eduardo76

Any "Aero" frames out there also being designed to be Stiff?

Scott Foil Felt AR and Fuji SST are being marketed as having that mix (Fuji SST standing for Super Stiff Team)

I am leaning towards stiff frames, but have enjoyed every aero frame i've ridden so far, and wonder if any manuf. has reached a nice balance of the 2; trying to keep it under $3k and seems that there are a lot of options at that price range;

The wifey has given me the blessing to cash in on Father's Day and an early Birthday gift and upgrade! So now, i am doing research and preparing for test rides (dealers, please start carrying >60cm carbon frames in stock!)

therhodeo

One of the mechanics for one of our local shops got a loaner Specialized Venge from the specialized rep and he said it was really stiff. He was amazed to that the frame with deep wheels wasn't bad at all in crosswinds.

neneboricua

I never new the Fuji SST was marketed as an aero bike. I always thought it was a very stiff bike marketed at sprinters.

Velonews recently did an aero roadbike review issue. They tested the Scott Foil, Specialized Venge, Cervelo S5, and Litespeed C2. They had independent wind tunnel and stiffness tests (didn't rely on manufacturer's claims). There are tons of details in the magazine. If you're looking for an aero road bike, you should check out the issue.

The end result was that the S5 is the most aero road bike out there. The Venge was 2nd followed very closely by the Foil, with the C2 bringing up the rear. In stiffness, the Foil was far and away the stiffest bike, followed by the C2, then the Venge and lastly the S5. It was more stiff than the majority of standard road bikes as well.

They gave the overall win to the Foil for the best balance of aero and stiffness. They said it's a very fast bike not for the faint of heart. Basically, if you're looking for an aggressive racing machine, the Foil is an excellent choice.

Second place went to the Venge because it was 2nd only to the S5 in aero and had good stiffness. It is also a great handling roadbike. I think they phrase they used was "The Venge is a great roadbike that happens to be very aero." They said that the Venge was the most comfortable of all the bikes, similar to the ride characteristics of the Tarmac SL4.

eduardo76

i will definitely pick up the Velonews issue and go through it...up until recently, i was thinking the trek 5.2 would be my next bike, but the aeros i've ridden have been really enjoyable - have only heard great things about venge and foil, but the venge is way above my price rance...will definitely have to look at test riding the foils...

LowCel 

It is definitely marketed as an aero road bike as well as being very stiff for sprinters.

twodownzero

Frame material and design has nothing to do with ride quality. Lowering your tire pressure by even 5 psi makes more of a difference.

Stop worrying about useless crap and ride.

LowCel 

That is about the most incorrect statement I have ever read on here. That's really saying something.

svtmike

Correct.

ivan_yulaev

Are there really any high-end carbon frames these days, or any high-end frames really, that aren't stiff?

eduardo76

how about Felt AR series...stiff enough?

I <3 Robots

How "stiff" does a bike need to be? Pretty much all of the bikes tested are being ridden by pro teams now.

Aero frames are more of a specific tool than an all around bike. Their design by nature is not to be stiff per say. There are other bikes in the line up if your looking for a specific "stiffness".

The Venge has the stiffness of the 2009 SL2 Tarmac (according to Spesh), seems to have worked pretty well for Cav.

island rider

Depends on your view of high-end. Cervelo RS and Cervelo R3 would probably count as high-end, and not "stiff." But the terms are obviously fairly loose.

slims_s

Farrar won a TdF bunch sprint on a R3... i think that if it's stiff for his zillon watts it'll be stiff enough for everyone

ColorChange

Aero has a significant effect on speed above about 20 mph. Stiffness at this level doesn't affect speed, only feel and handling. The fastest bike is the S5. If you're prefer different feel and handling, try the others.

neneboricua

If you're only ever going to TT on a flat course, then I agree, stiffness doesn't matter, but at that point, get a TT bike. Yes, I know you didn't mention TT's but what I'm trying to say is that there are times when it's not just about motoring along at 25+mph. There are many times when things like accelerations/surges and climbing are important, and in those cases, stiffness does indeed matter.

I <3 Robots

Stiffness is greatly exaggerated among people...especially on this site. I swear people are pulling info straight out of their rear.

Always take what you read in the 41 with a grain of salt.

ColorChange

Stiffness at the level of any high end bike has negligible effect on actual power transfer or loss of energy. This isuzu a common misconception. The stiffer bike will feel faster, but has minimal impact on speed, aero on the other hand is big and noticeable.

island rider

I'm sure it is, but if an independent third party were to compare the bike to one that Cervelo didn't design for roubaix and the like, I doubt they would assess the R3 as stiff. Again, though, these are relative terms. Stiff is not a binary measurement.

ivan_yulaev

In a race, sure, you're right. At the coffee shop, or in bed, ask any rider, any REAL rider, and they'll tell you, stiffer is better.

eippo1

You realize that this is all marketing bs, right? Ride what you like and feels good.

dleccord

ask your friend's girlfriend how much stiffness she likes.

abstractform20

for all of you buffoons obsessed with stiffness, get a Vitus 979. stiff enough to win a tdf

abstractform20

my gf has rigor mortis

RobertL

Ride them all but be sure to include a ride on the Trek 5.2 Madone, I like mine very much.

ColorChange

Here is a pretty long thread that should explain why stiffness does not affect speed for those who are interested. Bottom line, the power is not "lost" through frame flex, it merely is moved to a different point in the pedal stroke, very similar to oval chain rings.

https://groups.google.com/group/watta...dbc0c23c1ce507