carbon frame selection

Sorry I have no suggestions, but for my education why do you have
absolutely no interest in Trek? I have a Bianchi Verata with a steel
frame and carbon box and fork at 20 lbs 4 oz.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sorry I have no suggestions, but for my education why do you have
absolutely no interest in Trek? I have a Bianchi Verata with a steel
frame and carbon box and fork at 20 lbs 4 oz.

I don't really have a good answer for that one ;> I've always kind of
disliked what everyone else seems to like. Maybe I just don't like to feel
like a lemming. It's a very peculiar personality quirk of mine. I've
almost always ridden a frame made for me by a small local custom
framebuilder (whom I love dearly) except for a brief foray into Merlinworld.
We've talked about the fact that due to what he is and does, he will never
be able to compete with the injection molded, air bladder supper lightweight
carbon frames. And ever since I laid eyes on the European edition of the
Giant TCR Advanced, I fell madly, deeply in lust <g>. Is it all of that
nude carbon weave exposed to the bare eyes? Or the sinuous curves of the
smooth carbon fiber as it caresses its way around the rear wheel? Who
knows?

Cat

: > Sorry I have no suggestions, but for my education why do you have
: > absolutely no interest in Trek? I have a Bianchi Verata with a steel
: > frame and carbon box and fork at 20 lbs 4 oz.
: >
: I don't really have a good answer for that one ;> I've always kind of
: disliked what everyone else seems to like. Maybe I just don't like to
feel
: like a lemming. It's a very peculiar personality quirk of mine. I've
: almost always ridden a frame made for me by a small local custom
: framebuilder (whom I love dearly) except for a brief foray into
Merlinworld.
: We've talked about the fact that due to what he is and does, he will never
: be able to compete with the injection molded, air bladder supper
lightweight
: carbon frames. And ever since I laid eyes on the European edition of the
: Giant TCR Advanced, I fell madly, deeply in lust <g>. Is it all of that
: nude carbon weave exposed to the bare eyes? Or the sinuous curves of the
: smooth carbon fiber as it caresses its way around the rear wheel? Who
: knows?
:
: Cat

I know what you mean. As soon as I saw how ubiquitous the Trek bicycles had
become, I didn't want one--no matter how great they are. The thought I had
was "Whoa--they're too many of them out there!" I don't even have a SUV and
will never get one for the same reason. And here I had always thought it was
because I'm left handed! BTW: are you? heh.

Pat in TX
:
:

Cat Dailey said:

Since I am left with non-extended seat tube bikes, and am a little peeved at
Giant, can you guys help me out with some brands that I should look at? I
have absolutely no interest in Trek, and I don't care for the webbed lugs of
the Calfee. I do want a really light frame (for 130 lb female, 54stx55tt)
and prefer non-compact, but I think I am stuck with compact. I checked out
Cervelo, and am interested in the R3, but there's no information about it
yet on their website. What else should I be considering?

Your two unexplained preferences (Trek and compact bad) are somewhat
mutually exclusive. I can sympathize with wanting to avoid the "what
Lance rode" factor (and they're way overpriced here to cash in), but
everyone I know who's switched to compact has been very happy with it.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 08:57:19 -0500, "Cat Dailey" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hey all .... q for the learned masses:

After having probably my best season yet (10,700 miles and counting until
Tues), I find myself in the crappiest position of having to have knee
surgery and 4-6 weeks off (so much for my great base ;<😉

I was planning on buying a new frame this season and am looking for a
monocoque constructed carbon. My dream bike is the Giant TCR Advanced with
the extended seattube, but it will not be imported to the US this year, and
will likely be unavailable as a frame only in Europe due to high demand.
I saw that BH makes a very similar (probably same factory in Taiwan) frame,
but they aren't sold in the US and they don't respond to email requests for
some reason (maybe non-English speaking?)

Since I am left with non-extended seat tube bikes, and am a little peeved at
Giant, can you guys help me out with some brands that I should look at? I
have absolutely no interest in Trek, and I don't care for the webbed lugs of
the Calfee. I do want a really light frame (for 130 lb female, 54stx55tt)
and prefer non-compact, but I think I am stuck with compact. I checked out
Cervelo, and am interested in the R3, but there's no information about it
yet on their website. What else should I be considering?

This could be a fun and motivating project during my recovery. Thanks in
advance for helping me out!

You should probably ask this in rec.bicycles.tech as well -- so I added
the crosspost.

Jasper

Have you looked at the Pinarello F4/13. I love the lines and the ride.

