So I bit the bullet and bought a carbon frame. Well, the biting wasn't that bad as I scored a Wilier carbon frame for $300 on eBay. It's a weird frame in that there is literally no information at all online about this frame! All the info about Wilier Izoard frames concerns the earlier scandium frame or the later Taiwan carbon frame. But I have a strange frame with a hole in the rear stay with a cheesy logo applied that says, "Look through!"
Ok, other than that, the frame is beautiful! Many thanks to the previous owner for never riding it as there are nearly no scratches or marks at all on this frame.
Anyway, on to the carbon thoughts as my only cycling experience is on a 1985 Torpado with Columbus Aelle steel tubes. First off, the Torpado is super twitchy, I mean so twitchy that I've never ridden with no hands as that would only end in tears! On one hand it's nice because it's very responsive but on the other, you can't relax for one second. At all. Seriously, my eyes constantly search the road for holes or divots that might send me to the ground as it's that uncertain while riding. Also, the steel frame is rough; I feel every flaw in the road and when tired, I cringe at the bigger bumps I experience on my rides on the LA river Ballona Creek path. So, I thought a more modern frame with relaxed angles and carbon would be what I needed. Well, it is....sort of, as with most things, nothing is ever 100%!
So, on my first ride on the new frame, I didn't notice a big difference. It felt more like I switched to a bigger tire rather than a completely different frame. Things were definitely softer but the frame is still stiff and I still feel every bump. What I didn't notice til later was that even though I feel everything, the overall impact the bumps is less and when completing a ride, I'm not as sore as normal. But the frame feels just like my old Torpado only with an added twist: it's still twitchy but more stable, it's rough but has an added smoothness.
However, it is definitely faster! And I don't get as tired and seem to want to keep riding. Also, when accelerating, it definitely sprints ahead. I'm not sure if it's the lighter weight or if it's something about the frame design, but it just shoots ahead much easier than the older steel bike. And the bumps aren't as painful, especially when tired.
As for the handling, it pretty much feels exactly like the Torpado! I was hoping it would fly through the curves with a leading edge but like the Torpado, it's more high strung and twitchy although not as much as the Torpado. The Torpado flew into turns but then in the curve was a bit unstable and as a result, it was tough sometimes to maintain a smooth, consistent arc through the turn. The Wilier is similar but a little more stable while at the same time, a little more tricky as the front end is so lightweight that I have to be careful when altering the curve in the middle of the arc. The front end feels non existent and maybe I'm not used to it yet but I have to consciously tell myself to relax and move slowly as the lightweight front reacts quickly. I know I'm still adjusting to it and not sure yet about it all. But I can tell these two bikes are related in some way.....Is this an Italian thing? I'm a car freak and love Italian and German cars so I trust Italians to design a great bike chassis but I'm having a little trouble sorting it out.
Maybe I need a Colnago....
Ok, here's a build time lapse video and some pics. And let me know what you guys think about my comments. Thanks for reading...
