carbon fiber vs. aluminum vs. steel

I am looking to get a new bicycle and would like to hear from you experienced riders. I ride all road, rural mostly so the surface is not the smoothest, and lots of hills. I am 5'4" tall and weigh 115 pounds. I have been riding for a little over a year and I am completely hooked. In June I bought a Trek 7700 FX. It is a fitness bike, straight bar, Shimano Tiagra components, alum. frame. I really love the bike but think I am ready to move to a "for real" road bike. I did some checking on the internet and thought the Trek WSD 5200 was the ideal bike for me. I went to the lbs today and spoke to the owner. He suggested the Lemond Zurich, was comes in a womens frame also. It is a steel frame, Ultegra components. Then we talked about the Trek 2200 which is aluminum, Ultegra components. The Trek WSD 5200 is carbon fiber. That retails for $2700. The Lemond and Trek 2200 are both right around $2000. What do you all think?

I think you should consider titanium with a carbon fiber fork. I am the proud owner of a Sampson Silverton. It took me a least 6 weeks to decide what I wanted and I am absolutely thrilled with the decision I made. For $2400 I got a titanium frame, carbon fiber fork, Campagnolo Chorus 10-speed, and other top quality components on the bike. The bike fits me perfectly and is extremely comfortable. I do the same kind of riding, mostly rural roads. I did a century a few weeks ago and was still comfortable on this bike at the end of the ride. Eric Sampson owns the company, Sampson Sports, and he is great to work with. You are about my size, I am heavier, and he will put the bike together to fit you. For example, I have small hands and he put handlebars on my bike that are sized for smaller hands. No, I don't work for the company and I haven't met Eric in person. But it is a great bike and I LOVE it. Check out sampsonsports.com.

I did test ride a carbon fiber Aegis, but I like titanium better.

Liner

Cycling @42:

I am the same height as you and I have the 2001 LeMond Zurich. I absolutely love the bike! It has a carbon fiber fork, Reynolds 853 steel frame, fits perfectly and really cuts through the wind with its Rolf Vector Comp wheels. Mine is NOT a women's specific design (they just came out with the women's specific Zurich recently) but it fit me perfectly because I ordered it with a smaller stem, smaller handlebars and a Terry Butterfly saddle. I have a 31" inseam which may be just a bit longer than average for a typical 5'4" woman, so you may need a smaller size than I do if your inseam is shorter. My bike is a size 47cm. The 2003 womens sizes come in 45, 49 and 53 (the size 47 only come in non-women's specific like I have). The current women's specific designs would probably work well with the stock parts. The 2003 models also have Bontrager wheels vs. Rolf wheels, but they look similar.

Forgot to mention:

Titanium and high quality steel (Reynolds 853 and similar) are springy and comfortable for long rides, especially on rough surfaces. :) They are also very durable, and because of the springiness of these metals, the frames can be more readily repaired (a bent tube can often be straightened rather that replaced) and the rear frame width can be "re-set" to a different width, if, heaven-forbid, the bicycle industy decides yet again to increase the width of rear hubs (they have already gone from 120mm to 126mm to 130mm for road bikes just during the past 15 years or so). Titanium needs the least care of the 2 materials, as it doesn't rust, but it is also more expensive. It is a bit lighter than steel also.

Carbon fiber is also very lightweight and excellent at shock absorption, but it is also expensive and occasionally carbon fiber frames have been known to break, though this is more rare these days. Carbon fiber frames cannot be readily repaired (would have to be redone at the factory). Carbon fiber also cannot be reset to a wider width. :( (My carbon fiber bike is stuck at 126mm (seven speed) and cannot be changed to 8, 9 or 10-speed which requires the new 130mm width.) Hopefully (I've got my fingers crossed) the bike industry will stay at 130mm, but who knows. Sigh.

Aluminum is a very stiff metal and gives a harsher ride, though this can be softened greatly with a carbon fiber fork. (Springs are never made out of aluminum because aluminum gets metal fatigue and breaks when it is flexed much). Aluminum is ideal for sprinters who need maximum rigidity for the greatest burst of speed, but isn't as comfortable for fitness or century riders, especially on rough surfaces. Aluminum also cannot be repaired or reset to a wider width, as it is just too brittle and will break if bent. A bent tube requires replacement at the factory. It is lightweight and inexpensive and it doesn't rust, which makes it one of the most popular frame materials, but I personally would stay away from it due to its harshness.

Well, I got a new road bike. It took 6 months of looking and I ended up with a Lemond Buenos Aires. It is Reynolds 853 Steel frame with carbon fiber fork. Shimano Ultegra components. I have been riding it for 3 months now and love it. I was very fearful of the road bikes...the handlebars just scared me and the sti shifters. I'm not fearful anymore! I just hope I keep this one longer than 6 months before I'm ready to upgrade again. This is an expensive sport! Now I want to do a century ride. Don't have a clue on how to train for it but will research that as well. I think I found someone to ride with that is compatible...not fast but lots of endurance. She is also interested in training for a century. I'm 43 and she is 48. Gotta love that!