Carbon road bike frame stiffness

[QuikR12]

sprocket rocket question -- cross post:
I'm a road bike JONG, will be my first bike, but I get in the mode of doing extensive research and wanting the best, so I'd like to know how much of a difference there will be in the frame stiffness between the different levels of a certain make/model.

I've been looking at the Specialized Tarmac, but wondering how much stiffness will differ between the Comp, and say, the Pro or Expert models. How much will performance suffer by stiffness variations???

I'm about 2bills, will be climbing a lot of hills, and doing most everything else pretty aggressively.

What other solid frames might I look out for? I also have interest in a Cannondale System-6.

any beta is appreciated.

[roadgap]

Tarmac owner here. Great bike, you really can't go wrong with it. Very versatile for just riding around or racing. I've done 150 mile rides and raced 30 minute crits on mine and it's performed well in both areas.

I believe that if you're looking at this year's models, the Expert and Pro framesets are basically the same. Specialized rates their carbon frames on a scale - the 2010 Expert/Pro frameset is '10r' which is equivalent to the carbon used in last year's SL2.

The Comp is 8r - basically the same as the 08 expert which I rode for a couple years. Still a great frame. I believe the new comp is likely a bit stiffer than the 08 expert just due to design advances. I found I could flex the expert frame in an all-out sprint, but I remember when I first got on it, before I was really racing a lot, it seemed very stiff. At 200 you would probably flex it a bit more than I did.

I think the Expert is probably the sweet spot in this year's lineup. There are stiffer bikes out there but it's a nice compromise between performance and comfort.

[emr]

I love how its your first bike, you call your self a JONG, yet you already know that you do everything aggressively. I love this place.........


In regards to carbon, the lay ups and materials change within companies and between companies (hence the reason for your question)... fucking confusing to me. I test rode a bunch of bikes and ended up with a TI from serrota. I set out to get full carbon because my previous bike was an AL/carbon cannondale which got toasted from my accident. My brain really wanted a carbon frame but my body dug the TI. Good luck... My thoughts are that everything can sound good on paper but the real test is how it rides and fits your size. Test ride some bikes.

[JoeStrummer]

Buy a Crumpton.

[XtrPickels]

Buy a Crumpton.

Nice one for sale on either velocipede or serotta.

[axebiker]

I have a Cervelo Soloist Carbon. It's amazing. Massive bottom bracket, climbs like a monkey.

[QuikR12]

I love how its your first bike, you call your self a JONG, yet you already know that you do everything aggressively. I love this place.........

Shall I rephrase and say I have aggressive intentions with this bike? I'm aggressive by nature, and if I shell out nearly 2g's I'm sure as hell going to have a lot of fun on it, and fun really only happens when aggressive happens.

I have a Cervelo Soloist Carbon. It's amazing. Massive bottom bracket, climbs like a monkey.

What's the specs of your BB/crankset? What are the ideal crank specs for a climber vs flat or sprinter?

Thanks for the beta everyone. Going on a test ride this afternoon...

[hutash]

Buy a Colango and be done with it. Still the best geometry out there.

[QuikR12]

I have a Cervelo Soloist Carbon. It's amazing. Massive bottom bracket, climbs like a monkey.

Cervelo Soloist looks sweet, even the aluminum S1. Seriously making me consider going alloy and still over my budget

[hutash]

Cervelo Soloist looks sweet, even the aluminum S1. Seriously making me consider going alloy and still over my budget

Well, if you are on a budget forget about getting anything good

Aluminum with carbon seat (+/- chain) stays is the best bang for the budget buck. Cheap carbon is exactly that. People spend too much money on frames, then components and end up with crappy wheels. Good wheels should be your first concern, then components, and last frame, especially if you are on a tight budget. If not Campy wheels (euros/shamals) and record components with CF frame (still, preferably Colnago, but I am partial to Italian frames.) There is a reason Sophia Loren came from Italia.

[axebiker]

Campy is great as long as you have a local shop that deals it. If not, stay away. I had a Campy bike a while back -- I did a tri, and had a wheel problem, and with the time constraints, the only answer was to rent/borrow a wheel. The local shop (kind of a rural area) had a ton a Shimano stuff that would've "got me by", but no Campy. It was teh suckz.

[axebiker]

What's the specs of your BB/crankset? What are the ideal crank specs for a climber vs flat or sprinter?

I was talking in terms of the frame's bottom bracket, but the crankset is an FSA SL-K with a stock BB.

[QuikR12]

talking wheels, what's the best value out there? I might piece my own bike together, and have been looking at the Mavic Aksium Race's or the Fulcrum racing 5's to get me started if I do.

