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Carbon frame - is it worth it ?

by Stumps
Thu, Aug 27, 2015 10:33
12

I'm looking to change my frame to a carbon one and after looking at the usual sites, Ribble, Planet X etc with a budget of upto £800, but i find myself thinking will it be worth it and will it be of any benefit to me ?
I tend to do about 80 miles a week and just joined a local club so that will no doubt raise the mileage. Anyone got any thoughts or pearls of wisdom, or better still a different frame supplier rather than the usual. Cheers folks.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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12 comments

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hampstead_bandit | 8 years ago
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Here's a tip

I had some good wheels and 6800 groupset, plus some zipp sc SL finishing kit. Looked around at frames.

I bought a cannondale super six evo 105 2015 complete bike for £1080 on sale from Evans. Just wanted the frame set. I stripped the bike upon purchase to rebuild. Frame weighed in 934 gramme in 54cm.

//ep2.pinkbike.org/p3pb12624556/p3pb12624556.jpg)

Rebuilt with my kit its just over 7 kg and rides beautifully.

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therevokid | 8 years ago
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a modern, well designed Ali frame is good as anything else out there.
i have a ti kinesis and an ally mason .... the mason is by far the better
and more comfortable bike even though ti is meant to be the better.
more convincingly is the fact that both were designed by the same man
so sizing and geometry are almost identical.

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Judge dreadful | 8 years ago
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I've got a couple of Carbon bikes, and a couple of Ally bikes. The Carbon bikes are easier to get up to speed, and will stop quicker, if everything else is the same. They are more comfortable on the rough stuff (pretty much any British road). Are they worth the premium in cost? Nope, no way. I actually prefer the Ally bikes, for long rides, I keep the Carbon bikes for short hops, or particularly hilly routes, that said I did both the I.O.W. Randonee, and the PRLS, on the ally bikes.

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freebsd_frank replied to Judge dreadful | 8 years ago
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I'm looking to change my frame to a carbon one and after looking at the usual sites, Ribble, Planet X etc with a budget of upto £800, but i find myself thinking will it be worth it and will it be of any benefit to me ?

It's difficult to answer that question without knowing what material your
current frame is made of.

Some things are possible to say though. A carbon frame (however cheap) is
likely to be lighter than your current frame whether it be steel, Ti or Al
alloy. So on the hills you should see some benefit depending on how heavy your
current frame is.

My take on it is this: I would only ditch my current frame and get something
lighter if I was struggling to keep up with the group (assuming I was
reasonably fit). On my own, I don't care how fast or slow I am. In fact I used
to ride a MTB in winter on the roads as I didn't like taking my road bike out
in the wet and the slower speed meant my extremities didn't freeze up.

As another poster noted, your money might be better spent upgrading your
wheels assuming you haven't already. You can get a quality, fairly light
and durable set of handbuilt
wheels for not much more than £300. Also budget £50 for a decent set of
puncture resistant tyres if you haven't got them already.

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BBB | 8 years ago
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Contact points, fit and tyre selection/width/volume will be responsible in 95% for the riding quality/comfort. Don't obsess about of frame materials too much.

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Vejnemojnen | 8 years ago
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Go for crabon.. if you can stretch to 1600 euros, you can get a focus cayo 7.0 even..

a crabon frame makes more sense than an allie.

http://www.tour-magazin.de/technik/test_center/raeder/rennraeder/rennrad...

http://www.tour-magazin.de/technik/test_center/raeder/rennraeder/rennrad...

Put the article into google translator, that's quite accurate from german to english.

You'd be surprised. And I do believe a carbon frame rides just better-more compliant and comfortable, than a harsher-rigider alloy.

Regards 14

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Simon E | 8 years ago
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I could think of more worthwhile things to spend £800 on. A new frame won't help you keep up on a group ride.

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musicalmarc | 8 years ago
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Hi, I have a alu Cinelli and a carbon one. The Carbon bike is lighter by 1kg but it's also double the price and has better components. £300 wheels and a lightweight saddle would bring the weight difference down to around 500 hundred grams (a couple of packs of Haribo). The Alu bike is more comfortable, I think this is because it has a taller head tube. I've ridden 100 miles on both without any probs. I prefer the carbon bike but is it worth twice the price, no.

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Stumps | 8 years ago
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I've got good wheels and groupset so the frame was the last piece of the jigsaw but I get what you mean abut cheap carbon is worse than decent alu

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CXR94Di2 | 8 years ago
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The question is, will carbon be faster than a good aluminum, steel or titanium frame?

Answer is no carbon won't. It's down to looks and feel. Carbon generally has big box tubes, but so do the latest aluminum frames.

Personally I would get a frame which can take large tyres (upto 35mm), has eyelets for wheel guards, internal cable routing (both mechanical/Di2), common bottom bracket design also consider derailleur mounts. Another point is whether you stay with rim brakes or disc.

Do it all bike you will then have with a tyre change 3

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2 Wheeled Idiot | 8 years ago
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Good aluminum is better than cheap carbon which is what you're going to get for around £800.
So basically it depends on what your current frame is and how much cash is burning a hole in your pocket...
£800 spent on nice wheels and tyres would make more of a difference most likely

Avatar
Batchy replied to 2 Wheeled Idiot | 8 years ago
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2 Wheeled Idiot wrote:

Good aluminum is better than cheap carbon which is what you're going to get for around £800.
So basically it depends on what your current frame is and how much cash is burning a hole in your pocket...
£800 spent on nice wheels and tyres would make more of a difference most likely

£800 will buy you a good carbon frameset nowadays. Even the ones with top brand names on come out of Taiwan or China are barely worth this amount.

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