Originally Posted by
vespasianus
Except for the elongating wheelbase (eek!) and the issue in crosswinds, what you describe sounds like old wheels that need some work. How much did the wheelbase change?
No, because I used the wheels with no trouble on the Madone for Ride the Rockies in 2013. As for the wheelbase, I didn't measure the spread, as I was sitting on the bike. But I observed the wheel shifting forward slightly as the seat post (27.2 mm) leaned back farther as I put weight on it. My impression was that the top tube was bowing from a leverage effect at the seat lug. And no, the seat post was not over-extended, and no, the bike was not too small for me, and no, I did not weigh over 200 lbs. And, my store manager, who raced for a Giant-sponsored team during that period, confirmed that these frames would be spent at the end of a single season, and Giant gave them new ones as needed. They rode harder than I did. And there have been similar stories from owners of some small brands from that era, like BH and Kuota. Any more questions?
Carbon fiber is a very strong material, but the resins and techniques that bind it are a mixed bag. Interestingly, when Trek started offshoring their 500-level Madones, they chose Giant as their fabricator. I've never heard of problems with Trek carbon fiber.