All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

The more I research carbon versus alloy, The more I’m convinced the weight savings is not a big thing once you leave the XC market. Carbon can certainly be made to be much lighter, but once you get into overly durable applications, alloy seems to come pretty close. The one thing I have found with alloy frames, though is that they tend to be stiffer and transmit vibrations more easily. I am by no means an expert though, and would not say I have extensive bike experience, that’s just what I noticed in my own trials.

that said, go carbon and get a bike with a good warranty!

 

What size? You're a medium as I remember, and I know on Transitions I am comfortably a large. $4,500 is a north of what I was looking to spend (esp since I started this journey looking at just a new frame), but is close to a new carbon spire after tax.

Timing is everything, I just drove past your house at least 2x last weekend.

 

I ride an alloy Spire every ride/weekend. I’m probably in the minority, as usual, but I just ride and don’t sweat the small stuff like frame material, weight savings, etc. I’m also not into the sport as much as most of you anymore. I do equal amounts of climbing and descending down here and it works just fine. I bought this bike 3 months before I moved from CO to AZ. I wasn't going to take the hit reselling it and I’m not a multi bike guy. I ride what I have. It’s now going on 3.5 years old and I’m getting the itch for something new, but I love my Spire. It’s been bulletproof and a blast to ride. For the right price I’d let it go @Gunshot-6A

Been eyeing the V3 Sentinel, myself.

 

buy a spur if you keep the spire.

i rarely ride my alloy patrol (fork needs service, should check bearings, brakes are a little spongey, etc), but it is still so much fun when going downhill. it still comes out for bike parks, shuttle rides, and enduros.

the spur gets more miles, mainly because i'm riding to the trailheads, and it keeps me in check when i ride solo.

multiple bikes are fun too

april is salida enduro on the patrol. may is 12 hours in canon city on the spur. june is apex gravel on my gravel bike.

 

It’s not a suffer on the climbs, actually. It cruises right along on the easy ones and does really well on techy, steep climbs. Is it efficient, probably not so much, but I have no complaints. I’ve ridden this bike every ride for 3.5 years and would buy another in a heartbeat.

 

I ride from my garage to the trailhead all the time. I can’t justify two bikes. I ride every weekend in the fall/winter/spring down here and one would just be sitting. I’m into too much other stuff, as well. I’m good with one. I’ve long gotten out of the I need the newest, fastest, lightest mentality. If my bike rides well, I’m good.

 

I totally get what you’re saying, not discounting it. MTB is your passion and that’s cool! It’s just not mine. It’s simply been a hobby since I started in 2000. I enjoy it, but there are other things I like to do that I will pick over riding any day. If it was my passion, I’d probably have a bike for every discipline, haha.

 

As seen before I just bought a frame so I’d you have excess parts keep me in mind if you end up buying a full bike

 

I love my Spire. I know I don't push it as hard as it's meant to be pushed but it handles everything I throw at it. For a 170 bike it climbs great. I've done a handful of enduro races and never felt that climbing was ever an issue. Downhill it is amazing, so confidence inspiring.

I'd go carbon, it is quite a light bike and plenty strong. I dropped it on some crazy rocks my first race on it, it damaged the ridewrap but the paint itself is fine. I think this is one case where weight savings and the extra stiffness of carbon will outweigh the price. I've never ridden an alloy spire but compared to my alloy ripley, I much prefer the stiffness around the BB and rear end.

One thing I will note, with how long the bike is, try to test ride it to get the right size. I'm kind of worried mine is slightly too big for me because I have a hard time keeping enough weight over the front. For me, it is easy to lock in over the rear wheel, especially when I'm tired. Which makes steering a little awkward in specific cases where you are on steeper trails and have sweeping turns.

 

lol yea thats fair. i'm pretty into cycling

 

I’ve got my 26ish lb 160/160 Jekyll for sale cheap w/extra shock and wheels…would be great for a kid or someone getting into riding. I’ve always ridden this as my XC bike that was fun on tech and what I consider burly Adirondack downhills. Let me know if we’re not supposed to link and I’ll remove it.
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/3832491/

 

Wow, my bike is so weird it killed a thread.

 

It's always nice to get the significant other out on a 70 degree day.

 

Car-bone...RideWrap that beech and send it 2 day air...

 

A bigger thing to keep in mind is manufacturing tolerances. Alloy bikes have a much larger tolerance range, and often end up all over the place. Carbon bikes are usually really close to the stated geo, and good manufacturers are usually spot on.
Quick read about real world geo.

Large. I went bigger for more stability.
Still in town? Swing by. Bike is in the stand finishing the full refresh.

 

China camp?

 

Quick detailer and a microfiber is the best secret sauce if you're just touching up.

 

Good point about warranty, I hear transitions is great, haven’t had to use it yet but I think it’s a replacement warranty no questions asked if I remember correctly…and with @Gunshot-6A being close to transition maybe that makes warranty replacement that much easier?

 

thats a good point. he should just get the carbon spire and ride the spur if he has to warranty anything

 

Thinking about it I'm pretty sure I dented all of my past alloy frames. Usually from rocks kicking off front tire. Nothing was ever critical and I still rode them.. I haven't cracked a carbon frame. Ride feel wise I've had flexy or stiff examples in both materials but carbon tends to have more pop. If it boils down to $500 for .5lb I think that money is better spent elsewhere like a nice wheelset. (of the CF variety )