Rose or Planet X?

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  • lawrences
    lawrences Posts: 1,011
    When do we receive the quote for that technical knowledge.

    Well made fibre will out last badly bonded aluminium. But in this price bracket you won't get either of those.
  • BenderRodriguez
    BenderRodriguez Posts: 907
    buzzwold wrote:
    As someone who runs an engineering company can I draw your attention to the fact that aluminium is a metal. It will almost certainly outlast a carbon fibre bike under the same conditions

    How about the fact that aluminium has a finite fatigue life, whilst carbon composites do not, and so should not fail unless their yield limits are surpassed, as might happen in a crash?

    Also, it is hardly comparing 'like with like' if the comparison is between a 900g 'carbon' frame, a 1400g Aluminium one and a 2kg steel one. Build them all to the same weight, say 1kg, and my money would be on the carbon one outlasting both the steel and alloy frames

    A carbon frame should also offer superior ride qualities, not least because a carbon frame can both be compliant when subject to rough roads and yet stiff when subject to higher loads, as might be imposed by the rider when climbing or sprinting. In comparison, a steel or titanium frame that is flexible enough to absorb road shocks well will inherently tend to be pretty flexible in general. After all, a steel or titanium frame effectively acts much like a spring, and will respond to load in a pretty linear manner.

    Also, I don't really see how a truly compliant aluminium frame that also has a good fatigue life could be made, as the relatively poor fatigue life of aluminium demands that deformation under load be minimised as much as is possible. Ie. For a good fatigue life, an aluminium frame must be stiff.

    In my view, a well-made carbon frame really can offer the best of all worlds: light, stiff, comfortable and with a good fatigue life for the weight. Carbon frames are also easily repaired, much of the time anyhow. In comparison, due to the heat treatment they need and their 'coke can' construction, a damaged aluminium frame is usually just scrap. As to titanium frames being a 'for life' product, they might be if the tubes didn't need to be welded together, which is where they usually fail.
    "an original thinker… the intellectual heir of Galileo and Einstein… suspicious of orthodoxy - any orthodoxy… He relishes all forms of ontological argument": jane90.
  • adamfo
    adamfo Posts: 763
    buzzwold wrote:
    jbike2014 wrote:
    Thanks for all your responses - very helpful indeed. It looks as though there is somewhat of an overwhelming preference for Rose.

    In response to some of the points that you raise:

    - the Rose RS3000 looks very good - and very very light (6.98kg). You do have to factor in the shipping charge of £27 and then the extra cost of a cardboard box which they charge you (£16). So it will come out closer to £1500 than £1400. Also, the frame is Aluminium. I am very surprised that they have managed to get it so light without using carbon. I would prefer carbon as I think its better quality and will probably last longer than Aluminium. Also, seems a bit more pro doesn't it. I guess if you are paying £1000 you would probably like at least a carbon frame.
    If I was going to get an aluminium frame I would go for the Rose Xeon RS2000 - it is £846 and weighs 7.95kg.

    - I agree that the Rose frame is better than the Planet X frame.

    - I was also wondering which bike would be more comfortable out of the Rose or the Planet X.

    I think I will probably go with the Rose. Unless anyone can find a bike that weighs less than 7.55kg for £1,142? I haven't come across a cheaper and lighter bike than the Rose.

    Thanks again for your help - the only reason I ask is that there are a lot of good reviews for Planet X out there, but not many people have heard of Rose in England and it is harder to find reviews and information about them!

    As someone who runs an engineering company can I draw your attention to the fact that aluminium is a metal. It will almost certainly outlast a carbon fibre bike under the same conditions and low end carbon fibre frames may be not as good to ride as a similar priced ally frame. Note that at least two of the major players continue to invest quite heavily in ally frame development.

    You need to brush up your knowledge of modern composites !

    http://www.cnde.iastate.edu/sites/defau ... 00x309.PNG

    I doubt alloy frames will exists once cheap injection moulded composites are perfected.

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