Carbon Frames/Durability

[tatormc]

My wife, Mindy is 5' 4" and is similar proportionally between her upper and lower torso lengths. Mindy currently rides a Lemond Buenos Aires, but has considered riding the Specialized Ruby Pro carbon fiber. Mindy's best friend, Eileen rides the Giant TCR Composite 0.

Hubby - I'm 5'2" and also equally proportioned. I ride a Giant TCR Composite 2 and love it. It's a perfect fit for me. I did get a fitting at the LBS and due to my equally proportioned body I do not need a WSD. Good luck with the bike search!

[Mindyhubby]

Obviously I've gone to the right source for information. You ladies made suggestions and given opinions that our many LBS's haven't. I truly appreciate the many responses and I'll remember your advice as I continue to search for the right fit. Thanks for the help.

[Kathi]

Obviously I've gone to the right source for information. You ladies made suggestions and given opinions that our many LBS's haven't. I truly appreciate the many responses and I'll remember your advice as I continue to search for the right fit. Thanks for the help.

Have you looked at Aegis for a carbon frame? Aegis frames are handmade in Maine. They are a small company and wonderful to work with.

The Swift is designed for smaller, lighter riders and they are now making the Victory in smaller frames.

I prefer Campy shifters for my small hands and since I have short arms the short reach handlebars make a big difference.

Whatever you do find a good fitter that takes arm length and femur length into account, not just standover or tt length. I didn't know I had short arms and a short femur until I had a Serotta refit done on my Aegis.

If your thinking custom Serotta, Titus and Seven make ti/carbon frames. I believe that IF is into carbon also. Be aware they run in the $4,000 range for the frame and fork.

A friend of mine is around your wife's height and she bought a Serotta Fierte Ti. Not the same feel as carbon but she liked it better than the Trek carbon that she test rode.

Have fun shopping.

Kathi

[Mindyhubby]

Your responses are more than I could have hoped for and much more than I imagined. I thought my research had almost reached the closing stages, and now since you ladies have shown me so many other possibilities, it makes me believe I've just begun. It's a shame I didn't ask these questions before the Thanksgiving holiday, because if I had I would have given thanks for all of you. You ladies are groovy!

[Pedal Wench]

M.Hubby, I've been using both a WSD and a standard compact geometry. My Cannondale R1000s are WSD, and a professional fit made sure I had a proper fit on the right size frame. My Bianchis are non-WSD, but compact geometry, so I've got the same size 'virtual' top tube. One of them is a Bianchi XL Carbon. Comparing geometries, I found them to be close enough. I also just got a carbon Colnago. This is a standard geometry, but in a smaller size. Again, with an adjustment of the seatpost, I get the same measurements. I'm 5'4" too, but probably with a shorter torso and longer legs.

Oh - I do find that I prefer Campy shifting to Shimano. I spent four days over Thanksgiving visiting my bf and riding one of my Shimano Cannondales - even after 200 miles, I was looking for my Campy shifter!

[mars]

Dear Pedal Wench -

Just when I had convinced myself to be open minded to Shimano, you come out with this! I'm a Campy fan and have been shopping for a new bike with Shimano. But I haven't ridden Shimano so cannot comment on the difference. Which Campy group do you ride, and is it 10-spd?

I too am just starting to shop around for a carbon frame, maybe to replace my steel Colnago, but haven't decided yet if this is the way to go. So far have looked at the Specialized Ruby Expert and Roubaix Expert. These have pretty much the same components.

[Pedal Wench]

Oh, I love the Campy stuff. I hate to admit this, but two of my bikes are Record, and one is Centaur. They all really ride the same. The Record is just a touch smoother and quicker. My Shimano bike is on my trainer, and it's been getting more use than I care to think about. Of course, I went out on Sunday on a Campy bike and started to freak out because it wasn't shifting. I was trying to move the brake, which on Campy, is just a brake... With my hand problems (ulnar nerve stuff and bad trigger finger issues) I do prefer the feel of Campy.

Back to the original post, I saw something on Sunday that I hope I never see again. I was riding with 4 other women. I had dropped my water bottle (damn those full-fingered gloves...) and stopped to pick it up, so I didn't see this happen, just the after effects. When I caught up to the rest of the group, one of the women was on the ground. Her brand-spankin' new carbon/alu Raleigh was cracked on the downtube and toptube. She was riding on a flat, straight bike trail, suddenly felt out of control and then ended up going over the handlebars. This was the bike's second ride - a total of 45 miles on it. As the owner of two very precious carbon bikes, I was freaked out. It cracked right at the joints between the carbon and aluminum. (It's a Raleigh Prestige.) I would say that if you go with carbon, go with one of the bigger names - a company that's been making carbon for a while, and in enough numbers to know they're doing it right. There's no way of knowing at this point if something else wasn't set up right - perhaps a loose headset, or even a faulty quick release, and the frame cracked as she crashed, and didn't cause the crash. Probably never know that.