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Carbon Fiber vs. other materials for commuter?

Old 05-20-16, 02:12 PM
  #26  
Andy_K 
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Originally Posted by aluminummonster
I like steel because you an pick up an older steel frame for pretty cheap, and if it's like a 6 or 7 speed in the rear, you can cold-set the rear triangle with no worries to upgrade to a newer drive train
There is a lot to be said for this. I've got four bikes with high end steel frames (one Columbus SL, one Reynolds 853, and a pair of Reynolds 531). All of them cost me less than a new All City Space Horse 4130 frameset (as a random example). It's not at all unusual to find complete bikes with frames of this quality cheap enough that you could part them out and sell the components for what you paid for the whole bike and end up with an essentially free frame. The biggest trade-offs are that you will need to use a quill stem (not really a negative in my view) and the paint will likely be in rough shape (also kind of a positive for commuting purposes).

My old steel bikes are all lightweight road bikes, but that's just my personal preference. If you want a bomb-proof flat bar bike, a late 80's RockHopper that you can pick up for around $100 is as good or better than most of the new framesets on the market today and it is compatible with most modern components. You just have to budget some money to do something about the hideous 80's Specialized paint jobs.
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Old 05-20-16, 02:52 PM
  #27  
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I ride my circa 1995 Trek 2120 CF bike everyday to work, it's been fine for the past 2 years, and considering the overall age of the bike I'd say it's held up very well. I think it's weird that a lot of other posters are making comments about needing racks and panniers for commuting to work....like, what the heck do you need to carry to work that requires it? It's a commute, not a tour.

So far it's my favorite commuter bike compared to my steel bikes (Fuji America, Specialized Allegre, Retrospec Mantra). I'd recommend an old used CF bike over brand new Chinese carbon. You can get them much cheaper and the quality control is less of a concern.
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Old 05-20-16, 04:08 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by GhostSS
........ I think it's weird that a lot of other posters are making comments about needing racks and panniers for commuting to work....like, what the heck do you need to carry to work that requires it? It's a commute, not a tour.....
My commute is just over 13 miles of some significant up and down. I use a rack in the back to carry my carried-everywhere daypack. I use a rack and panniers up front to carry my office clothes/shoes.

I hope that helps you understand the context of some peoples' commute - it's really not that weird.
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Old 05-20-16, 04:17 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by PolarBear007
My commute is just over 13 miles of some significant up and down. I use a rack in the back to carry my carried-everywhere daypack. I use a rack and panniers up front to carry my office clothes/shoes.

I hope that helps you understand the context of some peoples' commute - it's really not that weird.
Sorry my comment is a little ambiguous, I didn't mean your commute, I meant the OP's commute, who wants a CF bike. It wouldn't make sense for him to get a CF bike then load it with panniers and racks, it defeats the purpose of choosing CF as a material. At that point a dedicated touring bike would suit him better.
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Old 05-20-16, 04:26 PM
  #30  
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I only have one commute bike with a rack and that's my steel Bianchi Advantage, yet I commute using more than one bike. I use the one with rack and pannier whenever I need to carry a lot of stuff--towels, clothes, shoes, shopping for groceries, which might be once a week. The rest of the time I will choose one of the other bikes without a rack, be it carbon, aluminum, or vintage racing steel. These are much more fun to ride, especially without panniers.
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Old 05-23-16, 12:07 PM
  #31  
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Steel is real!

Just because no one had said it yet.
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Old 05-23-16, 04:12 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by DVC45
Steel is real!

Just because no one had said it yet.
Dang it.
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Old 05-23-16, 08:43 PM
  #33  
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Pretty sure I'd rather have titanium.
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Old 05-23-16, 09:08 PM
  #34  
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Commuting? I buy used steel frames for under $100, often coming with misc parts attached that I probably won't use. Pluses? Very good chance of the frame surviving crashes, even being rideable so I can get home. Well used frames can be used with some high end gear (that is only cleaned when being worked on) and still have a good chance at being passed up for that fancier bike on the rack. (And every CF bike is fancier in a thief's eyes). Those used frames, esp the thousands from the '80s end to have clearances for decently large tires and fenders, plus fender eyes. Racks are easy. If you do have to hose clamp parts on, steel doesn't care.

Commuter frames often die violent deaths. (Of my 6 commuter bikes over the years, four died of: an opening car door, collision at night with a fence (that was an oops! on my part), broken fork (a little weird, mid-blade and not a big deal) and stolen. Plus a wheel crunched by a car behind me at a stoplight and several forks. All adding up to several hundred dollars and the cost of rebuilds.

Ben
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Old 05-24-16, 06:37 AM
  #35  
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I know one person, Jim from Boston, who commutes on CF. He's happy, but he also has indoor parking where he works. You might send him a PM and ask any particular questions you have.

Marc
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Old 05-24-16, 07:34 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by GhostSS
... comments about needing racks and panniers for commuting to work....like, what the heck do you need to carry to work that requires it? It's a commute, not a tour...
Well, I'm not an especially high maintenance kind of person, but I carry (in my panniers):

Bag of clothing (underwear, socks, shirt, tie) to go with suits pre-positioned at work
Bike cover (keeps rain and sun off of saddle/rubber)
Lunch box (pack snacks and lunch daily)
Flat repair gear (bead tool, spare tube, tire levers, flat kit)
Laptop/sleeve (sometimes)
Food items (Coffee, Cereal, supplies, etc., sometimes)
Spare outerwear (sometimes, seasonal, for example, rainwear if forecast says definite rain, or lighter jacket if it's 17 degrees in the morning, and 47 in the afternoon)

Those require two panniers, lightly packed. Every day...
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Old 05-24-16, 07:36 AM
  #37  
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I have three aluminum framed bikes, two steel framed bikes and one carbon bike. I commute on all of them depending on the weather and my mood. They all work, and they all get me there.

I don't run fenders and a rack on my carbon road bike, so I only ride that one on non-rainy days and I use a backpack. As others have mentioned if you're wanting racks and fenders, going carbon greatly limits your choices (if there are any.)
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Old 05-24-16, 07:44 AM
  #38  
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CF and commuting works for me!
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Old 05-24-16, 10:38 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Kindaslow
CF and commuting works for me!
How well does your Specialized Sirrus eliminate road buzz?
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Old 05-24-16, 11:20 AM
  #40  
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I think for my conditions, it would be fine. If it were a city or campus commuter I might think twice. I'd also definitely want one that was painted.
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Old 05-24-16, 11:23 AM
  #41  
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I love my aluminum commuter. I thought I wanted steel and was making a concession to price, but this guy has been perfect. I don't think I love it *because* it's aluminum though - it's the handling and tire clearance and fender mounts and rack mounts. A carbon bike with the same features would probably be fine too.
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Old 05-24-16, 01:05 PM
  #42  
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I've test ridden a crapload of bikes 2 years ago trying different stuff out. I'd say it's like this:
1. The most comfortable bikes to ride are full carbon. But -
2. Cheap / low end full carbon is not more comfortable, it's possible for it to be significantly less comfortable than a well designed aluminum frame (they can make it as comfortable or less comfortable)

So I would suggest going with a steel frame and a full carbon fork, unless you buy something like a used higher end carbon frame that someone else is selling because they moved their components to a new bike.

I have to add though that if comfort were my priority I'd buy a pre-built bike. I'm not sure if there are well designed frame-only frames sold. I thought my well designed aluminum bike (a 2009 specialized sequoia which retailed $800 at the time) has a better ride than the several steel frames that I also test rode.
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Old 05-24-16, 03:00 PM
  #43  
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Been commuting on CF frame for a while. Right now on Defy Advanced Pro... but was on Scott Addict (more racy fit).
I don't do daily per say as I am trying to squeeze my one way 45 mile commute 2-3 times a week... It really does depend basically based on what you are okay with... and what you are trying to do.
1) Want to cover more distance in shorter time... hard to beat CF. If you need to cover moderate distance though, options do open up.
2) Storage... I take my bike inside office... so no worries for it being stolen, etc... Not everyone has this option.
So... it is situation based per person.
If you are in similar boat as me though, lately, gotta say I've been eyeing titanium frame with semi-relaxed geometry... (what they might call sportive)... Something different from either of my carbon bike while can do my requirements.
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Old 05-24-16, 06:02 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by ColonelSanders
How well does your Specialized Sirrus eliminate road buzz?
This is a little tough for me to answer, given the body glide seatpost makes a huge difference on any bike. However, even though I am using stiff alloy bars I am not getting any significant vibration through the bars.
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Old 05-25-16, 09:29 AM
  #45  
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Commute distances are generally short enough that I don't think it matters very much. I do like carbon because it can be made compliant and does a good job on rough roads. The problem with carbon is the price. I also agree with the person that said low end carbon is not the same as the high end, even though they look almost identical. Vélo News had an article where they compared a Chinese carbon frame sold for $700 to a Cannondale Synapse frame, and there was a big difference.
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Old 06-01-16, 04:24 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by mcours2006
Funny you use those two words in the same sentence. I've never seen a Ti frame for less than $1K, at least around these parts.
Keep your eyes open on the used market. Sometimes a good deal will show up, especially if you choose to be a bit flexible with models.

This showed up on the Local Craigslist a year ago. I jumped on it quickly. I'm a "roadie to the core", and it was a MTB frame. But, it actually built up into a pretty nice drop bar roadish rain bike.



Same thing with used CF frames. There are a lot of used ones for a fraction of the new cost. Yes, some risk, but there is risk everywhere.

As far as durability. CF is good... to a point. If it doesn't break, it springs back. Some of the damage that makes for spectacular photos of broken CF would also have damaged many steel frames.

I've also wondered about the durability of CF paint. Of course Titanium can take a beating and still look good. But, I wonder if the flexibility with CF frames make them less likely to chip than steel (although scratching is still possible).

Originally Posted by SouthFLpix
Commute distances are generally short enough that I don't think it matters very much.
Yeah, probably true. Then again, can anybody that isn't a top tier pro racer really justify CF?

My average commute/errands is maybe 15 miles one-way, or 30 and sometimes 40 miles RT. The distance really adds up.

I find my new (retro) CF bike to be a dream to ride. That dreamy feeling may alone make it worth it. I'm still trying to figure out whether it is truly faster on average, but several of my high intensity Strava PRs are beginning to fall, often by quite a bit.



Oh, and the C-40 was about the same price as a new Chinese frame. I'm happy with the yellow machine!!!
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Old 06-01-16, 06:22 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
Keep your eyes open on the used market. Sometimes a good deal will show up, especially if you choose to be a bit flexible with models.

This showed up on the Local Craigslist a year ago. I jumped on it quickly. I'm a "roadie to the core", and it was a MTB frame. But, it actually built up into a pretty nice drop bar roadish rain bike.


The idea has crossed my mind a few times about turning a MTB frame in to road bike, but I didn't want to deal with the different wheels size, and wasn't sure if I wanted to spend money on a bike that I'm not sure is comfortable for me to ride given the difference in the geometry.

For you build, did you use 700c wheels? Looks like the front wheel is smaller, like 650? And how is the position compared to an actual road bike frame?

BTW, $100 for that frame is a steel, er, I mean steal!
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Old 06-01-16, 06:25 AM
  #48  
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Well I'll admit that I'd love to try a carbon fiber frame for commuting, just because everyone says they're lighter and smoother. I don't care about rack and fenders on that - I'd use a frame bag or something more creative, or just a messenger bag if it came to that.

But I always come up against the reality check at that point. We're talking about a pound difference in the frames, one and a half pounds in extreme cases. So the weight savings isn't all that exciting unless you're pairing it with high end components and light wheels. And then, the material itself doesn't seem to determine how the ride feels. It's more true at the low end where my bikes live; steel vs aluminum doesn't mean one is stiffer than the other, or absorbs vibrations better, and I expect it's the same with low end carbon fiber frames. These attributes are determined by the design, and by how much of the (probably lower grade) material is used.

Reportedly the same holds true for mid-range frames, and to a lessor extent high end frames. So I think if you're going to a priori choose a material, it means a high end frame or at least a very close look at the mid-range ones. So it seems to me that it's more reasonable to look for the frame that does what you want, with the material secondary.
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Old 06-01-16, 06:53 AM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by WinNT
And i think so. Unless it is 60 km or more one way.
I've seen guys on here bike commuting 75 km plus each way. It's a lot more than I would want to do, but some people do it.
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Old 06-01-16, 07:05 AM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by GhostSS
I think it's weird that a lot of other posters are making comments about needing racks and panniers for commuting to work....like, what the heck do you need to carry to work that requires it?
What the heck do I need to carry to work?

A computer.
A change of clothes (or two, depending on the heat and rain).
Lunch.
Bike tools and a lock.
Library books my wife has checked out that I need to return.
A load of groceries on the return trip.
Crap from the hardware store for my wife's home improvement projects on the return trip.
Plants for my wife's garden on the return trip.

And a lot more. I haven't even started listing all the stuff I carry for the kids. Some days what I really need is a rack, panniers, a pack, AND a heavy-duty bike trailer.
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