The best high end frame

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by HandyAndy
Hi Everyone.I used to race competitively when I was younger but have lived in London for the last few years and havent touched a bike in years but now an able to buy a high end frame and kit it out.

Any ideas/opinions on bikes?I was looking at colnago c40 or ct1 but am unsure now after reading reports on Fondriest bikes and the new giant tcr 0.

I will probably go with dura ace on ksyrium wheels regardless of frame choice.

I will be racing on it more than once a month.
Anyone got any ideas?

No such thing. This is completely and totally subjective. Even if you asked the top pros in the world, each would have a preference for a frame or material that is different from another. I suggest you figure out what material you want first, ie carbon, steel, aluminum, etc. and then go from there.

That is true, I am looking at carbon, with perhaps a titanium mix such as the colnago ct1. I was hoping that someone has perhaps ridden a few top end frames and may have any suggestions.I am 6ft tall and weigh 74kgs.

I have Principia REXeSxPro with Record and new Ksyrium limited Tour de France wheels. And bike is great!!! I have had Colnagos before they were also good but this is really something else...

stay away from the US [censored] frames they are novel but thats about it, the best frames are still made by the classics, and colnago, merckx and pinarello are v good, i live in holland with stacks of giant bikes they are nice but i dont think very durable. the TIME carbon frames are great and come with lots of nice carbon xtras.
as for dura ace?? the record gruppo is fantastic, but some ppl with never learn, if u do go for the dura ace set get the carbon chainset from ???? (u will find it on websites easily if u look for the pinarello version).

Take a look at some of the top end Moser frames. Beautiful frames made by hand in small quantities at a small shop in Italy under the direction of a master artisan.

Why not get a custom made steel frame? Get new tubing like Columbus Ultrafoco or Dedaccai 16.5 EOM are light, great looking and ride fantastic.
England still has great builders like Chas Roberts (Croydon?) or Argos.

You'll get a bike that only you have: unique!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by HandyAndy
That is true, I am looking at carbon, with perhaps a titanium mix such as the colnago ct1. I was hoping that someone has perhaps ridden a few top end frames and may have any suggestions.I am 6ft tall and weigh 74kgs.

I agree with Freek's suggestion. There are a lot of great framebuilders in England. You haven't been on a bike in years and you need to get properly set up again. And since you are willing to spend the money for a high-end frame, then a custom steel frame would be the way to go. Besides, you say that you'll only be racing it maybe once a month.

So, I would start calling around to the framebuilders in England to get some more info. The big tubing companies are Dedacciai and Columbus, both Italian. A lot of framebuilders use them. You are a tall guy and slightly oversized tubes would do well for you. The other guy recommended the new EOM 16.5 tubeset made by Dedacciai. This is lightweight and performance is right up there with the best carbon and aluminum frames.

Thanks for the tip about steel.I have had custom steel bikes before, but have never had carbon or titanium, thats why I am keen to try something new.One question about colnagos, do they change their line fairly frequently?I have heard about the new c50, and of course the c40 hp was released this year.

Do yourself a big favour and buy a Cannondale CAAD 7 frame.

really the best frame out there.

with some carbon accessories like a good carbon seat post and a good carbon stem + handlebars (or a Cinelli RAM monocoque) with Dura Ace and Mavic Ksyrium SSC L... you will have such a great bike.

Don't follow the "little italian artisan manufacturer", it is not true.

most of those frames are built in Taiwan, others are Columbus-Cinelli made and marked with the so cool and little artisan name!!!

forget it.

buy a Cannondale.

Carbon is the future but still too young to be sure, they are still making tests and samples and people who buys carbons frame are just crush test dummies (spending a lot of money too)

ciao

Cannondales are nice, however I am a concerned about the stiffness factor.Cannondales have a reputation about being bone rattling stiff, that said ,I havent ridden the new caad 7 frame.Anyone tried the alu-carbon mix frames?

i aid to put asome carbon on the Cannondale frame because is like cheese on maccheroni!!!

my Cannondale changes a lot with just a simple Advanced carbon monocoque seat post (i prefer monocoque, it's stupid to have a carbon tube with a "glued" alluminium head)

Same precision same good stiffness but very comfortable bike now.

I'm Italian and belive me but those people at Cannondale know very well the art of making frames.

(i'm not sure how good will be the mixed alloy-carbon frame that Simoni had at the last Tour de France, i'm sure that if they did it, they must be sure that it works fine, the problem is if they made this just to follow the market, Trek, Look, Time, Bianchi etc etc with the "Carbon is better frames" or if they did because they are sure that is a better solution... i still prefer to stay at the window and wait for carbon frames to be a very popular solution and for now i should buy an alluminium frame)

ciao

Thanks Spino.What kind of seatpost do you use?I hadnt thought of that as a way of dampening the shock.

