Does anyone use carbon?

[Ben T]

I built up a carbon framed audax bike last year that has all of the above; hydraulic disc brakes, full mudguards, dynamo light.  Perhaps the only difference is that rather than buying a fully built bike, I bought the frame and specced the rest of the components and group set and got my LBS to put it together.  Now happily riding a Viner Strada Bianca frame (from Planet X) with Sram 22 speed and hydraulic discs.  Custom wheel set from '23mm Wheels' with SP Dynamo and running B&M Luxus IQ light.

what frame/forks combo if you don't mind me asking? oh viner strada forks, I see. That's another one, thanks.

[Ben T]

Show me a carbon bike with disk brakes, full mudguard mounts, and a fork crown dynamo light mount.

Mine has 2/3. However, I can easily fit a dynamo light; the dynamo mount is attached to the front of the stem where it sits just below the Garmin. The mounting system is the same as the GoPro system, so lots of adapters exist, and someone in the USA makes a Schmidt adapter for GoPro, and I have the under-mount version of a Schmidt EDeluxII. All very neat.

It might well be neat but it's too high, I want the light low down like it's designed to be so it casts its beam onto the road better. (I might also want a bar bag but that's a secondary consideration.)

[Hot Flatus]

You'll see more dyno/mudguards compatible carbon frames available with the rise of gravel bikes.

As a general note, I know of many audaxers who have progressed with the times and gone CF. I can't think of anybody who hasn't been delighted with the added comfort, speed, and responsiveness.

Most of the anti-CF noise comes from people who've no experience of them.

[Ben T]

I built up a carbon framed audax bike last year that has all of the above; hydraulic disc brakes, full mudguards, dynamo light.  Perhaps the only difference is that rather than buying a fully built bike, I bought the frame and specced the rest of the components and group set and got my LBS to put it together.  Now happily riding a Viner Strada Bianca frame (from Planet X) with Sram 22 speed and hydraulic discs.  Custom wheel set from '23mm Wheels' with SP Dynamo and running B&M Luxus IQ light.

what frame/forks combo if you don't mind me asking? oh viner strada forks, I see. That's another one, thanks.

....not Di2 compatible though  

[De Sisti]

I've ridden an audax on a Dolan Dual (full mudguards 'an all).

[whosatthewheel]

And another Dolan Dual here

[grams]

Show me a carbon bike with disk brakes, full mudguard mounts, and a fork crown dynamo light mount.

My Flyxii FR-602/603 has all of the above. I did LEL on it, amongst many other long rides.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNnLve_jnk0/?tagged=fr602

[mattc]

You'll see more dyno/mudguards compatible carbon frames available with the rise of gravel bikes.

Indeedy.

In fact, based on the number of different bikes talked about on the TCR group, and other Ultra-racing discussion, I'm surprised if there aren't several bikes out there already meeting Ben's spec.

(But with marketing aimed at the "Gravel" crowd, not the Audaxers of course - the former being a much hipper image to hang on your brand!)

[rogerzilla]

A Boardman Team Carbon is the quintessential bike-to-work purchase and suffers that indignity with no apparent problems.  It has mudguard eyes, tok...

[tippers_kiwi]

I'm >110kg and I rode SR's and PBP on a Carbon Domane (The SR with unreasonably low spoke count wheels). I still ride the Domane and it's still all working fine.

I've hit potholes as well, the wheels didn't survive but the frame did.

[LEE]

Have been thinking about getting myself a new bike for Audax until recently when I called into a cafe and noticed a small bike business next door.  On investigating further, the bike business turned out to be a sole trader that just repairs carbon bike frames and the guy's opinion was that carbon should only be used for time-trials and if the rider is under 65kg. 

The frames he had in for repair included some very expensive frames indeed, many, apparently from damage from hitting pot holes! including a Pinarello Dogma F8 where the seat tube had cracked vertically down the tube.  My opinion of carbon has dramatically changed since seeing and hearing of these damaged frames and will now look at titanium instead, but does anyone else use a carbon frame for Audax?

To put things in perspective it may be worth having a chat with the Warranty claims department of any large Titanium bicycle frame builder.

My 531 Steel frame snapped at a braze/lug.  Nothing is perfect. 
I've seen examples of broken frames built out of every material but I'm extra careful about my Carbon bike when leaning it against anything.  Carbon fibres really don't respond well to deep scratching. 

