Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

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Hudson1984
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Joined: 21 May 2012, 2:02pm

Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by Hudson1984 »

So as you’ll gather from my many other threads - in the process of building up some upgraded parts for my bike.

My current is a bianchi nirone, now I’ve been at possibly purchasing a carbon frame which would then be a second bike, but is it worth it? I’m carrying extra weight - am I better to trim down rather than buying the lighter frame? Or is there more to it than frame weight?

I’m getting new wheels - I understand the arguments there and would like some for road and keep my current ones for the turbo only (with turbo tyre etc)

The rest - is it worth it? Or should I just keep my ally bianchi and just upgrade the groupset
scottg
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by scottg »

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thatsnotmyname
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Joined: 23 Jan 2020, 10:23am

Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by thatsnotmyname »

Hudson1984 wrote:So as you’ll gather from my many other threads - in the process of building up some upgraded parts for my bike.

My current is a bianchi nirone, now I’ve been at possibly purchasing a carbon frame which would then be a second bike, but is it worth it? I’m carrying extra weight - am I better to trim down rather than buying the lighter frame? Or is there more to it than frame weight?

I’m getting new wheels - I understand the arguments there and would like some for road and keep my current ones for the turbo only (with turbo tyre etc)

The rest - is it worth it? Or should I just keep my ally bianchi and just upgrade the groupset


Depends what you mean by 'worth it' and it also depends what you mean by you carrying 'extra weight'. Some frames have weight limits, but without knowing your actual weight, or the frame you are referring to, it's impossible to say.

Apart from that, there's no law against heavy people buying light bikes.
Hudson1984
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Joined: 21 May 2012, 2:02pm

Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by Hudson1984 »

Oh there’s nothing stopping me physically having one. Merely a question of the benefit.

A friend and I are doing a 100 miler, I’ve only done 50 miles with any regularity but would like to do more 100s all being well so that’s the aim for the bike. Weekend rides, my weekday riding is all turbo
Jamesh
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by Jamesh »

Yes I think so.

You will feel the enjoyment of cycling more which in turn will encourage you to ride more which in turn will mean you slim down! Win win!

So long as you don't go too to extreme.

Boardman carbon,

Cannondale supersix or synspse. (Not hi mod)

Genesis zero or datum would be my suggestions.

The frame your looking at might be ok but have you looked at forks for it? Another £100 isn't too much of a bargain. Reviews of the bike are so so too.

Cheers James
Hudson1984
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Joined: 21 May 2012, 2:02pm

Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by Hudson1984 »

to be honest the seller seems to be getting a little iffy the more I question them and my latest email stating:

"it's listed as good condition - please confirm it is free of cracks and understand that if it is not and therefore not in good condition I will return for refund, being as i'm paying on credit card I will of course cancel the purchase with both ebay and card provider"

little heavy handed but yes, getting a little worried about not seeing it and not being able to guarantee the quality.

certainly no intention to go extreme, just a case of understanding my options. The only viable "new" i've seen is the planet X, which is £399 including fork. Now if I go that route, i'll probably put all the new bits on the Nirone and wait until I have everything else to put onto the frame. If I could find something below £200 I'd get it now and just build it up over time.
bungle73
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by bungle73 »

My 2p worth. TBH I wouldn't touch with a barge pole a carbon anything critical component second hand from a seller that I knew nothing about. The trouble with carbon is that it's nice, but it can hide hidden damage that you don't know about until it fails on you. You don't know what the previous owner has done to it. They might have crashed it; anything! That's what I live by anyway. YMMV.
Hudson1984
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Joined: 21 May 2012, 2:02pm

Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by Hudson1984 »

no i take the advice gladly. You all have more experience here than me so i'd be daft to not listen....plus it means I can just carry on getting the rest of the groupset sorted.

I'm aiming to build up the Chorus 11 speed set - which will far outdo my fitness at any level.

that being said - I simply cannot justify £700 on a frame, it just doesn't hold that value to me personally.

does the planet X have any competition at that price point? their price is fine, I can go that far and be happy. But going above that just makes me a little uncomfortable and i'd rather spend that money on other things.
thatsnotmyname
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by thatsnotmyname »

Because lots of people think like Bungle, it means that there are lots of carbon-framed second-hand bargains to be had, if you know what you're looking for. I've bought, ridden and subsequently sold-on several secondhand carbon frames and they've all been great. Buying through ebay gives you plenty of buyer protection anyway, so there's no need for all the pseudo-legal exchanges before purchase. In the event of a dispute, ebay/paypal will almost always find in favour of the buyer anyway.
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robgul
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by robgul »

I wouldn't buy a used carbon frame/bike unless I knew the owner and that he/she had it from new.

And as for weight - I was told (by PlanetX) that their rule of thumb is max 100kg rider weight for a carbon bike.

Rob
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
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NUKe
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by NUKe »

I have a friend who is carrying a few extra pounds bought a carbon fibre frame and loved it, if it makes you feel good you will ride it, so if you want it yes its worth it regardless of size.
NUKe
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djnotts
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by djnotts »

thatsnotmyname wrote:Because lots of people think like Bungle, it means that there are lots of carbon-framed second-hand bargains to be had, if you know what you're looking for. I've bought, ridden and subsequently sold-on several secondhand carbon frames and they've all been great.


Plus 1. I've bought at least 6 cf road bikes (and as I only have 1 at moment must have sold at least 5!). Unlike steel I would not buy sight unseen, but as long as I can look and feel, no problem. I realise can be hidden flaws, fractures, but that can be true of steel, especially forks. Reckon I'm in more danger from vehicles than failed frame.
NickJP
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by NickJP »

Hudson1984 wrote:Oh there’s nothing stopping me physically having one. Merely a question of the benefit.

A friend and I are doing a 100 miler, I’ve only done 50 miles with any regularity but would like to do more 100s all being well so that’s the aim for the bike. Weekend rides, my weekday riding is all turbo

So far as offering comfort on longer rides, modern carbon fibre frames with fat tubes would be at the bottom of my list. Why do you think manufacturers add vibration absorbing bits to their CF frames, such as Trek with their "Isospeed" or Specialized with their "Future Shock". It's because without it, they're too bone-rattling over indifferent road surfaces. I have bikes with frames in steel, titanium, aluminium, and CF, and the steel and Ti bikes are noticeably the best at smoothing out the road buzz.
Jamesh
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by Jamesh »

I think those shock absorbing gimmicks are great for cobbles or such like but for tarmac are a ploy to get mamils onto saddles at posh bike shops.

I think they're width / pressure are as much an influence as frame material.

Carbon (SM) is just a forgiving as 531 but stiffer imo. HM is more like 853 / 953 I guess. More fragile and stiff.

Cheers James
djnotts
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Re: Is a carbon frame worth it for a heavy rider?

Post by djnotts »

Guess must be subjective! I find carbon, even without the latest shock absorbing gizmos, more "comfortable" on 23mm tyres than alu on 32s and much the same as steel or titanium on 28s. Geometry and tyres the deciders, except for carbon which always wins hands down, even on bridleway and tow paths.
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