# Immortal series frames --- are they stiff?



## kevinkiller (May 2, 2008)

Hi,

I've been riding a Scattante XRL Carbon SS frame for the past 4 years. It was a (single) butted 7005 Alu frame with a carbon fork. I liked the way it rode, it was stiff but not too stiff for my weight/size (strong 220lbs/12% body fat).

I'd like to move into the new world and get a carbon-framed replacement bike. I've been to my local Performance Bike store and test rode a 61 cm Fuji Team. I found it to be very plush at 20 mph but way, way, to flexy any faster ... I mean, it was squirrelly as hell over 35 mph and I actually had to time my pedal strokes to the frame flex when I was climbing out of the saddle. 

I went down to my local Giant bike shop and rode a TCR 2 in Large. I found it to be very stiff. There was no flex when climbing out of the saddle, but there was a lot of vibration when riding over chip seal. The only way I can describe the ride was to liken it to riding a mountain bike that has the fork and shock way over-pressurized. It was great on smooth pavement but felt very "springy" on chip seal. 

I went down to Lance Armstrong's new bike shop (Mellow Johnnys) and rode a Seven Ti Race. It felt to me almost exactly like the TCR 2. Very stiff, but with a lot of "springy" feed back.

Now I have an straight-pipe Alu fixed gear frame (Jamie Roy from IRO) and let me tell you that frame is a brick. I mean I feel the wheels bending when I'm hammering out of the saddle, but the frame doesn't move a micron. I find this frame to be too stiff for anything more than 15-40 mile rides. I mean it'll shake out your fillings riding on the Texas chip seal, and it doesn't have any of that "springy" feedback.

Now what I've learned in all this fooling around is that you can't tell how a bike will ride by looking at pictures. I'd like to give the Immortal Ice a try but I'm afraid it won't ride very well for me. Is there anyway I can try it out before buying it? If not, is there some kind of 7-day evaluation trial thing where you can buy it and send it right back if it doesn't work for you?

Are there any big 220 lb cat3 guys riding this bike? If so, what are your thoughts.

K in Austin, Tx


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## cyclesport45 (Dec 10, 2007)

*220 lb Cat 3?*

There aren't too many cat 3's our size here in Massachusetts. But, I do have an Immortal Ice. It replaced a steel lemond. The Lemond was (is, it's now my rain bike) smooth, but my 225 pounds torqued the hell out of the frame in a sprint. For many reasons (MONEY) I got the Ice to replace it. My opinion of the frame; It's way stiffer than the old lemond. A joy to sprint with. And, as far as I can tell, at least as smooth as the Lemond on cracked New England potholes. Certainly WAAYYY smoother than my old Cannondale. I would buy it again in a heartbeat, except now I don't have any money left...


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