[Hot Flatus]

Have been thinking about getting myself a new bike for Audax until recently when I called into a cafe and noticed a small bike business next door.  On investigating further, the bike business turned out to be a sole trader that just repairs carbon bike frames and the guy's opinion was that carbon should only be used for time-trials and if the rider is under 65kg. 

The frames he had in for repair included some very expensive frames indeed, many, apparently from damage from hitting pot holes! including a Pinarello Dogma F8 where the seat tube had cracked vertically down the tube.  My opinion of carbon has dramatically changed since seeing and hearing of these damaged frames and will now look at titanium instead, but does anyone else use a carbon frame for Audax?

To put things in perspective it may be worth having a chat with the Warranty claims department of any large Titanium bicycle frame builder.

My 531 Steel frame snapped at a braze/lug.  Nothing is perfect. 
I've seen examples of broken frames built out of every material but I'm extra careful about my Carbon bike when leaning it against anything.  Carbon fibres really don't respond well to deep scratching.

Hur hur hur that's a good one.

Remember Qoroz Ti bikes?
Several people here bought them. I remember noting at the time that the frames bore a striking resemblance to the cheap Chinese frame I had built for £250 By a factory called XACD, and wondered where the other £1000 went.

A formummer recently found a crack in his Qoroz and contacted the company for warranty, only to be told that Qoroz were no longer trading and the only thing he could do was contact the frame factory and see how much they would charge to repair it.

I probably don't need to tell you who the factory turned out to be, do I.

[Whitedown Man]

Can’t help but feel that the answer is not “choose steel / alu / ti / carbon” but instead it is  “choose well-made and to-your-spec”. No one material is either inherently good or inherently bad.

[Hot Flatus]

I think the point being made is the belief that CF is weaker than other materials is untrue. CF mountain bikes, and CF mountain bike wheels seem to do alright.

[whosatthewheel]

Can’t help but feel that the answer is not “choose steel / alu / ti / carbon” but instead it is  “choose well-made and to-your-spec”. No one material is either inherently good or inherently bad.

That is of course true.

There are an awful lot of cracked carbon frames, that is also true... but the reason is virtually all high end race bikes are made of high modulus carbon fibre and not very much of it... they typically weigh in at 700-900 grams. THOSE frames are not particularly robust when mishandled. They are designed to do one job, not ANY job.
There also less extreme carbon frames, designed for the public rather than the Tour de France and those frames are typically very robust, even against impact. They don't weigh 700 grams!!

Equally, one could have a steel frame, completely made out of Columbus Spirit in the smallest possible diameter and that frame might well be even less robust than the Canyon and the Dogma of the PRO peloton

[cygnet]

Somewhere on here there was a video of Valkyrie trying to put his carbon frame 'beyond use'

I think he ended up taking a saw to it because impacts weren't doing anything.

Loads of 'high end' carbon bikes on PBP, not being ridden by featherweights either.

[frankly frankie]

The 'first to finish' on PBP as long ago as 1987 rode it on a carbon frame (a Trek). 
I rode PBP '91 on a replica of the carbon frame used by Greg Lemond to win the Tour de France, that frame was featherbed soft, I audaxed on it for 7 years then loaded it with luggage to take to the Alps, where it did indeed fall apart under me, though fortunately not before carrying me round the Marmotte. 
Sheila, who has ridden 7 PBPs, rode the last 4 of those on carbon.  She still tours in the Alps on a carbon bike, with luggage (she does travel very light).

If you look at the bike hire shops at the foot of Alpe d'Huez, their fleets are all-carbon, hired out by the day, they take tremendous abuse.

[Greenbank]

There are an awful lot of cracked carbon frames, that is also true... but the reason is virtually all high end race bikes are made of high modulus carbon fibre and not very much of it... they typically weigh in at 700-900 grams. THOSE frames are not particularly robust when mishandled. They are designed to do one job, not ANY job.

What about £10k's worth of Pinarello Dogma 2? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZmJtYaUTa0

or a Colnago? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhabgvIIXik&t=31s

or a Ridley Noah? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjN2cjBKWO4

etc...

