Herbie53

Proof clyde's can ride carbon and it doesn't explode.

2008 Scattante CFR (cheap carbon -- less than $1,300 on sale), 61cm, 18.4lbs as shown less the trunk and Garmin. I started riding it about a year ago at 245#, currently 215#. Used for club rides, races, and other longer weekend stuff mostly. About 2k miles so far.

Clyde Updates

• Cane Creek Volos XL wheelset (best upgrade)
• Dura Ace 7800 Crank and Enduro BB (second best upgrade) -- FSA SLK not so clyde friendly
• Thompson Seatpost -- lighter than the stock carbon one and zero setback for fit
• Shimano carbon handlebar with less drop ("compact" I think)
• Specialize Taupe 143 saddle (came with a 127mm -- not so good for my clyde sit bones)

youcoming

Trek 5.5 Madone, 17lbs with pedals and cages, size 58,bontrager racexlite wheels, conti gp4000 tires, Sram Force 53-39 11-26, selle italia gel flow saddle. This bike has been a blast to ride. Stiff yet compliant, I know it's hard to discribe but that's all I can say, climbs like a dream and so smooth to ride.

kwduffy02

2008 Specialized Roubiax Elite

105 Groupset, FSA Gossamer Compact Crank, Mavic Open Sport Wheels, Specialized Pro Tires, Body Geometry Avatar saddle.

Will be changing out the bar tape and saddle soon, depending on if I can find a deal on an Ultegra Group set might look into changing that. I love the bike it rides nice and smooth even across some of the rough roads in Central Illinois.

Jersh

2010 Specialized Roubaix Elite - stock, I've only had it for 5 days :-)

Mr. Beanz

Nothing against carbon but 2000 miles is hardly a durability report. Wish all the guys would post their mileage on the carbon bikes.

My aluminum frame snapped after 2.5 years and 13,000 miles. That is TOOOOOOO soon!

BTW, there is a scene in today's Vuleta stage where one dude is standing on the side of the road after snapping his CF steerer tube...;. I think I'd be more afraid of CF stems, handlebars and other components rather than the frame itself. I know riders that have snapped CF components and are 170 at most.

I believe a lady on CoolBreeze crashed her bike. Thought evrything was good but her post badly splintered a couple miles later. I mention this cause Homey was there (forum CF endorser), not sure if he remembers though. It was after a crash but that is one of the things that would worry me, thinking everything is ok after a fall.

Herbie53

Not intended as a durability report either. Just giving the facts man. I really like how the bike rides - it makes riding my 22 lb steel feel like I'm swinging two bats. My only first hand experience with breaking a frame was with steel - failed at the downtube shifter bosses and put me on the pavement. Build anything light enough and it will break. That said, if or when my carbon bike explodes (or I get tired of it) I think I would look at Ti.

I've only ridden an aluminum bike about 10 miles (Cannondale Black Lightning test ride back in the late 80's - I think the vintage that was known for cracking frames) and rejected buying it based on the harsh ride, but I wouldn't condemn the whole material just because of that.

kwduffy02

I just got mine about a week or 2 ago, so my mileage isn't huge, about 200 miles so far. But I really do enjoy it much more than the mountain bike or old steel frame bike I own.

Mr. Beanz

That's a little different than your opening line of "proof clydes can ride carbon and it doesn't explode". That sure looks like you're saying it's durable. Maybe it's my reading comprehension!

Herbie53

trying to build a body of evidence via the many high mile posts that will follow....

Mr. Beanz

Believe me, I will! But I will tell you this. I have a great memory and a big data box upstares. I know for a fact that some posters endorse certain wheels, components, frames materials etc to the clyde population. But then later seem to conveniently forget to return and admit to the clyde pop some faliures they may have had.

If I were endorsing carbon fiber shorts and had a splinter in my butt 6 months later, I would have returned and said, "You know what, I was wrong, they suck!".

Same if I had the same experience years ago. I would have brought up all the facts before endorsing a product. Whether or not I thought it was a fluke or not. Only to give the others all the facts and let them form their opinions.

I know some 150 lb ti riders that say they love the ride BUT, they do admit to the broken downtubes they have experienced. I can really respect an honest endorsemnent over those that leave out some of the important facts.

I keep mental notes for a long time! ....cause I'm mental!

youcoming

You are mental and I will remember that, seems to me if I had an aluminum frame snap after 13000 miles I'd get something else to ride, just saying, party pooper.

Mr. Beanz

It is different, 3/5 carbon and 2/5 aluminum!.....When I snapped the frame, I told the rep I was going to sell the replacement as I was worried about breaking my face due to the twiggy BB area while being such a powerful rider. They upgraded the frame and the fork (fork is unusual in warranty claims)! ..The new frame is much stiffer and twice the price of the original. I LOVE TREK!


BTW, I could have had a full CF roadie but decided to pick one up for my wife instead cause I love her so much!

Mr. Beanz

No discriminating here! Athenas too!
I don't have one but Gina does!...About 10,000 miles on it and hasn't exploded yet!


Pilot 5.2...Ultegra 10 speed triple

Unlike you Poser Clydes, actual proof that this Athena "RIDES" the bike!

youcoming

Yeah I'm kinda partial to Trek and one of the reasons I bought one was I have heard ggreat things about their service when it comes to damaged goods. I'm not a dreamer and realize any frame can break so I may as well buy from a company that will back up the product they sell. Just like your Lemond the new Madones are way stiffer then previous models, then again bikes are always being made to a different level. And another note I would rather ride a good quality aluminum frame then a low level carbon.

txvintage

I don't have a CF bike.....................................................yet.

