Describe a carbon ride

[xxmimixx]

I'd like you to describe how does a carbon bike ride feels compared to alu/carbon forks.

thanks

PS this is for carbon owners not opinionists

 

[HLaB]

It feels less, if that makes sense, just a smoother lighter ride.

 

[ianrauk]

smoooooooth

 

[Rob3rt]

Hard to compare for me as my carbon bike is a TT bike so its going to feel very different to my alu road bikes simply due to the geometry. But I'd say in my experience (comparing a Cannondale CAAD9, a Cannondale Slice, and a Cinelli Vigorelli) that the carbon bike feels stiffer but at the same time less "harsh". The TT bike is heavier than the road bikes though despite being carbon.

But then again these sensations, might be more down to the geometry than the frame material, the Slice is designed to be a long distance triathlon bike and thus is designed for fast straight line speeds, whilst having some built in comfort features to save you enough that you are fresh enough to be able to run a marathon after a 112 mile time trial.



In addition, comparing materials blindly is a bit pointless.

 

[xxmimixx]

thanks for the replies so far,

I m considering a carbon road bike, not for the weight but purely on the ride feel that I read, or been told about.
My LBS tells me that is a compeltely different feel, for the better, the word that stuck to my mind was livelier, and it wont chip my teeth!
I will obviously want to test ride one but wanted to hear your valued opinions as well on the ride

 

[rsvdaz]

Ive moved to a carbon..yes it is smoother than alu...but I still get a bit of a buzz on my right hand which gives me pins n needles from about 15 miles in on a ride

 

[smokeysmoo]

Just to throw a spanner in the works, I can ride farther and more comfortably on my CAAD10 than I ever could on my Trek Madone 5.5, my Focus Cayo Pro or Focus Izalco, so go figure

Must be a +1 for the geometry more than the material like Rob says.
Anyhoo, I'd rather have a top end alu frame than anything other than a very top end carbon, but that's just my opinion borne from my own experiences

 

[Globalti]

If you end up riding on a section of cold-planed tarmac (this is when they grind off the top layer prior to resurfacing) you will be able to feel the seat stays actually flexing underneath you like suspension. I used to have deep section Roubaix tyres on my bike and the clearance was so tight that the underneath of the brake bridge has actually been ground by the spinning tyre hitting it on bumps!

My first "proper" road bike was a 1990 job in Columbus SLX steel tubing, a respected tube set in its time. Admittedly the frame was short and sharp-handling so quite tall while my Roubaix is shaped for comfort and a compact frame but the two are just completely different in the way they ride. When I had to choose between the two it only took me a few yards of riding on the carbon bike to realise that it was a no-brainer; 40 miles on the steel bike was really punishing but on the carbon it's no big deal.

 

[xxmimixx]

Smokey I know how you feel about Cannondale, I admire your passion and loyalty to them. Wouldnt be surprised if you had the C (cannondale) logo tattooed on you

 

[gb155]

Just to throw a spanner in the works, I can ride farther and more comfortably on my CAAD10 than I ever could on my Trek Madone 5.5, my Focus Cayo Pro or Focus Izalco, so go figure

Must be a +1 for the geometry more than the material like Rob says.
Anyhoo, I'd rather have a top end alu frame than anything other than a very top end carbon, but that's just my opinion borne from my own experiences

What happened that's put you off carbon so much ?

 

[xxmimixx]

If you end up riding on a section of cold-planed tarmac (this is when they grind off the top layer prior to resurfacing) you will be able to feel the seat stays actually flexing underneath you like suspension.

Oh gawd that sounds freakish!! I hope it wont go as far as making me feel motion sickness (suffer very badly from it!)

 

[smokeysmoo]

Smokey I know how you feel about Cannondale, I admire your passion and loyalty to them. Wouldnt be surprised if you had the C (cannondale) logo tattooed on you

Watch this space, I might just add that in when I get my chainring tatt done

 

[Fletch456]

Mimi - +1 for smoother ride. My alu is 7-8 yrs old so design may be older but when I first tried a carbon I couldn't believe how much smoother and more comfortable it felt.

A number of people on here prefer alu and bike frames, makers vary meaning the feel of each bike varies too. So my experience may not be mirrored by those guys. That said earlier this year a friend bought his first carbon just aweeks after I bought mine. He went from Cannondale alu (recognised as one of the best makers of alu) to a Cannondale Six 105 and he loved it as much as I loved mine on his first ride. I rode his first carbon ride with him and told him to ride over a man hole cover. We got back to his and he raved to his wife about how good it felt.

The new bike changed my riding style others have commented. I am definitely quicker on it. Partly if not entirely through being lighter and stiffer than my alu.

Given bikes vary more than I first realised I would definitely recommend you try 3 different bikes, may be more.

 

[gb155]

To answer the op

As other have said

Smooooooth

 

[xxmimixx]

Watch this space, I might just add that in when I get my chainring tatt done