Hi,

there is something interesting I found out yesterday.
I do not know the background but I noticed that Zdenek Stybar (cyclocross world champion) rides SPECIALIZED frame made of aluminium.
The frame is custom geometry, which is probably the reason for aluminium..... I am just surprised that one of the biggest company in the business is not able to provide a carbon fiber frameset to the World champion!
All of the previous frame buliders were able to give Stybar a carbon fiber frameset.....

Is it definitely custom alu? Specialized don't have an Carbonfibre CX frame

_________________
"Step forward the climber and all those who worship at the altar of lightness" - R. Millar

Yes, it is custom ALU frame.
http://www.bikeportal.cz/index.php5?str ... d=97&zpz=1

What's wrong with aluminum? Some of us prefer them over carbon

Hm, I am just surprised seeing ALU these days at the PRO level. As far as I know, ALU is not very forgiving in terrain.... Carbon fiber framesets are theoretically much better in this field.

uhm, I believe that Specialized don't even have a CF model for cross in their line up.
Moved to cross forum.

_________________
'Tape was made to wrap your GF's gifts, NOT hold a freakin tire on.'

Follow me on twitter. I try to be interesting
On Facebook!

I think prior to QuickStep changing from Merx to Specialized, Stybar had been riding Ridley X-Night's rebadged in Merx colors.

_________________
Michael - The Anaerobic Threshold is neither...

I'm sure Specialized will have a carbon Crux out next year, probably waiting to bring a carbon disc model out at the same time.
I doubt the lack of a carbon frame is slowing Stybar down...

Thinking that aluminium is inferior to carbon for a bike frame is direct from the marketer's mouth. There's no real basis for that thought. Forgiving? How?

-

_________________
www.ergottwheels.com

Probably not a big deal for this season to be on Al if it is indeed 300g lighter than his previous frame...

_________________
Flickr
Tarmac SL3 Project Yellow
Follow on Instagram

This is how it went:
Merckx cycles was informed in January that Stybar signed with Quick Step. They didn't have a crossbike in their range so they started developing one. At the beginning of the season Stybar rode a rebadged Ridley X-Night. In Ruddervoorde (Oct. 9) the new Merckx CMX frame was ready so Stybar used it. During the Koppenbergcross (Nov. 1) he switched back to the rebadged Ridleys which he used till the end of December. In January he started with the Specialized for the first time.
Nice season for the mechanics

The Specialized "Bunny Hopper" is indeed aluminium. This makes perfect sense, Specialized don't have a carbon crossbike in their range.
Things were different in 2007. Quick Step changed from Time to Specialized and Tom Boonen had back problems because he didn't fit the geometry of the Specialized carbon bikes. After weeks of struggling Boonen used a custom-made aluminium Specialized in 'Dwars door Vlaanderen' and won the race. He even thanked the bike when he crossed the finish line:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u8HLuyQ1Zo

Boonen's custom "Specialized" that he subsequently went on to win Paris-Roubaix was built by Dario Pegoretti - last time I saw it, it was in the Ronde van Vlaanderen museum in Oudenaard. I expect there'll be few complaints from Stybar if he's riding a Peg?

_________________
Just ride

Specialized had an S-works Crux carbon last season, but it was simply a relabeled Tricross carbon. The Tricross is a great bike, but has really long chainstays and not really idea for CX racing. There isn't a carbon Crux in the lineup (yet), so he gets an aluminum bike. They are still quite nice. I have two of the current aluminum crux frames, nice and stiff, tapered steerer, BB30. Todd Wells won the US camps on one last year.

I'm sure next season they will have a carbon crux out on the market.

There was one built by Dario, but there was also another one built by Specialized, it has been covered many times. The bike Stybar is on is very much in the style of a Crux so I doubt that Dario built it. Todd Wells is also on a custom sized Crux.

_________________
"Step forward the climber and all those who worship at the altar of lightness" - R. Millar

At the UK Champs Std Alu Crux's were ridden to first and third places in the Elite men and first U23 so obviously their riders didn't suffer from a lack of carbon.