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

: > Sorry I have no suggestions, but for my education why do you have
: > absolutely no interest in Trek? I have a Bianchi Verata with a steel
: > frame and carbon box and fork at 20 lbs 4 oz.
: >
: I don't really have a good answer for that one ;> I've always kind of
: disliked what everyone else seems to like. Maybe I just don't like to
feel
: like a lemming. It's a very peculiar personality quirk of mine. I've
: almost always ridden a frame made for me by a small local custom
: framebuilder (whom I love dearly) except for a brief foray into
Merlinworld.
: We've talked about the fact that due to what he is and does, he will
never
: be able to compete with the injection molded, air bladder supper
lightweight
: carbon frames. And ever since I laid eyes on the European edition of
the
: Giant TCR Advanced, I fell madly, deeply in lust <g>. Is it all of that
: nude carbon weave exposed to the bare eyes? Or the sinuous curves of
the
: smooth carbon fiber as it caresses its way around the rear wheel? Who
: knows?
:
: Cat

I know what you mean. As soon as I saw how ubiquitous the Trek bicycles
had
become, I didn't want one--no matter how great they are. The thought I
had
was "Whoa--they're too many of them out there!" I don't even have a SUV
and
will never get one for the same reason. And here I had always thought it
was
because I'm left handed! BTW: are you? heh.

Pat in TX
:
:

Oh thank God, someone who thinks as I do! No SUV for me, ever! (I've
always had peculiar taste in cars, anyway-love that ugly, squatty Infinity
FX 35 in white). Anyway, I digress. Actually, I am more *confused* than
left-handed. I write and throw right, box, eat and some other things left.
My doctor can't figure out whether I am a lefty or righty. Took up piano a
year ago and definitely righty there ;> What bike do you ride now?

Cat who rides a Havnoonian (yes, that's his name ;>😉

"Michael Warner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Cat Dailey said:

Since I am left with non-extended seat tube bikes, and am a little peeved
at
Giant, can you guys help me out with some brands that I should look at?
I
have absolutely no interest in Trek, and I don't care for the webbed lugs
of
the Calfee. I do want a really light frame (for 130 lb female,
54stx55tt)
and prefer non-compact, but I think I am stuck with compact. I checked
out
Cervelo, and am interested in the R3, but there's no information about it
yet on their website. What else should I be considering?

Your two unexplained preferences (Trek and compact bad) are somewhat
mutually exclusive. I can sympathize with wanting to avoid the "what
Lance rode" factor (and they're way overpriced here to cash in), but
everyone I know who's switched to compact has been very happy with it.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

You know what it is about compact? It's not aesthetics at all, or a fit
issue, cause I am fairly standard sized, even for a female. Believe it or
not, descending is not a great skill of mine, and I like to sort of hold on,
steer a bit with my legs on the top tube. I can't do that with a compact,
and it leaves me feeling very vulnerable. Isn't that weird?

Cat

"gds" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have you looked at the Pinarello F4/13. I love the lines and the ride.

You guys are awesome! You've all come up with about 10 brands that I
didn't think of, and will have fun researching while sitting on my butt
trying not to get fat while I can't ride ;>

Thank you!

Cat

Pat said:

I know what you mean. As soon as I saw how ubiquitous the Trek bicycles had
become, I didn't want one--no matter how great they are. The thought I had
was "Whoa--they're too many of them out there!" I don't even have a SUV and
will never get one for the same reason. And here I had always thought it was
because I'm left handed! BTW: are you? heh.

I don't have an SUV either, and never will, but for other reasons, first
no matter how fancy they make them, they are still ugly, and they use up
too much gas. By the way, I am right handed, but fish left handed, go
figure.....

If I felt the need to replace my current car, I would buy the smallest
and most fuel efficient car I could afford. Then again, I am in Canada,
and smaller cars are much more popular here.

W

Cat Dailey said:

You know what it is about compact? It's not aesthetics at all, or a fit
issue, cause I am fairly standard sized, even for a female. Believe it or
not, descending is not a great skill of mine, and I like to sort of hold on,
steer a bit with my legs on the top tube. I can't do that with a compact,
and it leaves me feeling very vulnerable. Isn't that weird?

Yes, it is - I've never seen anyone do it, although I've read that it's one
way to dampen "death wobbles" when descending. Do you suffer from that?
Normally sideways leaning control is provided by the saddle.

IWHT that if you were gripping the top tube with your legs, you'd be far
too tense and have little control of the bike should anything go wrong.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

"Michael Warner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Cat Dailey said:

You know what it is about compact? It's not aesthetics at all, or a fit
issue, cause I am fairly standard sized, even for a female. Believe it
or
not, descending is not a great skill of mine, and I like to sort of hold
on,
steer a bit with my legs on the top tube. I can't do that with a
compact,
and it leaves me feeling very vulnerable. Isn't that weird?

Yes, it is - I've never seen anyone do it, although I've read that it's
one
way to dampen "death wobbles" when descending. Do you suffer from that?
Normally sideways leaning control is provided by the saddle.

IWHT that if you were gripping the top tube with your legs, you'd be far
too tense and have little control of the bike should anything go wrong.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

Nope, never had death wobbles, and it's not really "gripping tight," but
just sort of a feeling of security actually feeling the bike with my legs.
I told you it was weird, didn't I ;> The few times I've ridden a compact,
with that long seatpost thing going on, and no top tube, I've felt like my
center of gravity was way off.

