Do I need carbon ?

Platti
Platti Posts: 130
edited November 2009 in Road buying advice
Insurance co are sending me 1k towards a new bike. I'll put about 200 towards (more for the right bike). I seem to only be looking at Carbon as thats what my old one was. What do you people in the know reckon ? Recommendations as well please...

Comments

  • solsurf
    solsurf Posts: 489
    I've just done 1500 miles on my Felt Z35 and starting to really love it especially after changing the saddle and tyres. Evans are doing them with a few hundred quid off at £1299 :) certainly worth a look. They get very good reviews to. I'm sure you'll get very different opinions, best thing is go and try as many as possible.
    http://www.pogu.co.uk
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Planet X Ti Road Pro
    I like bikes...

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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,680
    I guess no-one needs carbon but if it's what you're used to and like then go for it. What bike are you replacing? Presumably you haven't got enough to match it or didn't like it much? I've gone for a Scott CR1 for £1350 (with 10% discount) as it was the one I liked best but you need to try a few - plenty about in roughly your budget now.
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    I think I'm going Ti for my next bike, I worry about the accidental damage stories about carbon and I just think that Ti or steel would be best for me. It's completely up to you though, would the accident that totalled your last one cause the same damage to a Ti frame? And does that reall ybother you. I suppose it depends whether you want to look like a pro or a brit club rider/old man, I'm happy to look like a fogey :D
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • pianoman
    pianoman Posts: 706
    I just think that Ti or steel would be best for me. It's completely up to you though, would the accident that totalled your last one cause the same damage to a Ti frame?

    Exactly what I post every time such a thread comes up :P

    See if you can weedle anouther £230 out of somewhere and get one of THESE:

    http://www.fatbirds.co.uk/detail.asp/sku=VN-Mistralbike

    NICE...........now that's a TI bike for the same price as most entry-level carbon machines :D
  • Escargot
    Escargot Posts: 361
    Of course you don't *need* carbon but it greatly depends on what ride characteristics you're looking for.

    The whole titanium/carbon thing is really quite irrational as people think titanium is indestructable :roll: .

    Please bear in mind that 12k carbon is anything between twice to six times the stiffness of titanium as a material. Naturally the ultimate capability of a frame depends on tube cross sections but make no mistake that whatever caused your carbon frame to fail could have easily bent a titanium frame in half (or most likely snapped it in two also).

    Of course it's possible to have tubes machined out and new ones butted but faced with an insurance claim I'm not sure anyone would go to that much trouble. Thus in a crash scenario I very much doubt any bike material will be substantially better than another.
    would the accident that totalled your last one cause the same damage to a Ti frame?

    Basically yes but the failure mode will be slightly different.

    Personally I'd go and test ride a shortlist of bikes (titanium, carbon, stainless or aluminium) and then see what feels best for you.
  • Mothyman
    Mothyman Posts: 655
    i have carbon and dont regret, but wanting a Ti bike to ride in the wet......

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