[whosatthewheel]

There are an awful lot of cracked carbon frames, that is also true... but the reason is virtually all high end race bikes are made of high modulus carbon fibre and not very much of it... they typically weigh in at 700-900 grams. THOSE frames are not particularly robust when mishandled. They are designed to do one job, not ANY job.

What about £10k's worth of Pinarello Dogma 2? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZmJtYaUTa0

or a Colnago? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhabgvIIXik&t=31s

or a Ridley Noah? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjN2cjBKWO4

etc...

Yeah sure... and Paris-Roubaix and all of that... as long as the load is within the constraints of the design they are extremely robust.. one only has to look at the size of those tubes. They are less good if you want to clamp things onto them or you want to rack them up on a packed train with the risk of a pedal pearcing the downtube of another bike.
Then of course you need to be extra careful with torque... not ideal if you need to tighten a bolt during a ride... not sure how many go around with a calibrated torque key.

"heavier" carbon frames tend to be more forgiving

[Andydauddwr]

I bought an S-works Tarmac in '07 and it has got me around both PBP and LEL.  I've tweaked the spec quite a bit over the years and at PBP it was running tubeless 28s, guards and dyno lights.  Still going strong for an 11 year old frame despite the ever-increasing weight of it's pilot, currently around 100Kg.

A couple of years back I bought a Trek Domane to become my main audax stead for greater comfort although that's yet to make it past £600km, yet...

I've not found any downside to CF and the Ti Van Nic I used previously now permanently sports a set of ice studs for winter duty.

[salar55]

Nothing wrong with carbon, I have 2 . The bikes are still here, it's carbon cranks that are the problem.

[Greenbank]

Then of course you need to be extra careful with torque... not ideal if you need to tighten a bolt during a ride... not sure how many go around with a calibrated torque key.

I carry a 5Nm Ritchey Torqkey with me for this exact reason.

[sojournermike]

Froome is 67kg so should he not ride his bike? This is the biggest amount of horseshit I’ve ever heard.


I find this very hard to believe. I reckon he’s properly under 65kgs, as a team as meticulous as Sky wouldn’t risk putting an overweight athlete on the bike.

[dim]

You'll see more dyno/mudguards compatible carbon frames available with the rise of gravel bikes.

I have 2 bikes ...

a Giant TCR (carbon), and a Whyte Suffolk (gravel bike with aluminium frame and carbon forks)

I have decent wheels on my Giant and use IRC tubeless tyres. The bike fits me like a glove and I am quick on this bike and I'm very comfortable.

I bought the Whyte Suffolk gravel bike to use as my daily commuter (approx 40km/day), with the intention to use it for Audax. The problems that you find with some gravel bikes, is that the geometry is a lot different to some road bikes, so fit becomes an issue. I've been told by Bianchi Italy, that with my body measurements, I am a 53cm frame. The Whyte Suffolk, in 54cm is too big for me (standover height, as the top tube is horizontal and not sloping), so I opted for a 52cm.

I've had to get a Thomson Elite setback seatpost, as even though my saddle was as far back as it could go, (Brooks Cambium C17 Carved) it felt that I was too 'ontop' of the pedals (if that makes sense), and I was not getting the power that I should ... even with the setback seatpost, it still does not feel right

then the next problem is the handlebar width. Way too wide, so thats another £60 for a decent alloy handlebar (such as Zipp Service Course SL-70) .... the bike can take 40 wide tyres, has mudguards and can take a rack, so thats a bonus, and it's comfortable.

However, I will keep it as a commuter and get decent wheels with tubeless tyres and dynamo lighting .... I'm using a Carracide Barley saddle bag for commuting and it's perfect ... But, I'm a lot slower on this bike than on my TCR (approx 3Km/hr on flats and a lot slower on hills)

I've decided that for longer rides such as Audax, I will use my Giant TCR with Apidura or Miss grape bags, and get decent USB powered lights and no mudguards

so my advice to anyone looking at getting a gravel bike, is test ride it on a long ride before commiting to buy, as the geometry is totally different to a normal road bike

[ElyDave]

I must have been marginal when I rode my carbon framed bike around Majorca, with 70kg of me, plus water, plus a camelback. Good job I didn't have a rack or mudguards as well, who knowsvwhat could have happened.

Lucky I've sold it really.