The last bike I purchased was over 12 yrs ago and there have been many changes to say the least! I am buying a new road bike for the event this year and was introduced to Carbon-Fibre frames as god's gift to biking. While researching I found two Trek brand bikes I would consider buying, Madone 4.5 or Trek 2.3. The Madone 4.5 is a full carbon-fibre frame and the 2.3 is an aluminum frame w/ C.F. front forks. The madone is about $500.00 more than the 2.3, BUT the 2.3 comes with a higher quality component package than the Madone. Does the C.F. frame trump having better component in your mind considering the price difference?
I will leave this one as I did the ride last year on a road bike I bought about 25 years ago and made it with no issues. I went through the same route of looking at upgrading but held off. Mike might have some input on this.
I have been riding my 2007 giant OCR 2 since i bought it new and it's a good bike. Not sure how the carbon fibre frame would be, but my aluminum is decent. Seems to transmit the road through the frame a fair bit though making the ride sometimes a little rough. I hear a Specialized Roubaix with the zertz inserts is a nice ride as they act like shock absorbers for the road bike frame, my friend swears by them.
As for components anything from Shimano Tiagra on up is fine, in my opnion, just make sure the shifters are Shimano STI or equivalent, the integration with the brake lever and heads up shifting is excellent. Of course the more you pay the better and lighter the components, the easier the climbing. In the end it's up to you, but for me the most important factor is the fit for the long rides, the STI shifters and aero bars to have another position to change to when rding.
Cheers,
-- Edited by Bryce on Friday 5th of February 2010 12:45:51 AM
Carbon fibre (CF) is a wonderful invention, but it has its pros and cons just like everything else. A carbon bike is often lighter and dampens a lot of the vibrations from the road noise that can be fatiguing. Carbon is pretty robust and it'll take a lot before it fails, but when it does, it's finished...if you crash or the bike falls onto a sharp edge, it can mean your frame is toast where an aluminum bike would dent or have a slight bend. Also, doing home repairs are a little trickier on a CF bike...over-tighten something and you could crack the carbon.
The Madones are really nice frames and have a lot of potential for upgrading...if you're interested in getting into racing or regular long distance riding in the future, it may be worth the investment and then upgrading the components as things wear out.
If you're a recreational rider, the 2.3's are nice bikes. As you mention, they do have a better component group, but they are made more for recreational riding. If you try to race one, it'll be at a slight disadvantage (not huge, but enough to be noticeable), but they are perfectly fine for "normal" use. The CF fork on the 2.3 is a plus....it will help dampen the vibrations from the road.
Either will handle the Ride perfectly well, so it will come down to a few things. First is fit -> the geometry will be slightly different so see if you can ride both bikes back to back. Outside would be better, but with it being winter, that's a tall order and you may have to settle for a spin on some rollers or a trainer. Second is what you see yourself doing for riding in the future: are you considering racing, are you after a road bike to "just ride" and will this be a long term sport you're doing?
Just a few things to think about,
Mike
-- Edited by Psycho Mike on Friday 5th of February 2010 06:33:05 AM
One more tidbit, I have the CF fork and aluminum frame combo, like I said it is decent, but I find myself looking for a more forgiving frame now. I am not convinced a full carbon fibre frame is the be all and end all of bikes, unless you are considering racing then by all means the lightweight CF frame is the way to go. Just carry insurance to cover the cost of the bike. I have seen a few CF frames here at SGI salvage with a dented frame still going for $1000 +, even though they shouldn't be ridden again. Perhaps you can tell me whether the dealers say a CF frame ride comfort is worth the extra cash. I know the weight savings is, but this is not my chief concern.
As Psycho Mike stated it comes down to are you racing or riding for personal challenges. For myself the more comfortable the better, racing is not for me, but doing long distance weekend rides on a good road bike with some fun speed and yearly distance goals is. I am hoping to do a century this year, so I constantly refine the fit to go longer. I would invest in getting fitted properly for any frame before purchase, and if it is purchased from a reputable dealer this should be part of the purchase process. A properly fitted bike, to me, can be as important as the frame material and component mix.
Of course, having a bike that is the proper fit is even more important than the frame material. Take care of that first and foremost when you decide how you're going to ride (racer, weekend warrior or just for fun).
The CF is lighter and more forgiving of the road noise, but if you're not in need of ultra-light, then there are things like a good saddle and grips/bar wrap/gloves that can handle the "buzz" generated by a stiffer frame (like aluminum).
I've done a Century (100 miles) and a Double Metric (200 km) on my aluminum framed mountain bike, a Century on an old steel framed single speed and a Metric on the aluminum framed 'cross bike. The suspension ate more of the road noise on the mtb (which was nice) but the suspension ate more energy (not so nice). The the steel bike was heavy (not so nice) but the frame ate the road noise (nice). The alu framed cross bike doesn't flex much when I put heavy power into it and it accelerates great (nice), but it also has some buzz (not bad, but gloves are a good idea). Everything is a trade-off.
Let us know what you go for and have fun riding :)
Thanks to all who threw their two cents into this discussion. At the end of the day I went with a full CF frame. I went with last years model (just a fluke of timing) and got a smokin' deal on the Madone 4.5. After taking it for a rip around in this fantastic February/March heatwave, I am convinced that I made the right choice. I have ridden aluminum frames for many years and this CF frame is smoother on the road vibrations than my mountain bike is. As you can see, I am very stoked to get going full bore, but alas that has to wait until the ice is going.
Hehehe...congratz on the new bike, Graeme :) I did that last year with my current commuter/long distance bike (the aluminum framed cyclocross bike I used last year) and I'm still playing around getting it all "the way *I* want it." :) I think getting everything set up, modified, dressed up etc is half the fun of owning a bike...the other half the fun is riding it :D
-- Edited by Psycho Mike on Wednesday 3rd of March 2010 05:01:08 PM
