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never ridden a carbon bike....just wondering how it rides?
looking for a light comfy 29er for some long steady offroad miles, always read about it being comfy/soaking up trail buzz and such.
what is it like?
it rides depending on how the manufacturer wants it to ride
not being facetious, it can be made to ride stiff and harsh, it can be made to ride soft and comfy or a mix of both, much like any frame material really
ton - have you considered Ti ?
I've got a carbon 456, and pro carbon road bike, they are both lush.
they can be built up light, without feeling skittish. I live near afan argoed, and margam forest is my local ride, it climbs quick, and is a real pleasure to ride. I've had the frame for 2 or 3 years, and it's held up really well, with no issues. they are responsive and comfortable. I'd definitely have more carbon.
[sexual politics of a viking] like a good woman[/sexual politics of a viking]
They are all different
ton - have you considered Ti ?
had a ti Raleigh years ago...it snapped, steered clear since.
but I have been looking at the tripster, only thing putting me off is that I want to run a 2.1 tyre. I have toured offroad on my surly, and it is too harsh with a 48c tyre..i need something larger.
I have an On One Lurcher, it feels like it smooths out some trail buzz and chatter. I usually ride a 100mm 26" FS bike and is is almost as comfortable for long lumpy rides. It is super stiff about the bottom bracket and head tube so transfers power directly. The geometry is spot on for general XC riding especially climbing. It looks massively overbuilt and is heavier than similar XC racing sleds costing £1K more, but that could be a good thing for the larger or clumsier rider.
Of course finishing kit will also hugely affect the feel and ride.
Downsides are that it is noisy, in a 'lego in a tupperware box' rattly way.
Light, strong, stiff, cheap. Pick three? No mate, pick four! Everything is possible in the world of carbon.
[quote=JoB ]it rides depending on how the manufacturer wants it to ride
not being facetious, it can be made to ride stiff and harsh, it can be made to ride soft and comfy or a mix of both, much like any frame material really
That really. Same can be said of Ti.
Have a wee word with the team at Travers bikes. The Rudy 29er has "tons" of tye clearance.
I had a carbon Trek Fuel. It rode great, climbed like a rat up a drainpipe... even if I didn't! but I spent the whole time looking for cracks. Eventually I found three or four.
I had the same problem with aluminium, it cracked too, but I didn't spend the whole time worrying that it would explode underneath me taking a bollock with it.
Lurcher +1 great bike.
I've tried the lot. Carbon, titanium, alloy, steel. There's not much between them really. Small differences. Geometry and componentry make more difference. But yeah, it depends on what the manufacturer wants.
That said, I find carbon a bit 'dead' feeling. I wouldn't rush out and buy another bike just because it was carbon, put it that way. I generally prefer steel. There's no difference between steel and titanium though apart from the placebo effect and a weight saving.
Buy a carbon bike. Spend a while looking at it in the car park, going "ooh" and "Ahhh". Get on. Ride it. 30sec later you will have forgotten what it is made out of!!
Which is a way of saying, for a mountain bike, how it rides really isn't anything to do with what it is made out of! With several inches of suspension travel, and massive high volume tyres, if you can tell that a frame has a 10Hz higher primary ride frequency, you're a better rider than I..... 😉
I could tell the difference between the carbon and alu blur lt. It's quite obvious but carbon can be layered in so many ways, stiff frames and flexible running blades.