# CF Endurance road bike on NYC streets???



## spiderman2099 (Dec 24, 2014)

*CF Endurance road bike on NYC streets?? or CF cx bike?*

Hi, first timer here.

I've been looking at a *Scott Solace 15 Disc *but am not sure how it would handle NYC streets (potholes, manhole covers, cracked pavement, rough concrete, sidewalks, etc.). After researching various endurance bikes from other companies (Synapse, Domane, Roubaix, etc.), it seems that endurance bikes have indeed been used as commuters. It has enough clearance for 28mm tires. I'm thinking of using 28mm Conti GP 4 Seasons as my city tires. The stock wheelset is Scott's in-house Syncros brand. I'm on the light side as well, around 140 lbs. Would it be a good idea to change the wheels? 

Can this bike handle NYC, or should I look at something like a cyclocross bike??? (Also, can a carbon fiber frame handle city riding? Or would it be too rough even for a CF cyclocross frame such as a Cannondale SuperX ?)


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## spiderman2099 (Dec 24, 2014)

And if the Scott on 28s is not a good idea, what is the fastest bike that could take on this terrain/conditions?


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Yea, it can handle it.


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## SauronHimself (Nov 21, 2012)

spiderman2099 said:


> Hi, first timer here.
> 
> I've been looking at a *Scott Solace 15 Disc *but am not sure how it would handle NYC streets (potholes, manhole covers, cracked pavement, rough concrete, sidewalks, etc.). After researching various endurance bikes from other companies (Synapse, Domane, Roubaix, etc.), it seems that endurance bikes have indeed been used as commuters. It has enough clearance for 28mm tires. I'm thinking of using 28mm Conti GP 4 Seasons as my city tires. The stock wheelset is Scott's in-house Syncros brand. I'm on the light side as well, around 140 lbs. Would it be a good idea to change the wheels?
> 
> Can this bike handle NYC, or should I look at something like a cyclocross bike??? (Also, can a carbon fiber frame handle city riding? Or would it be too rough even for a CF cyclocross frame such as a Cannondale SuperX ?)


The best thing you can do for any bike of any frame material is to avoid the pot holes and cracks as much as possible. That being said, carbon will be able to handle them. Your primary defense against them will be wide enough tires at the appropriate pressure. You shouldn't have to change the wheels unless there is a pressing need to do so (i.e. constantly breaking spokes from the pot holes). When you ask what the "fastest" bike is that can take 28c tires, it's kind of a misnomer. You're looking at carbon fiber road bikes. They're all fast, and the mechanical differences are minor. Your speed will be affected by you, the engine, and if you're using tires with unusually high rolling resistance.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

I wouldn't worry about the actual riding part but IMO carbon makes little sense as a city commuter for reasons other than ability to handle pot holes.
-Carbon, while very strong, is soft. That makes locking it to a sign post or whatever like most city commuters will need to do now and then a bad idea.
-The advantage of CF over other options is that it's lighter. That's not really any type of advantage for commuting so why pay extra for it.
-Carbon bikes typically don't accomodate racks and, to a lesser extent, fenders very well and those are typically things commuters want. At a glance I believe this is the case with the Scott you are looking at but I'm not sure. 

In addition to what the previous poster said about what makes a bike fast is aerodynamics (not the bike itself but the position the contact points put your body in). Being in a super aero position in city congestion pretty much sucks. Being more upright so you can look around and maneuver well is much more comfortable and safe in the city. In summary: Forget about the "fastest bike" business. No such thing really.


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Carbon fiber composite is not "soft". However very thin CF as you'd find in a very light carbon bike frame may not stand up to being banged around. If you accidentally smash your 5 lb lock into a thin section of a light frame as you're locking it up you might crack it. But a blow that hard has a good chance of denting an aluminum frame. If you can be even a little bit careful you'll have no problem. 

A carbon frame can handle rough roads. I ride my very light Cervelo on all sorts of surfaces and very rough back roads. Wheels and tires are going to be your problem, not the frame, unless you are good at hopping potholes rather than slamming into them.

If you have to lock your bike up on the street get something cheap because it's going to get stolen. I also would not take a good bike on public transportation, at least during commute hours.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

ericm979 said:


> Carbon fiber composite is not "soft". However very thin CF as you'd find in a very light carbon bike frame may not stand up to being banged around. If you accidentally smash your 5 lb lock into a thin section of a light frame as you're locking it up you might crack it. But a blow that hard has a good chance of denting an aluminum frame. If you can be even a little bit careful you'll have no problem.
> 
> A carbon frame can handle rough roads. I ride my very light Cervelo on all sorts of surfaces and very rough back roads. Wheels and tires are going to be your problem, not the frame, unless you are good at hopping potholes rather than slamming into them.
> 
> If you have to lock your bike up on the street get something cheap because it's going to get stolen. I also would not take a good bike on public transportation, at least during commute hours.


