Carbon Bikes

[ninerfan]

Oy. I need to stay away from this thread. The Trek 1000 WSD to the Madone 4.7 WSD is exactly the upgrade I am dreaming about. Unfortunately, it will remain a dream for quite a while. I'll live vicariously through all of you!

Good luck with whatever you end up with!

[ACiveE]

I recently purchased the cannondale synapse 3 after considering the madone... unlike you, the shop/service for cannondale was more favorable. Also, the cannondale ended up being a better 'deal' for me financially and component wise. I couldn't be happier but this was also my real first road bike... so I have few comparisons. I only briefly rode lower end treks.

[VeloVT]

I have the Scott Contessa CR1 Pro. I don't have time to write a long response now but I will check back in tonight.

My vote would be to go with the Scott. The carbon is better. I have ridden Trek's TCT carbon (which the 4.7 has, I believe) and Trek's OCLV carbon, and there is a big difference -- the OCLV is much livelier and stiffer. The Scott carbon feels a lot like OCLV. My boyfriend actually has a Madone 5.2 from 2007 (before the line got really confusing ) that has OCLV, so I've had the opportunity to take it for some longer rides. The Scott is comparable to OCLV in smoothness and liveliness, but I would say it feels even stiffer (this might be geometry too, the CR1 has a huge oversized bottom bracket) -- it really jumps. His OCLV Madone damps out road chatter slightly better though.

Aside from the difference in carbon (assuming the 4.7 is TCT), though, I have nothing at all bad to say about the Madone. It's a really nice bike.

[RolliePollie]

Aside from the difference in carbon (assuming the 4.7 is TCT), though, I have nothing at all bad to say about the Madone. It's a really nice bike.

The Madone 4.7 is TCT carbon. I would've preferred to go with the OCLV carbon but the price jump between the 4.7 and the 5.2 was just out my budget. I test rode both but it wasn't a real test ride - just the back of a shopping center parking lot. I could feel a slight difference, but I'm sure once you're out on the road, the OCLV would be a lot better. Compared to the aluminum frame 1000, the TCT carbon purrs like a kitten. I just try not to think about how much better the OCLV might be!

[kat_brun]

Thanks for the input. It's going to be a tough choice. I'm leaning a bit toward the Contessa CR1 Pro because I can get a bit better of a deal on it and I like the Ksyium Elite wheels.

[VeloVT]

Good luck! I don't think you can make a bad decision between the two. We will want pics!

[djgafi]

i ride a cannon synapse carbon 2008 and i'm super happy with it.
what you'll notice from a carbon bike is certainly lightness...
as per stiffness and reactivity, it depends of the different builds and construction... so is difficult to say.

i know that the synapse is made for fondo-gran fondo distances and is very comfortable to ride on. it absorbs well vibrations, nothing to complain about.

what i really like about cannondale, as a add on, is the lifetime guarantee on the frame. should it break for some unknown reasons, they'll exchange it for free!

i advise that you test your bikes before and see how they feel. i would also call the manufacturing company and ask them about more details on the bikes you're interested in... you may get a more in depth insight and be able to make a decision more thoroughly.

hope this helps. it's exciting to buy a new bike, isn't it?