The first upgrade to carbon

johngti

This is aimed at those of you who started with a mid-range aluminium bike and then bought a carbon framed upgrade. What were the differences you noticed? Were you any quicker or is it all much the same? I'm starting to obsess about it!!

lawrences

I started with a very low end alu bike then moved to what I have now so the differences were probably more noticeable.

the first thing you'll notice is a difference in road buzz and a comfier ride. Everything thing else comes down to what you're upgrading from.

Your mid range aluminium is probably on par if not better than most low end carbon, so if you do upgrade do it properly. Don't assume any carbon frame will be an improvement.

turnerjohn

as above...weight wise a small difference but the most noticable thing I noted was road buzz.
does depend what "mid range" alloy and what carbon you were trading up to ?

Lycra-Byka

I've gone from a giant defy 3 to a 200mile old trek oclv 2006

Difference is amazing. I thought all this stiffness thing was marketing hype and I wouldn't notice the difference. I commute to work on the giant and ride the trek for pleasure, which it is.
Power is direct, ride is sharp(harsh at first but not uncomfortable) and I'm encouraged to ride it to its limits. The two bikes feel different almost to the point of going from MTb to road all over again.

I'm bitten by the carbon bug now..

dnwhite88

I upgraded from spesh allez to a carbon frame and would never look back-except for a canyon ultimate AL-they are meant to be incredible

johngti

Thanks for the replies! The background to this is that I did a 27 miler today which included a couple of decent inclines (15% and 11% at various points) and as I made my way up them, I did the usual "this shouldn't be this hard" thing. It's stupid really because today's performance was my best yet on these roads! (It's tinkerpot lane and speedgate hill near Brands Hatch/west Kingsdown in kent in case anyone was wondering!). I've never managed to ride all the way up before, always ended up walking but today I did it. Stopped on tinkerpot lane when a van passed but got going again pretty quickly.

I'm riding a giant defy 4 that I'm seriously thinking of upgrading a lot. Current plans are a whole new groupset, aiming at 10 speed with a 12-30 tooth cassette assuming I go down the shimano Tiagra route but I'm also tempted by Sram Apex. It's just a square taper BB at the mo and I'm sure it's letting me down, it feels like it flexes when I really stamp on the pedals. The 2300 front mech went about a month ago in favour of a 105 - much better shifting on the front now. But as I struggled along, I started daydreaming about what owning a lightweight, stiff carbon bike would be like, hence the question. I've never ridden a carbon bike and given the advice above, it'll be a while until I can afford something else so the giant will remain.

thescouselander

The difference isn't so clear cut to me. Sure, one frame can be better than another but there are a number of factors involved other than the material it is constructed from and a frame will not automatically be better just because its made of a particular materiel.

The Defy frame is actually pretty competent - I have one and I dont find it holds me back in speed terms or going up hills (and there are a lot of hills where I live). I also ride other more exotic bikes but there's no discernible difference when I look at my stats on Strava.

There's always a temptation to assume a slightly lighter higher spec bike will make you faster - it wont. The best thing to do is to get more miles in and then you'll be getting up the hills no problem.

Lycra-Byka

Flat out tt pace at 10miles I'm 23secs faster on my carbon compared to my defy. I think most of that's actually pyscological anyway. (trek has better wheels and ultegra gearing ect though)

Material alone won't make you much faster. It's more about feel unless you get into racing figures .

diy

Doesn't really matter what you ride. When you are pushing yourself to the limit, it never feels easy. Its only when looking at your data, do you realise that you are faster.

I very much doubt small upgrades are going to get you up hills faster, easier than now. Unless your alu bike is 1-2kg heavier than the carbon upgrade. On road hill climb difference for me mtb full Sus to carbon road bike is only about 20% different. So worth remembering that its going to be less than that road to better road bike.

johngti

That's the daft thing - I know I was faster; I also made it up hills I couldn't do before. Psychology is a strange thing!

(I will be changing the groupset at some point, mind )