I have a Cannondale CAAD 7 frame, equipped with Dura Ace and Mavic rims, and am very happy with it. I've spoken to quite a few people that ride caad 7'S, and all of them rave about it. This is a great frame. If you ride one, you will be hard pressed to find fault with it....My two cents.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by HandyAndy
Cannondales are nice, however I am a concerned about the stiffness factor.Cannondales have a reputation about being bone rattling stiff, that said ,I havent ridden the new caad 7 frame.Anyone tried the alu-carbon mix frames?

While I agree that the name on the frame is of absolutely no importance to the performance on a frame, it is WAY too broad a generalization to assume that this or that framebuilder has his frames outsourced if you will.

Forget Canondale. Its all for show. The tubing diameters on Canondales are way too big, creating a too stiff frame. If you are like the small portion of the people that like that, then by all means go for it. However, you haven't ridden in years, so how would you know? I had a friend that owned a Cannondale. All of about 6ft 3in and 190 lbs and even he thought the Canondale was too stiff and complained about how it beat him up on long rides. When he went back to steel it was a night/day difference.

There is a custom framebuilder in your country that builds out of steel, aluminum, and carbon. His name is Terry Dolan - terrydolan.co.ukterrydolan.co.ukOpen ↗ - and he has also built for Chris Boardman in the past. His welds are VERY, VERY nice. Check out his website. The good thing about this is that you get custom geometry to fit your body and custom tubing diameters as well even if you do decide to get an aluminum frame. Read - no ultra stiff Canon if you choose aluminum. Dedacciai and Columbus also manufactures aluminum tubes that are thin wall and unlike Canondale, you can choose your tubing diameter which influences stiffness and comfort. But, you'd have to choose a custom framebuilder. This is the way to go for high end and if you compare prices, it works out to be cheaper than a Canondale plus the added benefits of custom geometry/tubing. A carbon or titanium seatpost and stem will NEVER compensate for an too stiff frame and you'd be kidding yourself if you think so.

I ride a Cannondale CAAD5 road bike and it's great. I have no complaints about harshness either, even on longer 4+ hour rides (I'm 6'0" and 92kg)

If I had to buy a new high-end frame today, a CAAD7 would be right on top of the list. I wouldn't pull the trigger on buying one right away though, without first testing out some high-end frames from other manufacturers. There's an amazing amount of choice in high-end frames, and it'd be foolish to not try as many options as you have available.

I have a CAAD4 complete with the sexy looking curved seatstays. Very, very stiff. Vibrates all the way to your back teeth. The seat tube has actually 'stretched' at the point corresponding with the base of the seat post. It is however very responsive.
By comparison, I train on a Reynolds 853 frame with steel fork....I'm talking direct comparison here because I've had the same wheels in both frames ..... the steel frame is plush and quiet ..... but feels like it has a hinge in the middle when you're going hard. My guess is that carbon or Ti has got to be a sensible compromise ?

In fact i was so happy with my carbon seat post that i bought one also for my wife’s Cinelli.

The brand is ADVANCED GROUP, the model is the Carbon monocoque seat post SP 07, it is a taiwanese product and i think is the same manufacturer for Pazzaz and also they have in catalogue a very similar seatpost as the Look Ergopost (too much similar!!!)
I chose this because is a real monocoque without that stupid glued alluminium head that most of the seat post out there have.

Carbon is useful for gain some “comfort” without loosing good rigidity.

Belive me that a Cannondale with some carbon addede will be the best choice.

Now they have the new 2004 frame in allu mixed with carbon but i fear that they were forced to made it due to the “carbon is better” habit of their competitors like Trek.

Carbon is the future but for now i should wait and stay with a good alluminium frame.

ciao

p.s. for the steel frame:
new steels like ultrafoco etc etc are light but with maybe more problems than alluminium, plus the rust problem.
Forget the steel, is really out dated. (and sure for steel frames you must buy a Scapin)
If you have money enaugh and you want to be different from our common people buy Titanium, it’s strong but flexible, no rust and will survive to you....

Ri - ciao

Hi,

I think building a custom bike is great, except that it is almost twice as expensive as the same quality stock bike, so I don't recommand it, onless you have so very good place to buy components or if you really want to throw money at the window. If you have not been into cycling for some years, make sure you know the prices well. About carbon, I know Trek's oclv carbon has very good reputation. Carbon's durability isn't that good, though, while picking a 6/4 titanium bike will last you much longer, and will provide a very good behavior. Also, carbon bikes are made for racing mainly and no matter what is said about comfort, light weight is the only reason it is so popular. So if you intend to train on some bad roads...

I have been thinking about the trek oclv frame but I've heard reports that its got a "dead" feel. I've only heard good reports about the colnago c40, but its outrageously expensive.I dont buy a new frame every year,or even every second year, so durability is a factor.What about pinarello?Has anyone ridden any of their frames?