Carbon Value by Brand

[CAAD8FRED]

For people who have ridden multiple grades of Carbon ranging from 700 OCLV to Hi-Mod or even HMX, did the carbon have a better feeling ride? I know they have quantitative improvements, but did they make you feel better on the saddle?

[TonyM]

I rode several type of carbon for the last 30 years almost (first generation of carbon frame with the TVT frames. Used by Indurain, Lemond etc...). The one bike with a carbon frame which impressed me the most was a MTB with HMX from Scott.

However(!!!!) the type of carbon alone doesn’t tell you so much. it is more the combination of the type of carbon used, the way they use it, the geometry, the number of layers, etc.... and last but not least the type of rider that you are. If you are 120lbs or 200lbs and if your FTP is 150 or 500 watt etc....

I suppose you will therefore have very different answers....

[spdntrxi]

feel the same as Tony.. been on carbon what feels like forever. Still have a TVT Look that rides beautifully.. Early Kestrels.. all the way up to Custom and non-custom Parlees. I'm still actually impressed with my TVT frame for it's age.

[Calnago]

Agreed, there’s so much more to consider than a number when it comes to carbon. The resins they use, etc., etc.,.. there’s simply just too many factors to boil it down to a single “this frame is made with xxx carbon, therefore it is better”. You can make something extremely stiff, but it might feel brittle, almost like glass. It snaps rather than bends. Finding the right mix of strength, stiffness, and rideability is an ever changing recipe. And that’s just a tiny slice of variables on the materials side. I’d say it’s an impossible question to answer since there’s so much more that contributes to the “feel” of a bike than simply what type of carbon is used.

[kgt]

I agree that there is no way to tell the quality of the carbon by riding a frame. I had ridden top framesets with Mitsubishi or Toray carbon, 1k, 3K or UD, lugged, tube to tube or real monocoques. The quality of the carbon was always the best but the riding feel was from mediocre to great.
IME TIME's carbon with vectran and/or kevlar 'feels' (and looks) better than anything else I have ridden so far.
In general I think most would agree that in terms of riding and manufacturing quality there is still nothing better than a lugged Colnago C40-C59 or a lugged TIME vxrs.