Building a crit bike

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climbandpunishment
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2015 4:40 am

by climbandpunishment

From my admittedly minimal understanding of structural engineering, carbon and aluminum are just limited in different ways. A carbon frame will last many, many fatigue cycles (i.e., small, repeated loads in everyday riding), but be weak in impact (think hammer blows - sharp, infrequent loads way, way above what you'd find in normal riding) compared to an identical aluminum frame. The aluminum frame will usually be more likely to break in fatigue, but do better in impacts.

All that assumes the frames are identically designed though, which is almost never the case; they design the carbon frames to handle the more limiting impact loads and the aluminum frames to last long enough in fatigue.

So for a well-designed frame I think the only bearing frame material might have on suitability for criterium racing is in how it affects the cost to replace it when a Cat 5er crashes into you.

commendatore
Posts: 273
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2013 1:51 am
Location: North Carolina

by commendatore

Marin wrote:Another thread where this carbon vs metal comaprison needs to go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xreZdUBqpJs :D :D :D

Get a cheap carbon frame (Canyon, or Chinese if you can't live with the brand image), 50mm carbon wheels, and 105/Rival/Force/Ultegra components. Use SRAM if you want light.

You can easily build up a bombproof 6.5kg bike with your budget if you go Chinese carbon. I did.


Most of the broken frames I see have snapped seat or chain stays. When Santa Cruz starts swinging hardtails into that concrete block by the head tube I'll be impressed.

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marcello
Posts: 64
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:50 pm

by marcello

What are some good deep chinese carbon clincher wheels?

Derf
Posts: 99
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:23 pm

by Derf

showdown wrote:I'm not sure aero matters all that much on a crit course where you're in a pack most of the time and changing directions quite a bit (headwind into crosswind into tailwind etc...)


Having an aero frame (all things considered) that's even a bit heavier than an otherwise equivalent round(er) tubed frame will pay dividends during the final sprint when speeds are the highest (and therefore the drag differential is the greatest...remember drag follows the square of velocity). I mean, yes, the gains are marginal compared to one's sprint prowess (in all sense of the word), but given the option, I'll happily take the aero frame that costs me 20+ fewer watts at 35+mph. And we're seeing a bunch of very nice, affordable, aero road frames emerge, so might as well take advantage.

That said, the OP has a very nice Tarmac to race. Hope he enjoys it!

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

Buy chinese carbon rims and get them built onto hubs of your choice.

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