Also likely going w/ the shimano route, since i'm already collecting some components, but would look at SRAM if it was forced on me.

[axebiker]

Aksium Races SUCK. Just sold a pair with a couple hundred miles on them. Noodles. I'm about 180#, and not a power rider, and I was flexing the snot out of them.

I'm partial to Easton Vista/EA50 as a good budget wheelset. The Circuit/EA70 ain't bad either - that's been my main wheelset for the past 5 years.

I've heard good things about Fulcrum, but no personal experience.

SRAM rocks.

[QuikR12]

Thanks Axe, I'll avoid the aksiums

[huckbucket]

Have a teammate that migrated from a Colnago C40 to a Super 6 and is in love with the c-dale. Have another teammate who went form a carbon soloist to the Super 6 and will never go back. I'm a die hard Caad9 fan. Go with C-dale.

As far as wheels go, pick up some Mavic Open Pro's with ultegra (or chorus) hubs and be done with it. 28 spoke. Bomber, yet light enough to race on if desired.

[roadgap]

talking wheels, what's the best value out there? I might piece my own bike together, and have been looking at the Mavic Aksium Race's or the Fulcrum racing 5's to get me started if I do.

Also likely going w/ the shimano route, since i'm already collecting some components, but would look at SRAM if it was forced on me.

Take a look at Easton - better value than Mavic or Fulcrum (campy) IMO.

[weasel1]

DT Swiss 1.2....lighter than open pro/ult or da, strong and nice. Not terribly expensive, either.

[XtrPickels]

What size of frame are you looking at and where are you.

[QuikR12]

What size of frame are you looking at and where are you.

I'm need about a 56-57cm top tube. Sacramento/Tahoe area.

Anybody know good buying sources besides c-list or egay?

[PuderLuder]

Consider one of these. From my understanding, this company is like a clearing house for Chinese frame builders. If you are sharp, you will recognize every frame they sell as an un-badged version of a popular well known brand. The only difference between these bikes, and your high-end cervelos/ specialized/ etc. is that these companies do not own the carbon molds and therefore re-branding like this can happen at dramatic reductions in costs.

If anyone replies to this that these are cheap Chinese carbon frames, they are clueless. The Chinese ARE the experts in carbon fabrication and where all but your most boutique frames are made.

I just ordered a branded version of this frame. It cost me a few hundred more but I really liked the paint job this company puts on it. They have been slow and the ship date has slipped so I am seriously considering canceling my order and going with one of these.

FYI: I used to race a bike for a living and would not ride a P.O.S. frame. At the same time, I recognize what is important in a frame and it is not a trendy name or the fact some dopped up pro has won the TdF 7 times on it. I do agree with a previous poster about the components being the most important- though I might have to put them a close second to a properly fitting frame (one with a geometry that allows your best position).

PL

[PuderLuder]

As far as wheels go, pick up some Mavic Open Pro's with ultegra (or chorus) hubs and be done with it. 28 spoke. Bomber, yet light enough to race on if desired.

^^^ I just read this and agree 100%. I have dura ace hubs laced to some 32hole open pros 3x. They are by no means a light or fast wheelset, but they are bomber. Where I live I encounter many road conditions in the mountains, often having to finish the last few km of a climb (or first few of a descent) on a dirt road. These things are bomb proof and I never have to worry about them. I don't race anymore, but when I did I always trained on a similar wheel and had a light set of tubulars for racing (I would never race on clinchers). If you need to train on deep dish carbons or something you are just a big idiot.

PL

[wcf3]

I do agree with a previous poster about the components being the most important- though I might have to put them a close second to a properly fitting frame (one with a geometry that allows your best position).

I would generally agree with this, but if you haven't done a lot of road riding in the past, you will probably not even know what a good fit for you is until you've done a fair amount of riding. As such, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend much money on a frame, since no matter what you start with, odds are it won't be the best fit in the long run. (After you've done a bunch of riding, you gain strength and get more accustomed to the the road riding position and the requirements for an ideal fit change).

Imho, if you are just getting going, about the only thing worth spending much money on are wheels, which are easy to transfer around.

[roadgap]

I would generally agree with this, but if you haven't done a lot of road riding in the past, you will probably not even know what a good fit for you is until you've done a fair amount of riding. As such, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend much money on a frame, since no matter what you start with, odds are it won't be the best fit in the long run.

This. Also, if you're between frame sizes, either go smaller or find a better fitting brand. Don't go bigger.

[jmars]

Pedal Force frames are great and since you seem to be on a budget it would be a solid compromise interms of what to spend on parts vs the frame.

As others have said.....get fitted first then start looking.