What should I expect from my new carbon bike?

oldwelshman

16mm wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

P_Tucker wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

Of course there is marketting involved but to claim Contador would win on an o steel frame is rubbish.

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I said the response for accelerating is improved which it definitely is for both climbing or sprinting.
From personal experience I find it so much easier climbing when I leave my winter 853 bike in the shed from early summer onwards.
I klnow for a fact if I raced on that bike I would struggle in races on climbs more than I currently do, which is bad enough as it is
Also for sprinting out of a bunch the response is so much faster I even won a couple of bunch sprints this year

From pictures on your photobucket account in your sig you look quite a handy track sprinter, doing a 200m.
Are you saying that you only won a road sprint because of the increase is stiffness of a carbon frame over your 853? Not because of your training or mental approach?

FWIW I race a 531 track frame, and I don't think it makes any difference to my placing in bunch races, even though most others race CF disks etc.

No not saying won the sprint purely because of it, but I do believe the stiffer and faster response does save energy overall during the whole duration of a race which will result in a better final sprint as your sprint efforts in any one day is mimitted.
As for the track I dont thinks it is a uge benefit for bunch racing and I race on 853 track frame or carbon, tend to use 853 for outside and carbon for the boards.
I dont class myself as a sprinter, but I did win silver in lvrc sprint in masters champs but I am an endurance rider who can sprint at end of hard scratch race or in points race.

P_Tucker

oldwelshman wrote:

Good old wiki
Theory sounds good about overcoming wind negating gain but in a race if you can get back on the wheelinfront fast you dont have to break wind, and I dont mean farting lol this is where fast response from frame comes in as couple of pedal revs and way you go. I can only speak from personalexperience but I find it much easier to close gaps when accelerating on carbon frame compared to steel and the more you can save on these efforts the better as they are energy sapping.

lets just throw out SCIENCE and rely on your personal anecdotes. I've got CERN and the world's leading universities on a video conference right now - can you tell me:

1. Your gut feeling on quantum gravity
2. Your instincts about the nature of dark matter and dark energy
3. What your 6th sense tells you about the Higgs boson

I've also got the Oxford University Press on the call - if you get back to me quickly we can have new textbooks in the Europe's schools by Tuesday - rest of the world by Wednesday.

oldwelshman

I wouldn't mind working at CERN actually seems quite interesting Bit like going round velodrome but a little faster
Think I have Higgs boson in my legs after three days track training !!

vision267

Richard36 wrote:

Thanks loveaduck

I do like the bike. It's very shiny and new with very nice components but can I justify spending £1000 on a bike that doesn't seem to offer me that much more than my existing bike in terms of how it rides?

My question I suppose is whether I'm being unrealistic or whether I should be noticing a big difference between an old steel framed bike and a new carbon framed bike?

Cheers

£1000 is still a lot of money for a bike.I had a focus cayo and its a good bike but its not the best carbon frame out there.Focus frames are not that great really.I doubt they are so much better than a old steel frame.

Save your money,and if you want to get a carbon frame in the future at least buy one from the bigger manufacturer's.I went from a focus cayo to a cervelo RS,and there is a big difference in performance and comfort.

For me focus carbon frames are not the greatest,and can only be bought online.

gaddster

You should apply for a job as a reviewer on bike radar and all the other cycling sites that rated the Cayo, they clearly need pointing in the right direction.