Steel or Carbon ?

[woodbutchmaster]

Just for interest sake l weighed my Look KG 253 Nemo steel size 53 c/c seat tube. fitted with mavic starfish double crank, Look pedals, Mavic Cosmos wheels and Mavic 851 ssc derailleurs . total weight exactly 9kg.
Look KG 386 Carbon HM size 51 c/c seat tube. fitted with Campagnolo Chorus crankset, Mavic sprint pedals and Mirage derailleurs total weight 8.850 kg.
I offer no conclusions only the observation that the steel Look is oh so comfortable to ride.....whereas .....I say no more. I could take photos if anyone doubts my observations

 

[biggs682]

Don't start another debate
And just remember when carbon gets wet they fall apart and turn into a pile of dust

 

[T4tomo]

6.8kg

 

[youngoldbloke]

Don't start another debate
And just remember when carbon gets wet they fall apart and turn into a pile of dust

- as does steel - eventually. Known as 'rust'.

 

[AlanW]

I would normally have said what about titanium, but given recent events, maybe not....

 

[Alex321]

Just for interest sake l weighed my Look KG 253 Nemo steel size 53 c/c seat tube. fitted with mavic starfish double crank, Look pedals, Mavic Cosmos wheels and Mavic 851 ssc derailleurs . total weight exactly 9kg.
Look KG 386 Carbon HM size 51 c/c seat tube. fitted with Campagnolo Chorus crankset, Mavic sprint pedals and Mirage derailleurs total weight 8.850 kg.
I offer no conclusions only the observation that the steel Look is oh so comfortable to ride.....whereas .....I say no more. I could take photos if anyone doubts my observations

Why would anybody doubt your observations? There are a mixture of weights of bikes in every material.

And there really aren't any conclusions to be drawn from comparing the weights of two different bikes, even from the same manufacturer.

If interested in the weight differences between the materials, you need to compare two bikes of as close to the same model as possible, which won't be easy, given that where model ranges have some carbon and some not, the non-carbon are usually aluminium rather than steel.

 

[Peter Salt]

Get a good quality frame - material is somewhat irrelevant.

 

[Jameshow]

A carbon bike frame set might weight around 1.5kg.
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/road-bikes/dolan-letape-carbon-105-review/

A steel 531c around 2.0kg.

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/531-frame-weight.210208/

You might save some by going to 753 / 853 / 953 but the HM carbon will be similarly lighter.

 

[simongt]

Get a good quality frame - material is somewhat irrelevant.

Agree. There's been so much 'debate' over the last few years around the pros & cons of the various frame materials, it seem to have become irrelevant as to which is better overall. Each material has it's place in what particular discipline you ride.
I'm a firm believer in chromoly for my style of travel, so as long as the respective rider is happy with their choice, that's what matters.

 

[woodbutchmaster]

6.8kg

Too enigmatic for me to understand

 

[Grant Fondo]

a chap at a LBS handed me a Cervelo S5 frameset not that long ago with a grin on his face ... 975g apparently and 5 grands worth, it felt daft it was so light.

 

[Peter Salt]

Agree. There's been so much 'debate' over the last few years around the pros & cons of the various frame materials, it seem to have become irrelevant as to which is better overall. Each material has it's place in what particular discipline you ride.
I'm a firm believer in chromoly for my style of travel, so as long as the respective rider is happy with their choice, that's what matters.

Spot on. Just think about what you need and get in in good quality.

I'm not the best at climbing, for example, so wanted to make sure my road bike is on the lighter side (carbon). Not quite a weight weenie but I need all the help I can get.

For my CX set-up, I never even considered carbon and went with aluminium. Not because I don't trust the material but because I don't trust myself with not smashing it to bits falling off a cliff