Why choose a carbon full suspension? - Bike Forum

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

julians — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:19:49 +0000

so if your going to be buying a new bike. Both identical. do you spend the extra 1k on the carbon version or not?

I wouldnt, on the assumption that everything else is the same (ie same components, the only difference being a carbon or alu frame) not at the moment anyway, in my experience/opinion the difference between the two is not significant enough to warrant the extra cash. I speak as someone who has owned a carbon full suss and a couple of alu full suss bikes.

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

amedias — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 11:46:01 +0000

so if your going to be buying a new bike. Both identical. do you spend the extra 1k on the carbon version or not?

Personally, no, but that's due to budget constraints, If I had enough money that an extra 1k wasn't a problem, then yes, I'd buy the carbon one, but as it stands that would' be waaay too much of a premium to be worth it.

How much it's worth to you though is a different matter entirely.

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

andybrad — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 11:33:22 +0000

so if your going to be buying a new bike. Both identical. do you spend the extra 1k on the carbon version or not?

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

mikewsmith — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 04:50:14 +0000

Carbon can be built to be all things to all people, stiff in one area flex/vibration absorption in others. That's the beauty of it.

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

maxtorque — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 21:10:46 +0000

Northwind

Not really- frame stiffness isn't just in the direction of the suspension after all

Which is why i used the word Kinematics, rather than saying suspension movement, ie including the full dynamic loading of the suspension and frame!

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

mattjg — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 20:27:43 +0000

because the one I wanted (mid travel trail 29er) happened to be carbon

it's certainly stiffer faster and lighter than my 2004 Blur!

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

chiefgrooveguru — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 19:33:01 +0000

Ben Cruz (Cannondale enduro racer) races on a carbon frame but does all his practising and personal riding on an alloy frame because they crash better!

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

Northwind — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 19:31:38 +0000

maxtorque - Member

But, when people say "the frame was to stiff" what they actually mean to say is "the frame was too stiff for the current suspension kinematics"

Not really- frame stiffness isn't just in the direction of the suspension after all. Frame flex can provide movement in other directions (which can be good or bad- frinstance I liked the smear and twist in my 224's swingarm, it gave the wheel a bit of additional independent movement and a bit more traction. My Herb was a much stiffer design and while it had better suspension it lost out a bit on that.

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

chiefgrooveguru — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 19:31:15 +0000

Also, just as opinions on tyres vary hugely with riding style and rider size/weight, so will opinions on the stiffness/flex of a frame. The variation in rider weight between amateurs is huge compared to the variation in the pro field. Plus smaller pros will often have a higher strength:weight ratio so will load their bike like a bigger rider.

Re: Why choose a carbon full suspension?

jimjam — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 19:29:44 +0000

Skimmed the above, but one thing worth noting is that most manufacturers alloy bikes top out at a certain price point. If you're buying a complete full suss off the peg and want decent to high end parts it'll most likely be carbon.

I've had the experience of demoing multiple identical bikes in alloy and carbon as well as owning an alloy and carbon version of the same bike built with identical parts. Carbon is much nicer to ride, and the weight is noticeable, especially when you get up to 160mm bikes. However I currently ride alloy having snapped a couple of carbon bikes :wink: