garage sale GT

I am looking for an ss/fg frameset which is built like a modern road racing bike. It should be plenty stiff but also have a bit of compliance over bumps like the carbon stay frames had, they seem to be getting away from those frames. It should also steer like a road racer rather than a track bike and not have such low bars or in other words something you don't mind spending a few hours on.

I poked around a bit online today but nothing stood out. A complete bike would be my second choice.

I'd like a stiff aluminum frame, preferably with carbon stays, a carbon fork, and road race instead of track geometry. I guess a steel frame with a larger diameter down tube might do but I have never tried such a frame.

Calfee is well out of my price range. Bikesdirect has the Windsor but the stays look straight and aluminum so they probably have little to no compliance. Has anyone tried one of those? How does it feel on the street?

Cynikal 

You will be better off getting a road frame that meets your needs and building a ENO rear wheel of find a eccentric BB (BB30 or PF30).

ddeadserious

I kind of think your carbon stay requirement is going to hold you back from getting a frame that would be perfectly good with an aluminum frame/stays and a carbon fork.

carleton

Trek District Carbon?

carleton

Keep in mind that your choices of wheels, spoke tension, tires, and air pressure will have more of an effect on your comfort than frame materials.

You can make any bike comfy with the right setup.

Street rider

A shop near me had that District Carbon on the floor. Wouldn't allow any test rides, but that thing is light as hell. Does Trek sell the frameset of all the bikes they make?

garage sale GT

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I looked at Trek's site but they only have one aluminum frame track bike which looks like it's aimed at actual track racers.

The current District lineup seems to be all flat bar aluminum bikes.

carleton

They may have discontinued it.

If you really want one, a Trek dealer can probably make a few phone calls and find one. MSRP was around $3,400, though. You could find a road frame and use an eccentric BB for a lot less than that. An eccentric BB is nice if you aren't planning on changing the gear ratio a lot.

Maybe find a nice used Trek Madone or Specialized Tarmac frame, install an eccentric BB, choice wheels stem and bars, and you'll be set. I'd go for shorter cranks, though, because of the low BB height...unless you go single speed. I would go single speed with 2 brakes. It would be a pretty nice setup.

EnzoRWD

find cheap used carbon road bike. buy ENO rear wheel. sell ders, brifters to cover cost of wheel.

Ultraspontane

Wow... Now that's a sharp bike.

jasonnc80

What about Felt Footprint? Little cheaper than the District carbon was

markaitch

instead of exterpolating op's interest in carbon stays into recommending a full-carbon frame bike, why not focus more on his stated desire for a more roadie-like alu ss/fg? in which case you can't beat...

prooftheory

The Windsor the Hour is steel.
Why wouldn't you do what basically everyone else does and get an aluminum bike with a carbon fork? Is there really that much of an advantage to having the rear stays also be carbon? Is there some application for this fixed-gear road racer that you have in mind? I would think that the Windsor would be exactly what you are looking for in terms of comfort for long distances. There really isn't going to be a good compromise bike that lets you actually take a fixed gear on road races and win sprints. That's just not what fixed-gears do, and if you aren't doing that then why the need for stiffness?

garage sale GT

Riding a lot for fitness on a comfortable bike. Maybe 28mm tires would do a good enough job of making the ride smooth though.I had a modern road bike and found I looked forward to the feel. It was great. The frame was stiff and steered super sharp, the bars didn't flex at all, but the carbon fork and stays kept the ride as smooth as a solid frame road bike probably ever will be.

I also want something that looks more like a road bike than a fixed gear.

garage sale GT

I like the Felt because it looks more like something you'd ride for fitness. I will be out in the daytime in riding clothes, not at night in tight jeans.

Scrodzilla

It looks like a typical roadie bike to me, sans gears.

Jandro 

I regularly spend many hours (85mi was my longest ride) on my Cinelli Bolt and I love it. Aluminum, plenty stiff, slight pursuit geo, crisp, road-like handeling, carbon fork blades and a good price-point (IMO).

p.s. rides consist of long (40mi) flat-land commutes to work as well as extremely hilly (4k+ ft) climbing rides. It handles very similarly to my S2 road bike on descents. I've done a couple HC category, 10mi+ climbs with it as well and I can't say enough about how awesome it is given the right gearing.