The Advantages Of Carbon Road Bikes http://bikecycles.org/ The Advantages Of Carbon Road Bikes While it is true the more miles you ride the more discriminating you’re likely to be about your bike’s frame. Most cyclists today are aware there are differences and want the best they can afford. Road cyclists know a strong, light frame can make a huge difference in their rides. Carbon road bikes are just that very light and yet strong. Today, road bike frames come mainly in three materials: steel, aluminum and carbon fiber but here we are just going to talk about the last two. Aluminum is more common but once you start getting close to 1,000 dollar price carbon components start being used. For most serious yet amateur road cyclists, carbon fiber is what they are aimed at. Carbon frames won’t corrode and are very strong but the problem is they can break. Weight is the key. It is crucial in climbing and is also important for descents and flats though loss so. It has been proven a heavier frame is a major factor in slower times. The quality of any frame also is a big factor. Quality will also ultimately be a determining factor in weight. A well built lightweight aluminum frame could in fact weigh less than a cheap carbon frame. Quality will also determine the strength as well as the feel of the frame on the road. Not all frames of the same material are the same quality even though you can’t maybe tell the difference on the surface. Another thing is strength and stiffness, are very different properties. Often people are confused about this. Strength is how strong the material is before it breaks. Stiffness is how much will the material flex and still return to its original position or shape. Stiffness is important as it allows the cyclists’ energy to be transferred to forward motion more efficiently. Flex is important as it smoothes out the roughness of the road. The problem is they are in fact opposites, so the stiffness that aluminum gives brings efficiency but a rougher ride. The flex that carbon gives makes your ride smoother and its efficiency then has to come from being lighter. Quality is hugely important especially when it comes to carbon bikes. Some road bikes use low priced materials and purport to be as good as name brand bikes and you need to be careful of them. They usually have little to none of the advantages and have a lot of disadvantages especially when it comes to racing. They are not as light as quality carbon frames and not a flexible and much more prone to braking from minor incidents. The sellers of these products are using the marketing tool of misinformation. When it comes to a carbon frame I would only buy a name I knew even if I had to buy used. I’d rather do that than buy a no name or unknown name bike. When you start looking to buy a new bike make sure you choose the material for your bike frame that is going to suit you best as you progress in your cycling. Don’t forget to ask your cycling buddies. I know they all have their own opinions but that is what you want to give you a
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