For £399

Credit card is twitching!

that is cheap…

but it is grotesque. Every time you looked at it you would want to do a bit of sick.

Unless you’re Ray Charles, and I don’t think you are.

– because you want a Ti one 😉

No reason ride is great and i love the look of mine 😀

Pics, please? I can’t bearsed looking.

Yeah, you should definitely do that.

STW hates the look as much as they bum the Orange 5, but they’re wrong on both counts. Mine looks awesome and rides even better. It’s stiff at the back, but somehow compliant when you start to hoon it. Though probably a lot of that compliance comes from running large tyres at low-pressure. Anyway, it’s rare that I’ll be going down some rocky mess and be conscious of being on a hardtail.

I love mine and you will love yours. Make it so.

PS – You don’t want the titanium one, it’s really not as good.

I think they look great, but then I’ve never been a fan of the aesthetics of the On One seatstay arrangement, nor the bent top-tube on the Ti456.

Fatigue problems
Build issues
Awful handling

(some or all of the above may not be true 🙂 )

That’s not very pretty, is it? I love carbon and the way it rides, I have an Orbea Alma. I also have a Pipedream Sirius which I love and it’s equally as comfortable as the Orbea. The main difference is that the Orbea is nice and light for racing and the Pipedream isn’t.
What do you want the frame to do?

but it is grotesque. Every time you looked at it you would want to do a bit of sick.

Very shortly I’m going to post a thread with some pics. There’s half a chance you might change your mind……

To the OP, yeah. Get one. 🙂

Why the need for a “pretty bike” it gets covered in mud and thrown down single track 😀

while doing that it rides great and can take a good drop and a crash at the same time.

Well due to impending lack of space I need to go from two bikes to one. Currently have an ally hardtail and a full sus so thinking the c456 might be in between the two. Want to put 140mm forks on it and can’t afford Ti. Used to have a steel 456 and I liked the handling of that.

I think they look good. I’m in an elite minority here…

Fair enough, it doesn’t have to be pretty but the Alma, in my opinion, is. The join of the down tube to the head tube in the pic above looks slightly industrial. I guess that’s the difference between a 300 quid frame and a 1.100€ frame. Possibly it’s bargain of the century, but first impressions count too.

Smart lookin’ bike IMO.

I think it looks rad. How does it ride?

don simon – Member
blah, blah, blah, in my opinion, blah, blah, oh did i mention my frame was 1.100€ ?

🙄

james, if you like it, then get one. if it rides as good as the steel or ti one then you’re on to a winner.

rad.

tony24- actually that is probably the best one I’ve seen but for me I do think it is important for a bike to look good.
Am I in a minority to not trust a carbon frame?

+1 for the Orbea.

+1 for the fuglyness of the 456

…still wouldn’t mind both though 😉

i think it looks fine. and at that price – get it!

As promised earlier, but be warned, all the doubters should be prepared to eat their words!

😉 🙂

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/how-ya-like-me-now-new-non-fugly-carbon-456?replies=8#post-2124711

trust this frame i have hit a motor cross bike head on the brake disc folded in half so the tension through the fork legs must have put a hell of a strain on the head tube but still it survived.

i have hit a metal post at full pelt and hit the floor falling on top of the bike and it was fine.

all this and the finish is still virtually un marked.

looks for a bike WHY?it is a functional item how does it ride is the critical issue for me

IMG_0859 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

The Orbea has looks, function and a lifetime warranty. I just said it was fugly and not that it was not worth the 400 quid or wouldn’t perform!

Junkyard- admit it you’ve got a Preston havent you!

I think it’s a great looking bike myself (though PeterPoddy’s spoiled his 😉 ) Very functional. If I’d not fallen in love with the Mmmbop so much I think I’d have got one by now.

I think it looks badass. I’d be far less worried about fatigue failure with a composite frame than with any alloy (alu, steel, ti) frame – thicker material with multiple layers so cracks are less likely to run, no welds to compromise things, just adhesives, anisotropic so you can have stiffness and flexibility without suffering fatigue cycles during normal use. Main downside is you can’t melt it down and use it again once it’s scrapped.