Is carbon frame on a full-suss worth it?

I have or do own carbon hardtails and road bikes. I really appreciate the difference in ride quality between alu and carbon for both of these classes of bikes. In my view carbon simply rides better.

I have never ridden a carbon full-suss and am starting to think about an upgrade at some point. However, I am not sure what benefit a carbon frame would add to a full-suss (the carbon flex in the seatstays – which helps comfort and control – is dealt with by the shock). Obviously there is a weight difference but it is not huge.

To those who have ridden carbon full-suss – what does to add to the ride apart from a bit of weight saving?

Cheers

Carbon is how you build it, you can build for flex or build for stiff. My fs is very stiff same as most carbon fs frames.

Depends on the bike tbh. On mine (Trailfox) the carbon is stiffer apparently, not that I really care. But it’s also something daft like 3lbs lighter!

What Mikewsmith said, my blur xc c was flexy on the rear as it was a qr version (when pushing it on the).

If you notice the benefits of it then go carbon for xc/trail frames.

If more FR/DH then nothing beats alloy for a more reliable frame imo.

On the one I had it added a little bit of stiffness and perhaps the tiniest bit of damping, but I couldn’t swear to that.

Weight is the main thing.

From the German direct sales brands carbon FS bikes are appealing but at the prices most other companies are asking I wouldn’t bother.

was given a free copy of MBR at the weekend and they did a preview of AL Capra and didn’t think it was much different to the carbon version.

Obviously there is a weight difference but it is not huge.

Not so sure about that. Main thing making me consider a carbon FS is just how heavy my old alloy Nomad feels at the moment compared to other people’s carbon ones. Also I’m very used to my carbon hard tail and find the Nomad a bit heavy.

Though I can go weight weenie on it, shaving this and that weight off, but then it ends up being an AM frame with weenie XC components on it to keep it light.

Mind you, I could get much lighter wheels and go all carbon with them, but if I do that may as well go 650b and means new frame and pretty much looking at carbon for a bling AM full sus 650 frame now, especially Nomad 😉

All said though, I still love my old Nomad and I can ride it fine even if it seems heavy at times.

If more FR/DH then nothing beats alloy for a more reliable frame imo

Ask santa cruz how many carbon v10s snapped in the first 3 years it wasn’t any I think.

I’ve owned alu full suss and carbon full suss (Ibis Mojo HD), in my opinion theres very little difference aside from a couple of hundred grams of weight between them. To that end I’d now rather save the cash and get an alu frame.

I’d trust a carbon repair over a Alu repair…

cheers – I was thinking about replacing my canyon nerve 29er alu frame with carbon. But I have got the weight down to 11.6kg with pedals and whilst I could trim that with a carbon frame the £/gr will be ridiculous if it adds little else in the way of ride quality.

cheers – I was thinking about replacing my canyon nerve 29er alu frame with carbon. But I have got the weight down to 11.6kg with pedals and whilst I could trim that with a carbon frame the £/gr will be ridiculous if it adds little else in the way of ride quality.

I’ve a carbon FS, love it and would buy another one if I broke it etc.

But if I had a decent alloy one I wouldn’t be bothering changing it to a carbon one, unless had the cash to waste.

A few years back (26″ wheel days :-)) I wanted a full suss for exposure 24 and was in the same boat as yourself with road/hard tails all carbon. Truth is couldn’t afford carbon FS so got an aluminium Anthem, was and has been my only FS and my experience was I noticed no difference in frame material but shitloads from having a rear shock. How much this was due to the jump from HT to FS being so noticeable is anybody’s guess but just my experience. Gotta add that anthem was one hell of a bike.

Having just gone from a Alloy Transition Covert to an Intense Carbine I do have to say the weight gains are second to none, bike feels so much more nibble and I really do believe my riding has got better (strava times definately) I can second the flex thing also as my Carbine currently is a 135QR rear end which the Covert was also, but the Covert did feel stiffer – May just be the different suspension pivots?

I can swap out the dropouts on the Carbine however so 142 bolt thru will happen at some point.

As a full build and I have recently swapped to Carbon wheels also, ive saved over 3.5lbs in weight against the Covert, almost of which was on the frame alone

Theres just something about the way it looks and the way its so smooth too…..ahem!

I think that perhaps the freedoms of design offered by a carbon frame might actually outweigh the direct advantages of the material (namely it’s high specific strength).

What i mean by that is even with extensive hydroforming, an ally tube bike is still, broadly speaking, a collection of tubes welded together, but a carbon frame can be molded into just about any shape required.

As such, geometry, load path and mass optimisation can be conducted to a finer degree. Certainly, imo, the modern high end Enduro (nee All mountain) bike wouldn’t be the same without it’s carbon construction!

I’ve got a scalpel team. Is it better than an alloy scalpel, don’t know cause I never rode one. I do know my bike is a rocket and a light on at that. I seriously love this bike like the son I never had. i really hope the wife never, ever reads this post.