I've got an aluminum and a steel, both have carbon forks. The aluminum is a stiffer feel than the steel in terms of responsiveness and get up and go and I prefer it to the steel. But I can't say one feels much different from the other in terms of road vibration, bumps, etc. Now my husband has had two different levels of Trek carbon bikes and says one is stiffer than the other. He also has an aluminum bike, which he says beats him half to death with road vibrations, bumps, etc, but it doesn't have any carbon on it at all. Everyone I know likes different materials for different reasons.

Steph