So any of you know of a good place (other than ebay) to buy carbon fiber frames? Brands?

and batman is here in 3.. 2.. 1..

Road or mountain?

Make friends with someone who works at a bike shop (who is also your size) and get them to E.P (employe purchase) what ever you want. It'll be less than half msrp.

For mountain bikes, i wouldn't recommend CF.

For Road it's nice, but I would almost never buy a used one since you really don't know the history on the frame. If it's been crashed, etc.

It's a comfy frame material, but sometimes u feel too isolated. In otherwords it's like a luxury car where the suspension is too soft.

Believe it or not, many bikers still feel that Cro Moly frames are the best in comfort, durability, and price.

yes, you can get steel bikes in the 17lbs range of many CF bikes.

It's smarter to spend the $$$ on better components that are not only lighter, but shifts better.

Also rotational mass makes more of a difference than static mass.

For every 1lb of rotational mass on the bike, it's like adding 8lbs to ur body weight.

It's a 4:1 ratio for static mass like frames, handle bars, etc...

BTW, I have some bike parts here and there that i will be putting up for sale.

Oh. . .


* Removes the 20 inch dubs from his bicycle *

yeah, wheels/tires are the biggest rotational mass.

Vroom, what's ur height? I can tell you what frame size you should consider.

If your looking at cro moly frame you can go for a used one.

reynolds 853 is a good cro moly.

Also, what's ur budget?

Yeah I'm looking for carbon fiber frames for road bikes. So far I've been comfortable with a 52cm frame and I'm 5'8. I think ideal would be 54cm but with the frame touching my crotch while I'm standing over it and that doesn't feel very nice. As for budget I'm looking to spend less than $400 if that's even possible.

* looking up "Reynolds 853" *

oh jesus christ, I just did a quick search for "Reynolds 853" :( that's way more than I want to spend

http://www.cyclesmercier.com/models.html

54 is ideal for your height.

If you are worried about the frame touching ur crotch, then consider a compact frame where the top tube is angled down from the front of the bike to the back. It's a similar geometry with alot of mountain bikes.

For $400, u won't get a good road bike. That's a budget better suited for a hybrid bike (road bike with mountain bike handle bars). That's for a new bike.

CF is out for sure. U might be lucky to even get just the frame for that price.

Look on www.craigslist.com in your area and you should be able to get some good deals on steel bikes for that budget. I've gotten some good deals on ebay.com too.

For $400, u won't get a good road bike. That's a budget better suited for a hybrid bike (road bike with mountain bike handle bars). That's for a new bike.



I was just looking at $400 for the frame, not including the fork, wheels, etc...

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/08_bikes/08quest.html

that's a pretty dam good bike for the $$$

This one is a CF and steel combo.

rides nice too.

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/07_bikes/images/07enlarged/07_ECLIPSE.jpg

check craigslist. if youre patient you can find some great deals. i just bought a Cannondale R500 with about 10 miles on it for $450 with a ton of accessories. took me 2 months of looking but that was for a 61cm. i see tons of 54 cm bikes daily

check craigslist. if youre patient you can find some great deals. i just bought a Cannondale R500 with about 10 miles on it for $450 with a ton of accessories. took me 2 months of looking but that was for a 61cm. i see tons of 54 cm bikes daily

lol, I don't know why Seagal's in those pics...

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/797234350.html

Well damn, looks like I'm getting this instead. No carbon fiber frame for me :(

http://www.lemondbikes.com/bikes/road_racing/performance_aluminum/reno.php

Lemond is OK.

I don't care for the old school look.

And for the money u get WAY more bike with a Jamis.

Jamis has won alot of awards for bike value.

Find a good local bike shop, and they'll be able to give you a bunch of great advice on materials and fitment.

I just purchased a Cannondale Caad 8, size 63 cm (I was told they don't come any larger, unless custom made!); and a Specialized Dolce for my wife. Both aluminum, the caad8 is hand welded, a bit lighter than the girl bike (though it's much larger). The fork and seat post are carbon, and the dolce also has carbon seat stays, so there's flex where you need it (smoother ride).

The shop (http://hgbco.com/) was awesome, the owner is an expert in bike fitting. They bike purchase includes any fitting, including replacing parts (like the tube that goes from the stem to the handlebars, not sure what it's called).

I could imagine that if I bought online or from another individual, I'd be unhappy with the bike because it wouldn't feel right without the proper fitting. If you do buy that way, definitely get it adjusted by someone who knows what they're doing.

I did blow a bunch of dough (around $2,600), but I was happy with what we got.

If he aims for the Compact frame or even the sub-compact frame then fitment is not a problem since those geometry can be easily corrected with the right stem, seat post adjustment.....