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There’s No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

The pro racers who do need carbon fiber bikes get them for free. Only the people who don’t need them actually pay for them.

Carbon fiber is light. It’s strong. It can be used to build everything from frames to seat posts to handlebars to cranks. And it’s one of the worst things that’s happened to bikes.

Now, to be clear, carbon fiber makes perfect sense for professional racing. Because it’s basically a fabric, builders can mold it into all sorts of aerodynamic shapes. Moreover, they can tune ride quality and maintain strength while simultaneously keeping the weight to a minimum in a way that’s not really possible with metal tubing. It used to be that racers had to choose between a light bike and an aero bike; now they can have both, all thanks to the miraculous properties of carbon fiber. At this point, there’s no reason for elite competitors to use anything else.
Gift Yourself More Adventure

But here’s the thing: you’re not them. I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but you’re almost certainly incapable of milking the handful of seconds a wind tunnel-sculpted pro-level carbon fiber race machine might theoretically net you in certain situations. Moreover, the pro racers who do need carbon fiber bikes get them for free; only the people who don’t need them actually pay for them. This means that, ipso facto, if you’ve purchased a carbon fiber bicycle, you’ve made a mistake.

“Okay, fine, I may not be Jonas Vingegaard,” you may be thinking. “Maybe I didn’t need a carbon bike. But how does that mean I’ve made a mistake?”

Simple: while you’re not able to extract carbon fiber’s small performance benefits, you are in an ideal position to experience its many drawbacks—and for normal people, carbon fiber bicycles have only drawbacks.

This is Bike Snob NYC writing for Outside Online, by the way.

Outside Online · There’s No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon BikeBy Eben Weiss

There’s No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon Bike

The pro racers who do need carbon fiber bikes get them for free. Only the people who don’t need them actually pay for them.

Carbon fiber is light. It’s strong. It can be used to build everything from frames to seat posts to handlebars to cranks. And it’s one of the worst things that’s happened to bikes.

Now, to be clear, carbon fiber makes perfect sense for professional racing. Because it’s basically a fabric, builders can mold it into all sorts of aerodynamic shapes. Moreover, they can tune ride quality and maintain strength while simultaneously keeping the weight to a minimum in a way that’s not really possible with metal tubing. It used to be that racers had to choose between a light bike and an aero bike; now they can have both, all thanks to the miraculous properties of carbon fiber. At this point, there’s no reason for elite competitors to use anything else. Gift Yourself More Adventure

But here’s the thing: you’re not them. I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but you’re almost certainly incapable of milking the handful of seconds a wind tunnel-sculpted pro-level carbon fiber race machine might theoretically net you in certain situations. Moreover, the pro racers who do need carbon fiber bikes get them for free; only the people who don’t need them actually pay for them. This means that, ipso facto, if you’ve purchased a carbon fiber bicycle, you’ve made a mistake.

“Okay, fine, I may not be Jonas Vingegaard,” you may be thinking. “Maybe I didn’t need a carbon bike. But how does that mean I’ve made a mistake?”

Simple: while you’re not able to extract carbon fiber’s small performance benefits, you are in an ideal position to experience its many drawbacks—and for normal people, carbon fiber bicycles have only drawbacks.

This is Bike Snob NYC writing for Outside Online, by the way.

@biketooter @cycling @mastobikes #cycling #bicycle #mastobikes #biketooter

Outside Online · There’s No Good Reason to Buy a Carbon BikeBy Eben Weiss

First real bike ride in the snow this season.

#mastobikes #bikeTO , be careful out there: the snow is wet and sticky and it's covering up the leaves in the road, making them difficult to notice and very, very slippery. It doesn't matter if your legs can put 400W into your cranks if the power can't act against the pavement because there's no traction.

We still have a lot of work to do about Ontario bill 212. Please go slow tonight: take care of yourselves so we can take care of each other.

I originally thought I'd just use the stock pads until they were worn down, but they stopped just badly enough to convince me to put in Kool-Stop salmon pads. (It wasn't scary, but I wanted more confidence in my stopping.)

Always remember to sand your brake pads a little prior to installation. 👍

#cycling #bicycle #mastobikes #biketooter
f.kawa-kun.com/display/881761a…

f.kawa-kun.comNeil E. HodgesSimple cable rim brakes saving my ass as always (at least until the front disc caliper is fixed on my other bike). :P #cycling #bicycle #mastobikes #biketoo...
Continued thread

Yes, cantis. I like them. 🤷 They work well when set up correctly: straddle as low as you can get them to start, then raise little by little if you prefer. Having a lower cable hanger will additionally reduce system flex and improve stopping.

Even those dreaded Tektro "Oryx" 992A calipers. You need the straddle super low, but they work great that way. (That does also mean that they have limited tire clearance!)

(Oh, and this isn't a "rim versus disk" debate starter. If anything, it would be a "cantis suck" debate. :P )

sheldonbrown.comAdjusting Traditional Center Pull Cantilever Bicycle BrakesA practical guide to adjusting cantilever brakes to get the best braking performance on your bicycle.

#Verkehrswende #Autokorrektur #suv #Fedibikes #Mastobikes #vcd #adac #paris #Auto #Verkehr #natenom #mdrza

@SheDrivesMobility

Und wieder ist ein Fahrradfahrer Opfer von automobiler Gewalt geworden. Diesmal überrollt ein SUV-Fahrer einen Radler offenbar mit voller Absicht.

Die Bürgermeisterin fordert: "Es darf nicht sein, dass man mit 27 Jahren in Paris stirbt, weil man Fahrrad fährt"

Ich hoffe, ihr kommt alle sicher, gesund und munter mit dem Rad an euer Ziel…

tagesschau.de/ausland/suv-pari

tagesschau.de · SUV-Fahrer soll Radfahrer in Paris absichtlich getötet habenBy tagesschau.de

#Fedibikes #Mastobikes #mdrza #mtb #Alpencross #Sommerferien #Mountainbike #Fahrrad #Sommer #Alpen #Berge #bikepacking

28. Tag / 21. Etappe: Fouillouse - COL de Vallonet - Col de Mallemort - Larche 19 km, 1070 hm)

Mal wieder schieben ;-) - Beeindruckende Berge ringsum - alte Militäranlagen im Grenzgebiet F/I - schottrige Militärpisten - fahrbar bis zum Gipfelfort Tête de Viraysse auf knapp 2800m - anspruchsvolle und fordernde Abfahrt ins Tal

#Fedibikes #Mastobikes #mdrza #mtb #Alpencross #Sommerferien #Mountainbike #Fahrrad #Sommer #Alpen #Berge #bikepacking

27. Tag/20. Etappe: Saint Veran - Col de la Noire (2955m) - Maljasset - Fouillouse (37 km, 1340 hm)

Abschied von unseren Freunden in Saint-Veran - gut erholt und frisch gestärkt wieder aufs Rad - 500 hm schieben / tragen in den Col de la Noire - fast 3000m hoch - Abfahrt ins einsame Ubaye-Tal - Zelten vor toller Kulisse in Fouillouse