Carbon mountain bike; how much could you push one like this?

Sniipe

I have the opportunity to own this hard tail bike: http://www.ghost-bikes.de/2010/en/bikes/mtb-hardtail/htx-lector-team-black/

frame: UD-Carbon T2T SCL
weight: 10.10 kg
fork: Rock Shox Reba RACE Air PopLoc 100 mm Tapered

brakes: Avid Elixir CR Carbon 160/180 mm
r. derailleur: Shimano XT

I want it for going to work: I will lock it inside the building and at home
I want it for fun: going offroad in the Derroura woods (ie vid)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rdsgaAOZp0

I want it for adventure races: Gaelforce west is coming up and I might swap the road bike for a bike like this (and put on slick tyres)

problem I have with the bike is that I have heard of carbon bikes being weaker and frames cracking... Is this still a common problem with newer bikes?

I don't intend on doing downhill racing on this bike.

Morgan

Carbon mountain bikes are very strong these days. I wouldn't have any concern riding it cross country or on the road.

DirkVoodoo

Certainly not weaker, just need a bit more care and regular frame inspection.

I asked my mountain biking friend about this ages ago, he said he has written off numerous aluminium frames and his friend had been using a carbon hardtail without incident.

If you crash any bike badly, smack it hard off something or are just unlucky you can damage the frame, regardless of material. A carbon one will just be more expensive to replace.

Make sure you check it out properly if it is second hand.

billy.fish

You'll be grand. Just avoid the rocks.

Carbon is more than up to the riding you are talking about.

As for racing DH on it....good call...not worth it

Sniipe

great, thanks for the feedback. Its always nice just to get that extra "go for it" replies. Its new and I'm getting it on the bike to work scheme. Can't wait to go cross country on it.

I wonder now, that I'm getting it, what the weight difference between it and my other bike would be: road bike trek 1400 (2008)

blorg

I have a carbon mountain bike myself and very nice it is too for its intended purpose of cycling off-road. Your Trek road bike will be substantially faster on the road and will be substantially faster for the likes of Gaelforce though. Weight of your Trek is probably slightly lower, 500-1000g less I'd say but is also pretty irrelevant. Mountain bike aerodynamics are horrible, horrible and that will be the main thing slowing you down.

Sniipe

LOL thanks for the insight blorg. doubly horrible sound very bad. Gael force will be more off road this year I think... The gap between roadie and mbt will be less.

Anyone here doing it? What are your thoughts and have you heard about the proposal to change the route?

peterako

blorg wrote: »

3 Rock?

Respect

blorg

peterako wrote: »

3 Rock?

Respect

From the February snowfall last year. Great fun, a lot of falling off but into soft snow. As you can probably tell from the clumps of snow attached to various parts photo was taken immediately after I went over the bars.

Sniipe

nice pic, didn't realise it was your bike. Thought it was a stock photo you found to emphasise the point

I went to get my bike but realised they only had 1 size and unfortunately I was touching the cross bar - I think it was too big for me. Gutted as its a lovely bike for a great price of 1650.

I've to go back to the drawing board now.

at1withmyself

Sniipe wrote: »

nice pic, didn't realise it was your bike. Thought it was a stock photo you found to emphasise the point

I went to get my bike but realised they only had 1 size and unfortunately I was touching the cross bar - I think it was too big for me. Gutted as its a lovely bike for a great price of 1650.

I've to go back to the drawing board now.

Try chain reaction cycles, they have some good deals online like this one:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=45411

A carbon hardtail would be fine in Derroura, I normally cycle from Oughterard on mine so do about 16 km on the road and 16 km off-road, loads of fun there...

Sniipe

at1withmyself wrote: »

Try chain reaction cycles, they have some good deals online like this one:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=45411

A carbon hardtail would be fine in Derroura, I normally cycle from Oughterard on mine so do about 16 km on the road and 16 km off-road, loads of fun there...

Wow - that is a really nice bike. How does it compare to the bike I was looking at (in galway for 1650): http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=44851

at1withmyself

Sniipe wrote: »

Wow - that is a really nice bike. How does it compare to the bike I was looking at (in galway for 1650): http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=44851

The spec on the Ghost is mainly XT whereas the Cube has SLX, SLX is a little heavier and cheaper then XT but having recently starting buying some SLX parts I find them perform the same.

