Starting to get quite interested in one of these in a “how can I fit another bike in the garage without the mrs noticing” sort of way.

Have there been any frame failures or are they v strong?

I’m selling one, small frame, ridden 4 times.

I believe good form is just to go and buy it then learn from experience without taking advice from others.
mtbtomo, that might be frame design. I have an Orbea Alma which takes the sting out and a Pipedream Sirius which does much the same in a slightly different way.

No. Quite the opposite I’d say compared to my Inbred. Light and direct with a very ‘muted’ feeling from the back end, but otherwise ‘just another bike’. Lost of fun to ride though 🙂

Worth reading through this if you’re thinking of fitting a tapered steerer fork though:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/interesting-headset-problem-tapered-steerer-carbon-456

I’d say the carbon bike was an improvement over the steel 456 I had before.

The steel bike tended to just plough through stuff and you felt very bump through the saddle. The carbon frame although stiff, does seem to transmit less up through the saddle in terms of ‘trail chatter’ – it does seem to ‘float’ more across multiple roots and stuff as well which I think is as much down to low weight as material, though.

As an upgrade from the steel I’d say it was worth it.

I’m 6’1″ and 33 inside leg and I’m riding an 18″ with a 90mm stem.

Interesting (or possibly not) point: I usually have a RF Deus carbon post on mine, but put a Thomson in last week after a bit of swapping around. Suddenly I could feel a lot more of the bumps.

Gone back to carbon now!