tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post4955498011632555759..comments2024-03-28T11:56:48.304-04:00Comments on The Retrogrouch: Carbon Bikes in the NYTBrookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-3033362128758578632014-08-05T16:21:50.869-04:002014-08-05T16:21:50.869-04:00CF is stronger than steel, but consumers willing t...CF is stronger than steel, but consumers willing to spend big bucks want to see that the frame is sub-900 grams. That used to be the weight of a steel fork! And have you noticed most "steel is real" boutique steel bike have... carbon forks??? They are a pound lighter and just as strong, so it's a no-brainer.<br /><br />My Cannondale SuperX cross bike is plenty light and seriously strong against impacts (ballistec in there just in case), manufacturers could make road bikes this way with only a 100 grams weight "penalty".mutron3khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03316587425179305508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-20590932291824157472014-07-28T11:25:05.487-04:002014-07-28T11:25:05.487-04:00Anybody that's ridden long enough has wrecked....Anybody that's ridden long enough has wrecked. Sometimes it's just being tired and you don't see some ridge that grabs your tire, and your pride is the only thing damaged. Sometimes it's a lot more serious. With steel, your odds of being able to get up and ride away are much better than with a CF bike. Even if your CF bike "seems" OK, it should forever be considered suspect afterwards, in my opinion. Steel bikes have to be beaten pretty savagely before they utterly fail.<br /><br />I've personally seen CF bikes crack and break. Sometimes with very little provocation. One particularly scary example was a group ride with some steep climbs. A strong young man was out of his saddle when his fork crumbled and he went over the handlebars. Aside from some roadrash, he was mostly OK. His (~$600, yikes!) fork was totaled. We couldn't figure out the cause, aside from wondering if maybe the combination of the rock hard/razor thin tires and him leaning hard on the bars put too much pressure on the forks. Weirdly, he replaced them with the same type of fork. Weight weenie. <br /><br /><br />One of Grant Peterson's thoughts on CF bikes that makes me chuckle says something to the effect of: if you see an old steel bike, it is likely safe to ride, if you see an old CF bike (unlikely) take a pass on riding it. I cannot remember where I read it, wish I could find it to do the quote justice.<br /><br /><br />Wolf.<br />N/Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14710395292374599493noreply@blogger.com