If both bikes where available at the same price the Ghost would win but as its not available in your size at that price I'd go for the Cube. Can the shop get the Ghost in your size or is it a once off deal?

If carbon is not improtant for you then you'd pick up a very good spec'd aluminium hardtail for around 1650.

Also depending how long your commute is budget for some more user friendly tyres, I use the following both on and off road:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18896

gman2k

@ Sniipe, I've a carbon hard tail myself, and I love it! Just cos they are carbon however, does not mean it's either A: Weaker than other materials, or B: Lighter than other materials.
It's very easy to get a lightweight alum frame, for not much shekels.
My frame for example is a Massi, and weighs around 1.6kgs, which is no feather weight, but it does ride very sweet!

Other important considerations for your mtb are contact points, saddle, bars and grips and pedals. Get these right and you'll love the bike no matter what the frame is made of.
I've a Trek bonded alum hardtail from mid 90s, and it still fits like a glove, so it's going to remain in the stable!

gman2k

blorg wrote: »

I have a carbon mountain bike myself and very nice it is too for its intended purpose of cycling off-road.

Hey Blorg, are you riding UST Ralphs there?
I'm about to go tubeless on mine (ZTR Olympic on XTR Hubs - not pictured above), and was going to go for Nobby Nics, but they are proving hard to get.
any advice on the USTs - if that's what you are turning?

blorg

gman2k wrote: »

Hey Blorg, are you riding UST Ralphs there?
I'm about to go tubeless on mine (ZTR Olympic on XTR Hubs - not pictured above), and was going to go for Nobby Nics, but they are proving hard to get.
any advice on the USTs - if that's what you are turning?

Ralph on the back, Nobby Nic on the front, but not tubeless. I'm quite a beginner with MTB really- was slipping out a lot with the original Ralph on the front.

gman2k

blorg wrote: »

Ralph on the back, Nobby Nic on the front, but not tubeless. I'm quite a beginner with MTB really- was slipping out a lot with the original Ralph on the front.

Cheers Blorg. I was in Cycleways the other week, but they only had the nobbies in standard. Also my LBS has not done tubeless before, so it'll have to be the DIY route for me and the UST experiment.
Even online it's hard to get the USTs at the mo

Sniipe

in the end I bought the 2010 specialized rockhopper SL pro for €1350.

this bike:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45805&eid=4340&menuItemId=0

getting it on Monday/Tuesday

Morgan

Good choice, you won't go wrong with that.

Sniipe

cheers for the endorsement Morgan. Makes me feel like its not a bike for "should have left the credit card at home" thread

DirkVoodoo

Sniipe wrote: »

cheers for the endorsement Morgan. Makes me feel like its not a bike for "should have left the credit card at home" thread

No, you save that thread for all the accessories. Nice bike, I think I was looking at entry level rockhopper when I was buying a mountain bike, I like the look of the frames.

Sniipe

This bike eats up the trail in Galway. Its so nible and quick. The track was ZOMG class!
It was extra cool as ppl were saying it was mucky (this may be true) but last weekend it was frosty and the muck was frozen.
There was also frozen water on some of the rocks and I fell off twice on these. Downhill the forks are amazing. They use air instead of springs which is cool to me. The breaks even uses hydrolic fuel... cool.
The boardwalks were class as well. The OH slipped on one of them thankfully into the high marsh. I don't know if its because it was cold, but when you went over them they each made a bit of noise like a mini crack or something.

Fair play to caoilte for sorting these out. I intend to give this another whirl tomorrow in the same place - it was dead quite last weekend at 11am on a saturday. Only came across 1 other biker who was going around it in the wrong direction.

/me wonders when he will be using his road bike next...

c montgomery

Where is Derroura woods and how long are it trails????

The video of that trail looks excellent and id love to try it.

zil

c montgomery wrote: »

Where is Derroura woods and how long are it trails????

The video of that trail looks excellent and id love to try it.

A quick google later: http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=54&trail=149&no_cache=1

Sniipe

Was out there again this weekend. I'm very surprised at how little people use it. I was on my g/f's bike which is just a normal mountain bike with no shocks at all on it. She was on my bike. There is definately a difference in speed but both bike well able to handle it.

I slipped on the boardwalk this time. Was painless and fell into high grass.

I clocked the trail at 15.6km and it took 1hr 30min - I could definately do it quicker tho.