Gee, I guess sticks and stones are sort of dangerous to carbon fibre too.
So why carbon fibre?
After I have been singing about the virtues of steel and tradition and all that good stuff?
Go ahead, make fun of me.
I can take it.
Sort of.
I mean you should have seen it coming:
Oh yeah, you, the reader, should have seen this one coming a mile away!
There were little subtle hints, little slips, suggestions.
I could have changed out my carbon levers for alloy, but noooooooo, I kept them woven beauties!
Light, strong, resistant to temperatures, let's face it, carbon fibre is here to stay!
Can you dig it?
That's right suckas, I'm all over the carbon goodness!
Actually, it came down the this: I wanted something different.
I wanted to play weight weenie.
Park Tools scale, here I come.
Titanium rules!
Rules my wallet I mean.
No really, I got to thinking about a steel frame and while I was excited, I wasn't excited.
I mean I already got a steel frame, two of em in fact, and while a custom lugged frame would be nice, I found that it just wasn't floating my boat.
So to speak.
It all came to me when I found myself looking at an aluminium frame, you know, just for fun, and I started to think that something different would be well, different.
Variety they say, is the spice of life.
Chili peppers ain't too bad either.
So anyways, I changed directions and found myself more excited about carbon than I was about lugged steel
Go figure.
Then there's some other mitigating factors.
More on that later.
Besides, it ain't over till it's over and I still got a week or so to hand wring and agonize over my options.
So go ahead and make fun and laugh.
While I'm making the most important decision ever!
A decision that could effect the entire free world as we know it!
Okay, not really.
About the free world part.
Anyways, I'll be laughing all the way to the...
Well, I'll be laughing.
Maybe.
10 comments:
Perhaps it is time to reread my carbon series, including the photo of the snapped front fork?
Are you raining on my parade?
Hey!
You!
Get off of my cloud!!
By the way, I've been waiting for someting from you for my bicycle safety thingy.
Have you been following along at home?
He's just jealous!
Reread Steve's carbon series because it does make sense to know what it is you are buying.
Carbon does need to be treated with care...but then I put in a lot of hours work to be able to afford my carbon dream machine so I would be foolish not to take special care of it.
The payoff for me is that it is fantastic to ride...and that's what it's all about.
-Trevor
Lateral stiffness, vertical compliance, sprint up hills like a demon, carve corner trajectories like a rocket sled on teflon rails, etc.
Trevor,
Steve just wants to blow out my candles.
JRA, now you're patronizing me.
I like it, tell me more.
I've been quite content with carbon fiber since 2005. I had one nasty crash in that time with no issues other than surface scrapes and generally believe most of the stuff you see about it breaking is hysteria. It does give you a really nice ride, climbs like a dream, and looks really cool.
On the other hand, you don't usually end up with a really unique looking bike like those steel ones you were drooling over earlier.
Guess you need to pick your poison.
For what it is worth, I am going to recommend light-weight bike with thin tubing such as the ones from Rene Herse Bicycles!
Paz :)
Eh...I just can't warm up to CF. The last bike I bought has CF parts on it and I'm slowly replacing them with shiny bits.
But...it has to please you, not me...
Tracy W, poison indeed.
Chandra, not quite ready to go full retro yet.
Scott, my feelings on carbon are neutral, it's a material.
While I prefer the alloy goodness, the Record rear derailleur looks pretty darn cool.
I gotta say, this whole thing has been quite an experience.
More on this later.
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