Cat

Cat Dailey said:

Nope, never had death wobbles, and it's not really "gripping tight," but
just sort of a feeling of security actually feeling the bike with my legs.
I told you it was weird, didn't I ;> The few times I've ridden a compact,
with that long seatpost thing going on, and no top tube, I've felt like my
center of gravity was way off.

I think you'd be a better descender if your coupling to the bike (i.e. grip
on it) was looser and didn't include your legs. Bumps and holes in the road
will always make the bike move around a bit, and if the bike then moves
you, you'll be thrown off your line and have to grip tighter to correct it.
You also lose the inertial stability of "floating" legs, which have
significant weight.

Within reason the bike is self-centering, and if it takes a knock from
the road you should trust it to right itself safely. I'd hate to feel every
little bump and hole in my legs via the top tube. Feeling them in
my feet and hands is enough :-)

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

Quoted message said:

I know what you mean. As soon as I saw how ubiquitous the Trek bicycles
had
become, I didn't want one--no matter how great they are. The thought I
had
was "Whoa--they're too many of them out there!"

Not too many that look like mine though-

http://www.chainreaction.com/images/hale800DSCF3687x.jpg

Very subtle "Trek" presentation, basically a light outline. The overall
paint job is anything *but* subtle, but very few expect a Trek to look quite
like this one. Not a bad bike to ride up Haleakala (Maui) either, although I
have to work on its navigation system... took a wrong turn and ended up
climbing an additional 1700ft.

The paint job is offered through their "Project One" program. Takes about a
month to get it, but it was worth it. Amazing what they've managed to do to
make a Trek look so very different.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

: > Sorry I have no suggestions, but for my education why do you have
: > absolutely no interest in Trek? I have a Bianchi Verata with a steel
: > frame and carbon box and fork at 20 lbs 4 oz.
: >
: I don't really have a good answer for that one ;> I've always kind of
: disliked what everyone else seems to like. Maybe I just don't like to
feel
: like a lemming. It's a very peculiar personality quirk of mine. I've
: almost always ridden a frame made for me by a small local custom
: framebuilder (whom I love dearly) except for a brief foray into
Merlinworld.
: We've talked about the fact that due to what he is and does, he will
never
: be able to compete with the injection molded, air bladder supper
lightweight
: carbon frames. And ever since I laid eyes on the European edition of
the
: Giant TCR Advanced, I fell madly, deeply in lust <g>. Is it all of that
: nude carbon weave exposed to the bare eyes? Or the sinuous curves of
the
: smooth carbon fiber as it caresses its way around the rear wheel? Who
: knows?
:
: Cat

I know what you mean. As soon as I saw how ubiquitous the Trek bicycles
had
become, I didn't want one--no matter how great they are. The thought I
had
was "Whoa--they're too many of them out there!" I don't even have a SUV
and
will never get one for the same reason. And here I had always thought it
was
because I'm left handed! BTW: are you? heh.

Pat in TX
:
:

Quoted message said:

You know what it is about compact? It's not aesthetics at all, or a fit
issue, cause I am fairly standard sized, even for a female. Believe it or
not, descending is not a great skill of mine, and I like to sort of hold
on, steer a bit with my legs on the top tube. I can't do that with a
compact, and it leaves me feeling very vulnerable. Isn't that weird?

Not weird at all, or at least not to my thinking after I switched saddles
and noticed that I had to re-learn how to descent. Just a saddle, nothing
else. I didn't realize how much I "steered" using the nose of the saddle as
a reference point... a slightly-different nose, and I just didn't feel like
I had as much control as before. Thought there was something about the bike
at first, until I played around with things and figured it out.

So yes, I can believe that the lack of a higher top tube *could* be an issue
for some... an issue that could cause a bike to seem not as stable or
whatever, because it changes how *you* interact with it. The bike itself is
fine, but you & the bike have an issue.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"Cat Dailey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Michael Warner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Cat Dailey said:

Since I am left with non-extended seat tube bikes, and am a little
peeved at
Giant, can you guys help me out with some brands that I should look at?
I
have absolutely no interest in Trek, and I don't care for the webbed
lugs of
the Calfee. I do want a really light frame (for 130 lb female,
54stx55tt)
and prefer non-compact, but I think I am stuck with compact. I checked
out
Cervelo, and am interested in the R3, but there's no information about
it
yet on their website. What else should I be considering?

Your two unexplained preferences (Trek and compact bad) are somewhat
mutually exclusive. I can sympathize with wanting to avoid the "what
Lance rode" factor (and they're way overpriced here to cash in), but
everyone I know who's switched to compact has been very happy with it.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

You know what it is about compact? It's not aesthetics at all, or a fit
issue, cause I am fairly standard sized, even for a female. Believe it or
not, descending is not a great skill of mine, and I like to sort of hold
on, steer a bit with my legs on the top tube. I can't do that with a
compact, and it leaves me feeling very vulnerable. Isn't that weird?

Cat