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whats the best carbon hardtail frame?

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#241 ·
sergio_pt said:
Long term durability is not an important quality for race bikes, you can have a new frame every race, but important for someone that wants to keep the bike for some years. Difficult to measure but I may also say If the frame is stiff it's strong, if it's strong it's durable!
Ride quality, I suppose you mean comfort, it can be and it's measured, no problems here to me. If I need more comfort I may add a more forgiving seatpost.

Frame geometry is also important but any decent top level race frame as the correct geometry for it's purpose. And if it's the best it's a top level frame.
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Depends upon what you define as long term. I don't like to name names but I know many racers who were without their race bike in the middle of season because their three month old frame failed. Some riders on big factory teams last year were riding their duallies because their hardtails had broken.

There isn't a race team out there with budget to have a new frame for every race. Stiff does not equal strong. Two completely different properties. Actually an big component of durability is flex.

Geometry does matter and not all geometries are the same. Small differences make or break a bike. The fastest bike I have ever ridden is a 96 Norco Torrent. The frame was 4lbs noddle but the geometry was perfect. It may have been a tiny bit slower on the climbs but more than made up for that on the descents. If I hadn't sheered the head tube off the bike I probably would have gotten some disk tabs welded on and would still be riding it.
 
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#243 ·
Kwik said:
Often stiff means taken more and sharper hits, with aluminium stiff and light rims break easier than light and less stiff rims.
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The terms stiffness in carbon rtechnology have nothing to do with "hard" like we had it with aluminium frames.

As Cannondale shows they were able to produce a ultralight yet uber-stiff frame with great absorbing qualities at the same time.They know how to get the best out of the fibres. Orbea on the other hand offers heavy frames that lack in stiffness which also results in less steering precision. German magazine-testers say that those frames are for lighter riders only...and a heavier frame has nothing to do with better durability at all! That's wrong thinking.
 
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#244 ·
nino said:
As Cannondale shows they were able to produce a ultralight yet uber-stiff frame with great absorbing qualities at the same time.They know how to get the best out of the fibres.
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Yea, what he said.

If someone is serious about racing and looking for a carbon hardtail, then I find it really hard to recommend ANYTHING over the Flash in terms of weight, stiffness (based on tests), and "plushness" with the SAVE technology and seatpost. Also, a decent warranty and no weight limit.

The ONLY negative would be $$$.
 
#245 ·
Loved my Scott Scale Ltd until I cracked the rear drivetrain side seat stay. Not sure when I did it but it did look like it got dinged off a rock. Scott is going to do a crash replacment for a good price with the Scott Scale RC with integrated seat post. Decent response and easy to deal with Scott through LBS. Also picked up a Scott Spark LTD for the upcoming season as I liked my Scale so much!
 
#246 · (Edited)
88 rex said:
The ONLY negative would be $$$.
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There's more:
Most of the "comfort" comes from the heavy seatpost ca. 220-230g.Once replaced with a seatpost with decent weight that's gone.

Lefty - you love it or hate it.I personally don't want a Lefty.And it's heavier than the lightest forks out there (DT Carbon...) and stem choice is limited as well...

Direct-mount front derailleur: adds about 40g over lightweight solutions

Weird rear brakehose routing.
 
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#247 ·
nino said:
There's more:
Most of the "comfort" comes from the heavy seatpost.Once replaced with a seatpost with decent weight that's gone.

Lefty - you love it or hate it.I personally don't want a Lefty.

Direct-mount front derailleur: adds about 40g over lightweight solutions

Weird rear brakehose routing.
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What's the weight of the post?

Brake hose routing, there's nothing wrong with it. Now you're just nitpicking. Functionally you can't fault the bike.:)
 
#248 ·
88 rex said:
What's the weight of the post?

Brake hose routing, there's nothing wrong with it. Now you're just nitpicking. Functionally you can't fault the bike.:)
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okok-you're right: for US-cowboys that is the way a hose needs to be mounted;)
 

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Discussion starter · #253 ·
With 31.6 mm seatpost, 34.9mm Front dérailleur, what is the next best option after Stevens? I have been waiting for the frame for over 3 months and now they tell me they don't sell me the frame! WTF I just fell like to say very bad things :madmax:

I have all the parts set up for this frame now which one should I get?
 
#255 · (Edited)
I'm looking at a new frame, because my GT Zaskar Carbon Team might be cracked.

My bike is all black and I want to keep it that way. I want a black frame.

I like the 2010 Scott Scale Limited, but I understand it's not for sale separately.

I noticed that the 2010 Scale Limited and all the 2010 Genius Carbon frames have similar, minimalistic graphics.

The Scale 10 seems to have a completely different style of graphics though. Is this the 2010 Scale 10 frame? If that's the case, why doesn't it look like the other 2010 frames?
I'd definitely get the Scale 10 frame if its graphics were similar to the 2010 Genius 10's.

Image


Image


Image
 
Discussion starter · #256 ·
Yes Scott seems to have stalled in graphics and frame structure over the years. The scale 10 is very similar to the last year, and the other year and the other...
Might it mean it's a good frame and they don't want to change it.
 
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