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Top 5 or 10 Carbon Bikes

Personally, if money were no object, considering my age and riding style, I would get a custom made Calfee Tetra (though the Dragonfly is a higher model, I know). I rode one once and fell in love with it. Maybe more so than my Merckx Ti. Also once rode a Seven Elium that was quite nice to me - and that's a real key here. For me.

Of course some of the higher end more performance oriented bikes are likely to be superb (Giant, Colnago, Pina, Cervelo, BMC, etc. etc.) but that Calfee...
 
Jun 16, 2009
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Alpe raises a very valid point.

Handling characteristics etc are impacted by the weight distribution and geometry of the rider themselves (note I didn't say DETERMINED, just IMPACTED). If you are a long rangey rider that is all thin arms and legs and no torso then a bike that feels nice to you could be very different to one that suits a compact muscley rider that is all torso.

Beyond that, the list Alpe gives is a good starting point for discussion. To that you could add De Rosa, Willier, etc (and a Felt AR Team is currently my personal ride and I love it so chuck Felt into the conversation too)
 
Jun 19, 2009
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Martin-I'm on the mid range of small racers (52+CM) and like my Felt DA. I've had problems with most carbon frames, particularly compacts; being fairly harsh and twitchy. That makes for serious fatigue after 3+ hours and some hair raising handling on rough descents which is favored territory for me. I'm not concerned about sprinting rigidity so much as stable handling without the nosebleedingly expensive task of replacement after a crash. Several teammates have complained of the twitchy side of Specialized upper end frames and others have loved Scotts but no one under 170 lbs around here has a Felt. What suggestions do you and others have?
 
Jun 16, 2009
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***** STAND BY FOR HURLING OF DERISION!*******

Actually, Oldman, to be honest, until I got my Felt my favourite bike in the last 10 years has been my 1999 Trek USPS OCLV. <Note that I didnt say it was the BEST bike, just that it was my favourite one> It has become the bad weather training and long distance cruising bike for me and I actually rode it to work this morning.

Look, a lot has been said about Trek not being that great and poor value for money etc, and of course there is the Lance association. The thing is, I raced on that Trek in the better part of my cycling career - won some races on it and did some monster (300km+) group rides on it. I was always completely secure and stable on it on mountain descents as well as crits.

It is definitely a bit splashy now in comparison to modern carbon but it is absolutely bomb-proof for me in high speed riding and riding no hands etc. Never ever twitches on me. I am more nervous on 90kph+ downhills now than I used to be but that is my age and family impact - not the bike.


This all reinforces my earlier comment - What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for others. I don't think you can create a definitive Top 10 manufacturers as such because every brand sells at least one pig. That leaves you with the top 10 frames. And THAT begs the question - top 10 to do WHAT and with WHO on board?

That said, I would be amazed if I ended up purchasing a bike from a company that hasn't already been mentioned above this post in this thread! :D


To paraphrase the old quote: "Ride 'em all and let your behind sort 'em out!"
 
Dec 14, 2009
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A certain pro tour rider I was talking to a while back who has ridden the top LOOK and Felt bikes said he thought the USPS treks were very nice bikes for the time, He said they were his favorite race bike in fact.

As for modern carbon machines I can only say that I have had nothing but good experiences with Specialized, especially the new ones with tapered head tubes etc, I really felt the difference going from my 08 tarmac frame to the 2010 shape frame, The extra stiffness was appreciable, plus I think it is more comfortable and predictable as well which is nice for longer races.

I think it would be hard to find a bad frame now, A manufacturer couldn't survive if their bikes were truly crap.

Remember that the frame isn't everything as far as ride quality is concerned, I know my Tarmac with my Shimano RS20 wheels is a much smoother ride than with my Reynolds SDV66 carbon wheels on! I know which wheels I pick for racing every time though...
 
Aug 4, 2009
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You got to remember that all Carbon is made in China Taiwan so dont beleive all the hype.

You can get a very good carbon from Hong Kong for $300.USD

That is where most are made under licence
 
Jun 15, 2010
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Not All

brianf7 said:
You got to remember that all Carbon is made in China Taiwan so dont beleive all the hype.

You can get a very good carbon from Hong Kong for $300.USD

That is where most are made under licence

Most carbon frames are made in Taiwan/China but not all.Most Carbon comes from Japan( Mitsubishi and Toray) Certainly Time,Basso,BMC and most Look's are made in Europe.
I agree with you about your Hong Kong frame though.I bought a TT frame from Shenzen and it is faster and more comfortable than my Cervelo P2, though the finnish/quality is not as good.
 
Aug 14, 2009
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I have a Cervelo R3 and I love it.

Nothing feels more responsive and smoother.

