Bicycling - Road and Mountain

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Frame type - thoughts?

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  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,686 Member
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    It was the most comfortable bike I've rode since my Dawes Super Galaxy was on the road mate - and it was still stiffer and handled better than the aluminium girder that I currently ride - Planex-X Team Superlight - not exactly the worlds most forgiving of frames - makes Cannondale CAAD9's feel like a sofa :laugh:

    And this was with a pair of 60mm deep carbon clinchers on it!

    Can I get a "Zoooooooommm!!!!" :laugh:
  • AlwaysInMotion
    AlwaysInMotion Posts: 409 Member
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    I :heart: :heart: :heart: my Roubaix. Have had it since 2007 and it still rides like a dream. Went w/SRAM Force (yr 1 before Red existed), std double, Fulcrum Zeros, yadda, yadda... I'm not big, but I can be rather abusive on bikes (it's hard to break the MTB habit of jumping things I shouldn't.) She's so steady. Never speed wobbles, never made me flinch on hairy decents, can ride miles of cobbles and still feel my hands, accelerates reasonably well (not super responsive, but that's the trade-off), and so on...

    One of my regular riding buddies is a big guy (6'2'', 260+lbs) and he's got a custom Serotta (steel w/carbon fork). Full carbon bikes unnerve him and I can see why. Many carbon frames are designed for whippet-thin racers. He's considering retiring the Serotta (geometry causes said speed wobble at speeds over 30mph) and has considered going w/Zinn for his next road bike. I guess Zinn specializes in bikes for big/tall riders (Zinn is a big guy himself.) A bike specially designed for bigger/taller may be worth considering if you have doubts about the long-term integrity of the frame.
  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
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    for first road bike, especially we of the Clyde persuasion (200+), aluminum (or steel) is the order of the day. There's something to be said for buying the most frame one can afford and upgraded over time, but we get log(n) diminished returns after a while.

    Best bang for the buck these days is still the Cannondale CAAD8. Complete bikes can be had for under $1000 and less than $700 happens from time to time.

    We still need to be picky about wheels. Lower spoke count wheels are probably better than they were, but to be safe anyone over 220 really should stick with tried and true (hah! True. Get it?) 32 or 36 spoke wheels. Magic CXP23 on (any) Shimano hub is a classic Clyde goto. DT Alpine III spokes (triple butted) for even more resilience (but they cost).
  • dtpss188
    dtpss188 Posts: 85
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    This been a very informative thread and one which shows how the bicycle and its frame are very personal to the rider. I have come to the conclusion that at this time carbon fiber is for me. Although I never got on a Cannondale aluminum, the aluminum bikes I did ride were nice but not comparable to the carbons I rode. The bike that has felt unbelievable and awesome to me is the Trek Madone. The 4 series is in my price range and I'm leaning strongly in that direction. I may start with a used bike, and I have a lead on a used Madone 4.5 in great shape. We'll see where that takes me. Thanks to everybody who contributed to my education via this thread!

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