I just bought a brand new Trek Madone 5.1 carbon frame road bike. I had been riding an aluminum frame Giant OCR3. There is absolutely no comparison between the two. The Trek is so much more "quiet". It doesn't bend when I climb. Most road vibrations don't extend up through the handlebars to the upper body. It was amazing moving from a low end road bike to something like the Trek. I feel like I am 100% a better rider from purchasing this new bike. BTW...I also purchased the top line pedals and shoes. This makes a huge difference in performance. I am now wondering why I waited so long to make ths purchase. The difference is extraordinary!