DIfferent Carbon frame specs

chrisbrook

Hi, i'm gonna get back in to road bikes after 10 years away..... I've got 2 bikes in mind for a new ride, BASSO LAGUNA VELOCE (wiggle sale) or PLANET X RT-57 (planet x) ....

The basso says its T700 with TR50 and MR60, the planet x says its high modulas, by googling I gather that high modulas is T800. Which is the best ? Also rider weight limits are they to be strictly adhered to ?

I'm 111kg ish at the moment but will be below 100 not too long after getting back on the bike.

Any advice...

chris

smidsy

Each person answering will likely go for a different view but the high modulus for me is too stiff. It is also more prone to damage (more brittle).

Basso make really nice frames.

oldwelshman

No disrespect but if you been away for 10 years and weigh 110kg why do you want/need carbon? I would go for steel/alu or titanium. CAron is over rated and unless you race not needed and far more prone to damage.

napoleond

You wouldn't notice any difference between the two...

petemadoc

Pick the one that looks best, or will fit best. I'd go for the Basso myself.

Monty Dog

Most of the specs given by bike companies is bollox written by marketing people and is pretty useless in terms of making an informed decision. FWIW the highest grades of carbon fibre simply aren't available to most bike companies (and certainly not the Chinese) - so anything described as 'high modulus' should be taken with a pinch of salt. The fibre is only one component, as it also depends on the resin and most importantly the manufacturing process - you can still make a rubbish frame from the best ingredients.

chrisbrook

I'd only thought about carbon because it's always been an exotic material and was in my price range .... before I saw the wiggle sale I had my eye on a 2013 felt z85 at my local hargroves cycles, i've got at the moment a specialized rockhopper (alu) can't fault it in the slightest. But i've never been sure on the strength or durability of aluminium road bikes (thin tubes compared to mtb's), their life span decreases on every pedal rotation unlike carbon. If I can't find any carbon in my budget that would be durable enough (over forest cattle grids and general bumpy roads) then I'll go back to the felt.

I just think if I get a carbon bike I'll just be so paranoid about it cracking after the first cattle grid or pot hole. Most manufacturers have either a 2 year (ribble) or 3 year (basso, prorace etc) frame warranty, so if it hasnt happen before then then more than likely it wont happen.

chris

fludey

Not completely relevant but I have a Carbon AR4 Felt, had it 2 years now and the roads round here are crap! Country lanes with plenty of lumps and bumps, must admit I do get off for cattle grids thou, but at a hefty 18stone think it shows carbon can take a lot more than people think.
But I also own an alu Felt and more than happy with that as well

oldwelshman

Its not the wieght that is the problem, even the slightest impact can crack them. Ask Steve Reynolds on here he put his bike standing up and wind blew it over, fell onto a rock and cracked frame :-).
On my pinarello prince involved in a crash in a race, went on grass hit bit of a ditch which turned the handlebars, they went straight through top tube ! Same happened to a mates pinarello frame during air transit.

elderone

I think people think to much about carbon and how brittle it is etc.I used to compete in carbon kayaks in slalom which envolved bashing it on rocks and masses of water crashing on it,yet eack hole/brake/crack was repaired easy enough.Admittedly my kayaks were thicker and heavier but they had to tackle some serious punishment and personally a bike gets a much easier life so dont worry about your carbon.

smoggysteve

You cannot compare a kayak to a bike frame. I don't know alot about kayaks, but I done slalom a few times in the army, Adventurous training. The kayak is most likely got fibre glass and other materials to support the thing and carbon fibre is used in places where is can be. A bike on the other hand is not designed to be bashed about and a bang in the wrong place will be catastrophic to its integrity. Carbon monocoque frames can handle very heavy loads in certain areas but if i took a hammer to the down tube at a 90 degree angle it would make a mess of it.

Next time you see an F1 car crash, look at all the bits that come flying off. all small bits of CF. Yes its strong but only where its designed to be. I know a car crash is extreme but it goes to show its not as strong as people believe it to be

chrisbrook

So carbon frame are only strong as they need to be in certain places e.g BB, tube joins etc. but mid way up the seat tube or along the top tube/down tube any impact COULD crack the frame. For normal riding I would say carbon is ok and strong enough (only being very unlucky with the bike falling over hitting rocks and damage in transport), again in race applications crashing is obviously not desirable and probably beyond any design brief of any material.

maybe manufacturers should have race only frames for extreme strength applications.
So maybe just take care out on the road avoid any big pot holes and as much as you can avoid crashes through cars or racing.

Can cracks in carbon be repaired or are they a write off ? and need to be replaced.....
one question for you guys with £2.5k+ carbon bikes if you crack or break the frame would you replace the frame like for like or go for a cheap chinese frame ?

smidsy

Carbon can be repaired and often more so than aluminium.

oldwelshman

chrisbrook wrote:

So carbon frame are only strong as they need to be in certain places e.g BB, tube joins etc. but mid way up the seat tube or along the top tube/down tube any impact COULD crack the frame. For normal riding I would say carbon is ok and strong enough (only being very unlucky with the bike falling over hitting rocks and damage in transport), again in race applications crashing is obviously not desirable and probably beyond any design brief of any material.

maybe manufacturers should have race only frames for extreme strength applications.
So maybe just take care out on the road avoid any big pot holes and as much as you can avoid crashes through cars or racing.

Can cracks in carbon be repaired or are they a write off ? and need to be replaced.....
one question for you guys with £2.5k+ carbon bikes if you crack or break the frame would you replace the frame like for like or go for a cheap chinese frame ?

Wow so all I have to do is be careful and avoid crashes, thabks for that I thought I was trying to be careful lol.
Anyway, to answer your question carbon frame can be repaired , safely and well, I had mine reparied twice for different crashes.

Monty Dog

Posted multiple times - for those that think carbon is 'brittle' suggest you try this with an aluminium alloy frame too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lsDXEEUlRE

FWIW Aluminium frames are almost impossible to repair economically.