To compare I have ridden a Cannondale SuperSix 13 (Saeco Model) and Colnago Master Light. I can ride on it all day and can feel every ounce of power go straight to the wheels.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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I am a fan of the Looks...had a few, but never one with integrated seatpost.

Stiff and responsive, feels lively but not as harsh as the ti frames I've had.

185cm/ ~70kg if it matters!
 
May 27, 2010
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I would say the one that fits you best is the one to get. Honestly, I don't think there's a huge amount of difference between any of them except in what you like. Most frame reviewers seem to have come to this conclusion (though they do nitpick).

I picked up a cf scattante team with all sram red and easton ea90sl wheels, and cf bars, stem and seatpost, for less than I could buy the sram groupo for when my giant tcr broke. Relative to my previously owned steel columbus-sl/slx/tsx, aluminum, and Ti frames, it's in another league in terms of lightness and stiffness. It's probably 150 grams heavier than the lightest cf frames currently out there, perhaps not the stiffest either. However, it is the stiffest and lightest frame I've ever owned. The only drawback is the flack I get on the group rides riding a performance brand bike.

I may pick up a Look 586. I like Looks just because in the late 80's I thought they were cool on the rack at the local bike shop. Still I can't imaging I'll notice a $$$ difference when I switch the components over, if any....
 
If money wasn't a problem. I'd love to have a bike exactly like this-no question asked...
katusha_bettiniphoto_0045471_1_full_download__600.jpg

for now I still enjoy my cervelo RS..
 
Mar 10, 2009
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Martin318is said:
To paraphrase the old quote: "Ride 'em all and let your behind sort 'em out!"
Eight years ago, I visited every notable cycling store in greater Denver. While I was in the market for a new bike, I was actually conspiring with my college roomates wife. She was planning a big surprise birthday party and needed "joe" to be gone all day. Well, after about 6 hours we happened upon a store I did not know of in Golden. They had just set up a ONCE logoed Giant TCR - carbon fibre everything, well other than the Dura-ace groupo and Krysium SL wheelset. It was underweight, it fit, and it road like a dream.

Like i said, I was in the market for, but not prepared to buy a bike that day. But after the test ride (halfway) up and down Lookout Mountain, I went to a surprise birthday party $2800 poorer but with a ride that I still love.

As both you and Alpe point out, most importantly, it suits my behind, and my riding style.
 
Jul 6, 2009
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based on stiffness to weight and independent testing in no real order cervelo specialized and scott are the 3 best bikes you can buy currently. steer clear of colnagos pinarellos etc... over priced heavy bikes which sell on name alone.
 
Jul 6, 2009
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hfer07 said:
If money wasn't a problem. I'd love to have a bike exactly like this-no question asked...
katusha_bettiniphoto_0045471_1_full_download__600.jpg

for now I still enjoy my cervelo RS..

you dont want that heavy flexible but pretty machine unless you concern is pretty.
 
Sep 9, 2010
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Perusing this thread...and after entirely too much blah blah blah about carbon this, steel that, aluminum this, as I've seen in other forums...it's nice to see a thread that has not as of yet, devolved into a war of poo-poo'ing this that and the other.

I like them all: bikes bikes bikes nom nom nom. There's a time and purpose for everything under heaven, don't you know. There is no, "one bike does all".

I've ridden a couple of Specialized CF's that were pretty much the bomb.

CF is tricky though sure enough...research how it's made and the different build techniques, especially if you're of the Clydesdale persuasion.
 
May 20, 2010
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The best carbon bike is the one that fits. The best quality I've seen is from this guy:http://crumptoncycles.com/
I've had the pleasure of seeing his old workshop as well as assembling a few for him. Bar none--unbeatable finish and impeccable design for the individual.
However, I'm in the bike biz and am therefore broke, so I ride a Masi, which is great, and a better ride than the Trek 5900 I was on previously.
 
Jun 20, 2009
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Colnago cx1 is my current cf ride. Best cf I've had. Light enough without scaring me that it's going to break (unlike my SRAM red drivetrain which feels fragile), stiff but not harsh and comfortable on 4+ hr rides. Anyone ridden one of their new M1 frames?
 
Mar 18, 2009
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TexPat said:
The best carbon bike is the one that fits. The best quality I've seen is from this guy:http://crumptoncycles.com/
I've had the pleasure of seeing his old workshop as well as assembling a few for him. Bar none--unbeatable finish and impeccable design for the individual.
However, I'm in the bike biz and am therefore broke, so I ride a Masi, which is great, and a better ride than the Trek 5900 I was on previously.

I like the Masi's. My buddy sells them as his "second brand" in the shop...he sells a lot of them.

I've gone away from CF totally now but I'd agree with the assesment that hand-made and boutique bikes are where it's at. Parlee, Crumpton, etc. But ultimately it boils down to what rides well for the you...as many have already stated...
 

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