Listers,
I feel like I'm preaching to the converted foe the most part but the main problem with Carbon and the way people build bikes these days is that it's TOO stiff. A well engineered steel bike (or bike of any material for that matter) will flex in ways that are beneficial for the rider.
Anecdotal evidence is as follows: Several years ago I was lucky enough to be sent by the bicycle shop I worked at to a American Bicycle Group sales meeting in Chattanooga Tennessee, USA. While I was there, they lent me a Merlin Extralight with full Carbon Record, Carbon fork and Real Carbon clincher rims. The bike WAS a dream to ride, for sure. Light, stiff and fast. However, as we started down the mountain I managed to basically roll the front tire off the carbon at maybe thirty miles an hour with the pack behind me. Not a good situation.
I think what happened is that the carbon rim, handlebar and fork (and oversize headset and stem) were so stiff that any 'english' I put into the bar could only flex the tire... in this case catastrophically.
The tire flexed and flexed till it couldn't anymore, and the tire rolled. That would NEVER happen on a steel (or aluminum) fork with alloy stem, bar and rim, because the stuff bends in a way you need it to and then, more importantly, springs back predictably.
Another anecdote. At the shop, I knocked over a bike with Easton carbon road bars. Snapped 'em in half.... from the weight of the bike. Needless to say, I'm NEVER riding carbon bars, Eastons are supposed to be the best!
Finally, When I hit a pothole at 30 with a steel bike, the bike doesn't feel like a toy. I know it'll survive the hit. Carbon, I'm not so sure. Probably what a Teledyne Titan feels like, but more plastic-y.
Anyway, check out my ebay Auctions ending tomorrow - A Miyata Aero team (item# 270218840774), Colnago Oval CX (item #270218835251) and Richard Sachs' ONLY Aero bike (item #270218840878) . My user name is harryschwartzman.
Harry Schwartzman Woodside, NY USA
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