So I thought about getting a carbon bike

mididoctors
mididoctors Posts: 16,861
edited July 2013 in Your road bikes
Well my condor Agio after 7 years was starting to look a bit battered and in need of a paint job. Decent enough bike thou, which I got as a all rounder for a aging fat guy with a spinal injury. A decent frame that is significantly more nimble than some generic 7005 alu frame ( I also have a ribble winter audax which I think is still decent enough tbh)

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blistering paint job and chain slap...time for armourtex

the racy audax geometry and light touring credentials was just the cup of tea at the time... basically a alu fratello which condor don't make anymore.... but with the back recovering enabling a more aggressive position combined with mid life crisis has me looking for a new steed... I was going to get a schill or a scapin but thats a real red ferrari moment so I thought what about this carbon thing... heh I have never done that.

First off I am not minted so its the bargain bucket end especially for a first foray into plastic bikes. So what have we got? Dolan mythos. a Ribble what ever, a Planet X or some chinese carbon.

Well scratch the chinese carbon, can't be ar5ed with the pay pal failbay scenario. I'm sure its ok 99% of the time but if things go wrong what a pain besides I am not ready for full carbon forks. So next up. Both planet x and the Dolan are just not quite my fit. Compact geometry is a real pain at times if you are a long armed ape.

that leaves Ribble. Trawling through the geometry lists brings up the Evo Pro Carbon in size small as the best fit. Which is odd as the Ribble height suggestion is a size Medium. Anyways I went for the small and transfered the groupset from the Condor across.

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groupset Centaur 2007 shifters with 2012 veloce mechs and stronglight cranks/BB..mixture of cheap stuff makes up finishing kit

wheels Zondas..best price to performance all rounder I have ever owned

finished result? ...hmmm meh.... What I like; Its cheap, its light(er), it's black. the small compact frame makes cable routing to the rear brake nice and direct. What I don't like; It has Ribble written on it but thats just being a bit snobby. Fitting a 25mm tyre in the rear triangle is a bit of a ta-do but I guess I will get the knack of it in time
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The ride?

no idea will take it for a spin and find out
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm

Comments

  • notlongnow
    notlongnow Posts: 176
    nice get it ridden
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,861
    Took the bike out for 100km spin

    underwhelming if not disappointing is the verdict I'm afraid.

    More comfort? no less because I went for a more head down position so I am not complaining, it did soak up the vibrations on our overly potholed highways and byways. comfort is really more about position in my book anyway.

    handling was actually quite good. The front end is really light and i was worried it may be a bit whippy but its all solid and the bike feels great being flicked off line mid corner..which promoted some rather juvenile behaviour on my part pushing the envelope... but I didn't stack it. came close though.

    the problem is the frame appears to be made of paper mache and pipe cleaners and flexs like a panicked snake on a hot griddle.. seated high cadence climbing was better where you could notice the saved weight (approx 0.6kg) but at high speeds stamping on the pedals the whole frame acted like some wattage vampire especially on even gradient drags where you can get the power down..it just didn't happen. really noticeable. if anything as far as racy is concerned I have stepped backwards as far as stiffness goes thou I have dropped my head onto the stem... but in my book if your going to chew your own handlebars you might as well be riding something that is as stiff as steel reinforced mahogany because comfort is not going to come into it anyway.

    I certainly wouldn't recommend racing on one..... its not rubbish just not what I expected..I thought carbon was supposed to be stiff!... It may be a perception thing but I don't think so as I tested it on roads I know very very well. I guess I paid my money and am stuck with it now.. I will not abandon it but OTOH I am defo going to send the agio frame off to rehab and save up for some decent kit for it

    the more I think about the more I think the Agio is a forgotten modern classic...it just does so many thing rather well
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,861
    Ok after a 2nd 80k confirmation ride I returned home for a bit of comparative testing

    a push test on both the pedal and BB spindle of the house's collection of road bikes we have a list of stiff to flexy bikes

    1st place Is my housemates Boardman Team (Alu) which really is quite solid and yes his BB30 sounds like a washing machine full of loose bolts. but it was easily the stiffest

    2nd place Is the condor Agio

    3rd place s a Ribble winter audax

    4th was a pinnacle sentinel "house bike"

    5th place Lizzy's women specfic Giant Scr 3 but was hard to tell between this and the ribble Audax in point of fact the Agio, Ribble winter, pinnacle and Giant scr 3 were all close.. there was some debate in house about 2-5th place I thought the scr 3 beat the pinnacle tbh

    6th place was a revolution country traveller tourer

    7th place was the evo pro carbon and significantly easy to judge than 2-5th place but was close to the traveller

    not a rig mounted scientifically rigorous deflection test I grant you...but.

    when pulling away seated from lights or at junctions I expect the bike to move forwards not side ways!
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • lawrences
    lawrences Posts: 1,011
    It's a real shame you don't like the new frame.

    Also sounds like an extreme amount of flex. Have you checked it over for any hairline cracks or other imperfections?
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,861
    lawrences wrote:
    It's a real shame you don't like the new frame.

    Also sounds like an extreme amount of flex. Have you checked it over for any hairline cracks or other imperfections?

    yeah looks sound enough

    the problem is in my wild ar5e guessing is the lack of build in the BB area between the down tube and the seat tube. I am thinking I should of got the planet x...

    its not the worst frame in the world but is it really value for money? hmmmm if its the comfort thing I am not really seeing it because you are looking at one of the sportive frames really... so what is the point of this frame? Its not really filling any niche..its not a cheap racer like the nanolight or a sit up and beg sportive...
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    Get shot of it and buy a P/X ali frame (the team superlight) - very well made, very stiff, excellent handling, dirt cheap so an excellent bargain.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,861
    Yossie wrote:
    Get shot of it and buy a P/X ali frame (the team superlight) - very well made, very stiff, excellent handling, dirt cheap so an excellent bargain.


    only got the small(tiny) in stock but will take that under advisement
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    No worries - I bought one a year or so ago as a fast summer commuter trainer and built it up with 7800 D/A, 2nd hand Easton EC90 SLX forks and Ritchey WCS bits that I got in the sales - absolutely brilliant - shockingly good for the money.

    Now running my spare P/X 50mm carbon tubs on it (moved the Cosmic Kyserium thingies - the Kyseriums with the carbon fairing) onto the winter bike and its an even bigger laugh.

    Its a really nice looking frame as well, so well recommended.
  • Iamnot Wiggins
    Iamnot Wiggins Posts: 685
    You get what you pay for. And by the sounds of it, you paid for shit.
  • lawrences
    lawrences Posts: 1,011
    Or you could try and get your hands on one of those Scott CR1 frames that have cropped up at some bargain price from somewhere.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,861
    lawrences wrote:
    Or you could try and get your hands on one of those Scott CR1 frames that have cropped up at some bargain price from somewhere.

    sizes left are too big
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm

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