I will one day though, just as soon as I manage to kick this multiple, rather high end, vintage addiction and give up surgery as a hobby.

Herbie53

soooo.... is this a dig at my and all other CF bikes that are lesser than your Madone P1? Thanks for that.

Have you ridden both a high end aluminum and lesser carbon to draw this conclusion?

Homeyba

Ok Beanz, I'll give you a durability report! Hope this counts. I have a 2005 Colnago C-50 I don't have a good side pics so this will have to do:

It's got Ultegra 30speed running gear with a Tru Vativ Carbon crank. I have several sets of wheels including Mavic OP Ceramic, Topolino AX 3.0 (Kevlar/Carbon spokes!) and Zipp 404's. The Topolino's are on there the most followed by the Zipps.
Since I bought it in 2005 I've done 3 Furnace Creek 508's, 3 1200k brevets, 4 600k brevets, 1 Hoo Doo 500, 2 RAAM's, and a whole slew of lesser centuries, double centuries and brevets. I don't know how many total miles but I'd guess something above 40,000. In addition to the miles 1 nasty crash during RAAM in 2006. I t-boned a van at 40mph (I was going 40mph not the van). Damage to the bike included 1 broken (in half) carbon crank arm, 1 destroyed Zipp 404, 1 broken shoe, 1 scratched up Brifter and torn bartape. Damage to the rider, 1 golf ball sized chunk of meat ripped out of left side of knee cap, 80+ stitched from knee to hip and across knee cap, 1 broken elbow, several fluid filled hematoma's, 15 stitches on my broken elbow and a lot of road rash. If you want to see pics I have em! Damage to frame/fork...none! After getting out of the hospital and catching the team I rode my back-up bike until a new crank was delivered in Colorado. Here's a pic of me riding the bike in Colorado (notice bandages on leg):


Carbon bike #2 is a custom made Calfee. What an awesome bike!!!! 28lbs with the aerobars! It's also running Ultegra gear with FSA cranks and custom made/drilled Zipp 404 wheels. I occasionally run the Hed 3 wheels (the front one in the pic) but they are a little heavy.

It's new, I just got it in late may but I already have one RAAM on it and will do it again next year on the tandem!

PS, Beanz, I sure do remember that lady, how could I forget! I pushed her for several miles to the first rest stop at 21-22mph (trying to keep up with you!) all the while she had a flat tire!!!!! Me: why is your bike making so much noise? Her: Oh, it always sounds like that! Me: I don't know, it shouldn't really sound like that. Her: no, that's how it sounds... Later at the stop...Me, no wonder your bike sounded like that, you've been riding on the rim for the last 4 miles!!!! Her: Ohhhhh! (holding her cheeks). She was a really nice lady though. I get a good chuckle out of that now. She did have her seat post fail after her crash. There could be a lot of reasons for that. She wasn't the most competent person around bikes.

Homeyba

I'm not a proponent of CF per-se, I'm a proponent of riding what you want! There is a lot of unfounded fear of CF. Same goes for low spoke count wheels. What it really comes down to is, buy well made (not necessarily expensive), quality components and you have nothing to worry about.

Beanz, you don't have to worry about me leaving in 6 months. I was looking at the planet ultra KOM rides and I might be able to do the first two. The last one is just two weeks before RAAM so I don't know about that one...

Mr. Beanz

That's right! Forgot about the flat tire!...Like you said, she was nice. I'm thinking the post snapped after a good pounding in the crash. I do have a CF post on my Lemond with over 20,000 but never dropped or crashed it. If I had, I'd be worried about it but no problems at this point.

Just seeing her post like a jagged bamboo chute made me think about what could happen if it fails...but again, after a crash and a component, not a frame.

youcoming

Not taking a dig at anybodies bike, people are just to damn sensitive on this forum. Yes I have rode high end aluminum which for a clyde provides a very stable and stiff ride which can use the power generated and helps in climbs, I have rode lower end carbon Treks and Cannondale and just find they can not take or should I say not use the power generated from a clyde to it's full effect, very nice compliant ride yes but I found laking in power transfer. With certian higher end carbon you get best of both worlds complient yet very stiff. For myself and this is just me I would live with some road noise and little less comfort on a high end stiff aluminum frame then a low end smooth riding carbon. I am not expert but that has been my experience. I guess to sum it up if money was an issue for me I would sacrifice some comfort to gain in climbing and speed but that's just me. I'm fortunate to a job that allows me to get what I wanted so I did. The dis agreement could go on forever is my expensive bike better than your less expensive bike? Heck I don't know some say yes some say I'm nuts for spending money on it, who cares I ride what I ride you ride what you ride, if we're both happy thats all that matters. And hey are you taking a dig at me for buying a P1 Madone See it works both ways man.

IAmCosmo

My '08 Tarmac. I was 270 when I got it. Now down to 235 (and still going down) thanks to it.

Only changes were a set of Neuvation M-28's that I put on as soon as I got it home. It now has a set of Mavic Ksyriums on it, but just because I like them. No problem with the Neuvations whatsoever.

I believe it's got about 4000 miles on it. My computer died over the winter, so that's a guess. Give or take a couple hundred miles...

kwduffy02

Nice bike, I am a fan of the Tarmac's, they just look so good hehe

bladehack

I was a Clyde when I got her (215lbs.), but she's gotten me down to 192lbs.

JBBOOKS

2,000 miles this summer. I weigh 220.

John Bailey

Quote:

Originally Posted by bladehack

I was a Clyde when I got her (215lbs.), but she's gotten me down to 192lbs.

I am totally jealous.

John