Carbon...worth the price? (Page 2)

This has been an interesting thread. I am in Fred's corner in that I have never ridden a carbon bike so I cannot speak about the difference between the two. I ride a 2003 Giant TCR Aero-1 that I got off ebay for around $600. I do all my training and racing on this bike (only 3000 miles ) and can attest that you don't need an expensive bike to ride a lot and post relatively fast bike splits.

I would love to ride a carbon frame to see the difference but I really can't justify spending the $$$$ on a carbon frame . I can't believe that a different bike is going to give me THAT much more speed.

Next will come the race wheel debate.

I'm still wondering if I want to spend half of what I spent on my carbon bike on some race wheels...

Or you just have both ........

(Sorry, couldn't pass up being a picture post ho).

(Blackbird 001.jpg)

How much faster will I go on that vs. my bike in an IM?

Bob....I've seen some beautiful bikes posted here on BT...that ain't one of 'em.  :-)  Sorry...but your cages don't match and your tires don't even match.  Was that seat tube made for that frame?   Do you actually have some crome spokes and some black ones?

Oh sure, you finished the IMKY bike course about 2 hours faster than I did but now I know why.  You were trying to hurry up and get that ugly bike off the course.

Just teasing.  It's a swell bike.

 ;-)

~Mike

Thanks Mike. I agree that it's not the hottest bike out there but it is a lot nicer than the 1982 Atala that it replaced. I'd love to get a new bike, don't get me wrong,  but until I can find a bike sponsor this one gets me from T1 to T2 in a respectable time.

Perhaps when I ride a carbon frame I'll have a different  opinion and feel the need to shell out the $$$$.

Back to the OP's question. You don't need a carbon frame or an expensive bike to do well in the sport. Buying the bike that you can afford and that fits properly is the important thing.

Bikes are a personal thing.  Many people feel that one material vs another makes a huge diference.  If it does to them then good.  I love my bikes, a carbon Giant TCR2 road bike and a Cervelo P2C.  Both are upgrades from my older aluminum trek road bike.  Both bikes I plan to have for the next 8-10 years.  To me it was like driving a new car.  When I got to a point where I thought I deserved something nice, I saved and bought it.  It took 2.5 years to save up for my P2C.  Did it make a huge diference in speed?  No, but I enjoy my bike and will continue to enjoy it for years to come.  $2500 spread out over 10 years is really not that expensive and now I have what I wanted. 

On the flip side there are some really nice custom alluminum and steel bikes out there as well.  And yes, I do feel that there is a big diference between expensive vs cheap bikes.  Regardless of materials!!!

You're too modest Bob.  I'd say the 05:13:33 | 112 miles | 21.43 mile/hr from your last IM is VERY "respectable".

So to the OP.....looking at Bob's time biking on a steel (AL?) frame bike, you can obtain quite remarkable speeds/time w/o jumping on the carbon bandwagon!

~Mike

We'll find out at Eagleman because as fast as you are in the water, you will pass me in the swim, get on the bike and be almost finished the 56 mile ride before I am out of the water!  Maybe you can use it then.

I agree with you in regards to the bike part.  But my point to the distance racing is that with carbon you get a 'softer' ride which will, in theory, produce a better run.  You are not as jarred and the bike vice your body absorbs the vibration of the course.

I would say that, given the same circumstances, one will run better off of a carbon bike because their body is less beat up from the road.

But that is not what I am saying ....... I am saying that the MATERIAL has no bearing on how "soft" the ride is.  The DESIGN of the frame makes all the difference in that repsect.  you can make aluminum absorb road shock just as well as carbon.

And anyone that thinks that carbon is a more compliant ride needs to come and take my Scott for a longer ride ....... it is stiff as sh-t, but it is light, climbs and sprints awesome.  That is what I was looking for in the frame.

Again, the advantage of carbon is the adaptability of the material to any design you want that you are not capable of with other materials.

And I wholeheartedly agree with Fred and Bob in that the rider makes the bike, not the other way round.

To sum up ...... if you have the dough and pick the right manufacturer that designed a bike to your liking, carbon is worth the price.  But there is no significant need or advantage that you get from going to carbon.  Are both my bikes carbon?  Sure.  If there were steel frames that were as aero or as light as my frames were I'd be riding them ....... that is pretty much all I used to road race on, even when my bike sponsor gave us aluminum frames I still rode my steel frame that I had customed for me (luckily it was the same manufacturer!!).