Road bikes - Aluminium or Carbon?

Had a Alloy road bike. Just too stiff. Felt every bump in the road. get a steel road bike. A bit more forgiving and comfortable :D
 
my tuppence in response to a few of the above ...

scratch on alloy frame. I've always been led to believe a scratch on aluminium eventually manifests itself into a break (??)

went right off titanium a couple of years ago after there was a lengthy thread on litespeeds breaking behind the headtube. Contributors ended up dubbing them shitespeeds. Did think about budget titaniums from setavento, van nick and East europe, but to be honest, dont like the raw, paintless finish.

carbon - once heard a carbon roadbike break in a race. It was literally like a gunshot. the rider was staggered and fortunately unhurt. He felt nothing give - one minute sprinting, the next standing.

saw roger hammonds bike after the tour of britain finished in our town a few years ago. The carbon forks had big chunks hammered out of it and he had just descended holme moss at 50mph +, so not sure if this confirms carbon's durability, or skinflint management.

Ive got a compact alloy roadbike and a steel "relaxed racer" with mudguards. The alloy is great for an evening bash - light, stiff and efficient, but crap for 3hrs + clubruns, as its too stiff and kills my back and arms. So I prefer the steel bike for sundays. The next summer bike I get will probably 853 steel.
 
Eddy Merckx rode steel and he is, I imagine, a much better rider than you ever will be so do not be so fast to put it down.

Exactly the kind of nonsensical comment I was waiting for from the 'steel is real' brigade.

Lance Armstrong won a few races and is a better rider than me but he rode a carbon bike, so should I get one of those?

Don't know if you've checked out the Merckx range of road bikes for 2009, but take a guess as to how many of them are steel framed. I'll give you a clue... less than 1.

Merckx could have been riding a raleigh shopper and he'd still beat me up the hills but I would imagine that if he were racing today, he'd probably choose a carbon bike.
 
Hate to say it but those Halfords/Boardman bikes look pretty good,Sram rival and carbon frame for £1000,the planet X look good value aswell and have been raced by the pearl izumi team all last year so should be ok.I have raced steel,alloy,alloy/carbon and full carbon frames and must say I love the carbon bikes I've had,currently running a Cannondale super6 and its ace :D
 
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