carbon forks?
answer: vibration dampener.
carbon forks, hard to find ones with pannier lugs.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby RonK » Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:55 pm
Easy actually - Columbus Tusk Trekking.thejester wrote:carbon forks, hard to find ones with pannier lugs.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby rjk » Thu Jan 31, 2013 1:26 pm
boss wrote:Cube looks heaps better. Whats the deal with V brakes though?
Generally V-Brakes allow you to run a wider tyyre and rim , so you could eventually convert this to a flat bar CX bike...
dont quote me tho...i have enough trouble tying up my own shoe laces
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby purni76 » Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:08 am
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby gorilla monsoon » Wed May 21, 2014 7:49 pm
I might be the exception to your rule. I have an alloy Giant flattie that I love, especially on longer rides, and a carbon fibre Avanti drop bar that I enjoy.barefoot wrote:I don't own one, but I reckon flatbar road bikes are awesome. There never used to be an option for actually going fast on road without drop bars... which led me building a few bastardised MTBs with narrow slicks and road cranks along the way. Now the same thing - but better - is available off the hook. That's a win.
However.
They tend to be a gateway drug. Not many people who buy a flatbar roadie stick with flatbar roadies for long. Most end up upgrading to a drop-bar roadie within 18 months.
Of course, it could simply be that most people who get heavily into cycling on any bike tend to upgrade within 18 months. But it's a very visible phenomenon with FBRs.
That being the case, I wouldn't recommend going all out and spending a fortune on your dream bike this time around. Get a very nice bike, by all means, and love riding it. But experience has shown that your dream bike in <2 years will be different to your current dream bike... and most likely, it won't have flat bars.
Count this as a vote for alloy. Save your carbon credits for when you upgrade.
tim
Next year I will give myself a special birthday present. It will be a carbon fibre flattie. Best of both worlds.
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Re: Carbon frame vs. Alloy for a flatbar road bike
Postby Duck! » Wed May 21, 2014 9:07 pm
rkelsen wrote:On a flat bar, you're sitting more upright, which negates all of the aerodynamic benefits that a carbon bike would normally bring.
I'm sorry, but frame material is almost completely unrelated to aerodynamics. Carbon only makes some very small aero gains at best, due to the smoother shapes that are possible. Overall geometry, and mostly the person on the bike, have a far greater effect on aero than the material.
Ride comfort is the biggest gain you get from carbon, regardless of frame geometry. It won't compensate for a bad fit, but it does absorb a lot of that irritating road chatter and "buzz" that wears you down over the long miles.
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