Originally Posted by
Fugazi Dave
High-end steel can be extremely light. Like with
this bike, which is 5.2kg for the complete build and 1.24kg for the unpainted frame alone. Granted, this is an extreme example, but steel bikes need not be heavy...
...Nor does carbon necessarily mean lightweight. Depending on the application and what it’s intended to endure, carbon frames and parts may be quite beefy and not as light as you might expect.
You're not wrong.
Originally Posted by
Fugazi Dave
I would say that steel can sometimes be the low-cost, heavier option, but high quality steel frames ride wonderfully and are very competitive weight-wise. Assuming a high level of quality, I would personally choose steel over every other frame material pretty much every time because I like the ride quality.
These are fair points.
I was speaking generally, and not in terms of the exceptions (high end, light weight steel frames; and lower cost or extra beefy carbon bars).
In spite of its name, the OP's Fuji Feather is no featherweight.
Usually, steel is chosen because of its low cost. Carbon bars are typically much more expensive (and a little lighter) than aluminum ones. So I stand by my assertion that steel frames and carbon components make strange bedfellows, while stopping short of discouraging anyone to combine them. Nothing wrong with it, just doesn't make much sense usually.