Carbon v Aluminum

[tangentgirl]

Anyone have problems with carbon frames cracking or breaking?

I'm starting to look at getting a new bike. I love my old Cannondale R500, and the aluminum frame suits me just fine, but after a decade, I'd like an upgrade.

I had an incident recently where I hit some potholes at full speed on a century ride. No avoiding them, bikes to the left and right, and I hit so hard my handlebars pivoted down! I was really scared that I had damaged the frame, but she held up like a champ.

In chatting with folks, they say that kind of hit would have cracked up a carbon frame, which honestly scares me. Is this really a valid fear, or is the chance of that happening unlikely?

[Cataboo]

I've hit pot holes on a carbon bike full speed without any problems.

Carbon is also a lot less jarring and dampens vibrations.

[ny biker]

Carbon is also a lot less jarring and dampens vibrations.

I haven't hit any big bumps or potholes since I got my carbon bike a couple of months ago. But damn it sure does ride better than the old aluminum one.

[tulip]

I don't have a carbon bike. I never have. I've had two aluminum bikes (Centurion Facet and Vitus). I have three steel bikes and they are wonderful. Don't discount steel, particularly if you are worried about carbon.

[lauraelmore1033]

I don't have a full carbon bike, but I recently had the opportunity to see something on a two day, double century ride that made me never want to have one: Much of the ride was on the most brutal chip-seal and there was a woman there with a nearly new, full carbon Ruby that had a catastrophic failure of the chain stay which she attributed to the vigorous bumping and banging from the road. Dh's seat post bolt snapped around the same place on the course for (he speculates) the same reason, so it seems a pretty reasonable assumption that the road was reeeealy rough...

[kermit]

Take a look at where you are riding and want you want to accomplish. I have a carbon bike after having an aluminum bike. The carbon is going to be lighter and absorb a lot. My ride in Georgia has some tough country roads. It takes it just fine. Steel is also amazing. There are some beautiful steel bikes that are just as light. I have seem some bad wrecks with carbon bikes and they can take a hit. They really are not that fragile. Carbon will be more expensive.

[tangentgirl]

Thanks, this is all good to hear. I haven't discounted steel, either. Just getting this started.

[Cataboo]

Thanks, this is all good to hear. I haven't discounted steel, either. Just getting this started.

There's also titanium

[GLC1968]

I just bought my first carbon bike the other day, but I haven't been able to ride it yet.

That said, aluminum is quite stiff, so if the AL frame didn't break, it's likely a good carbon one wouldn't either. Carbon breaks when it is forced in a direction opposite to 'normal'. So it's easier to crack a top tube with a bike rack than it is to break a frame by just riding on a rough road.

But my heart belongs to Ti for both excellent road feel and durability.

[tangentgirl]

There's also titanium

So many choices. Is there an alcarteeltanium alloy out there?

[Selkie]

There's also titanium

Word! While I love my steel bikes, I prefer my titanium ones.