Actually it is. Well, to be more precise it's the resin that's soft. I know this first hand after riding for a while with a wheel out of true that caused the tire to rub on the frame. The tire wore a gouge in the chain stays in only half a mile or so. If rubber can were though it I'm going to call it soft.


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## spiderman2099 (Dec 24, 2014)

Merry Christmas! and thanks for all your help, guys

Regarding the practicality of using a carbon fiber road bike, I actually do have a safe place to store it indoors, so I wouldn't have to worry about it rubbing against other bikes/objects or being stolen. For my usual commuting purposes I already have a very cheap aluminum hybrid, and certainly I wouldn't be taking the Scott into heavy traffic for leisure. I just wanted to make sure that it was able to handle less than perfect road surfaces. I am also borderline obsessively careful handling fragile/expensive things, so accidental damage shouldn't be an issue.

So are 28mm tires enough? What psi do you think I should inflate them to? Any other helpful tips for riding a road bike in the city?


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

spiderman2099 said:


> Merry Christmas! and thanks for all your help, guys
> 
> 
> So are 28mm tires enough? What psi do you think I should inflate them to? Any other helpful tips for riding a road bike in the city?


Merry Christmas to you as well.

It depends how much you and your load weights. 28mm is likely 'enough' unless you are really heavy but for commuting I prefer bigger. I wouldn't at all say bigger is necessary but just closer to ideal for commuting. Personal preference comes into play too. 

To commute I use 32's and don't pay much attention to PSI other then pumping them up to 80 or so and doing it again when they feel to soft to avoid pinch flats. PSI depends on your weight too. For reference, on my race bike I use 25mm in the rear and 90psi. That's fairly typical for someone my weight which is 145-150 pounds. Generally speaking bigger tires means you need less PSI and more weight means you (may) need more to avoid pinch flats. Just use trail and error to find the PSI you like.

Although I like "road" shoes and pedals for my road bike that I train and race with outside the city I wouldn't want them if I always used it in the city due to frequent stops and starts. No real tips for the actual riding a road bike in the city but would advise more of a mountain bike pedal system for commuting in the city due to ease and walking ability. Even some hard core 'roadies' that don't have to deal with the city stops and starts do just fine not using 'road bike pedals'.


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Jay Strongbow said:


> If rubber can were though it I'm going to call it soft.


You can call it whatever you want but it's not "soft" in the normal useage of the word.


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

spiderman2099 said:


> So are 28mm tires enough? What psi do you think I should inflate them to?


28s are overkill for your size. They won't hurt but 25mm or 23mm would be fine. Many frames won't fit 28mm tires.
Use the *BOTTOM* calculator on this page: Bicycle tire pressure calculator

The top two calculators are bogus and discredited. The bottom one uses the data from the old Michelin inflation chart, which they have since removed from their site. It's a good starting point. I use ~5psi less in the front than the rear as there is more weight on the rear.


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## spiderman2099 (Dec 24, 2014)

Ah, I think I'll stick with 28mm, seems to be not too wide or too narrow for someone like me. According to Eric's link I won't have to inflate 28mm tires any more than 80 or even 75 psi. I agree about the mountain bike pedals, I won't be using clipless road pedals until I have a chance to go on a long ride outside of metro traffic. It's also quite reassuring to know carbon fiber is hardier than I originally thought. I'm well aware of the possibility of carbon fiber snapping in serious crashes, but the amount of fearmongering that some people like to do when discussing its durability would have one believe that CF bikes are made of straws, lol!


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

ericm979 said:


> You can call it whatever you want but it's not "soft" in the normal useage of the word.


According to Merriam Webster it's a normal use of the word.

1soft
adjective \ˈsȯft\

: easy to press, bend, cut, etc

It's definitely easy to cut relative to other frame materials.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

spiderman2099 said:


> I'm well aware of the possibility of carbon fiber snapping in serious crashes, but the amount of fearmongering that some people like to do when discussing its durability would have one believe that CF bikes are made of straws, lol!


That of course can happen but it's not like there isn't also a very good chance alloy or steel wouldn't dent or bend in the same crash so I wouldn't let that sway your choice away from carbon. And despite what a lot of people say or think it's really easy and cheap to have busted carbon tubes repaired relative to replacing metal tubes.


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## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

If ultralight pro carbon frames can handle the spring classics, it can certainly handle NYC with a bit of smarts on what you ride over. Personally, I'd take more pause around the performance/value ratio you are looking to walk away with. Plan to do alot of 9W long rides on the weekends. Go carbon. Really just sticking to the boroughs, save your cash. Really all the lighter (I'm assuming here) carbon frame/bike is going to gain you is a bit of performance going uphill (not alot of significant climbing in NYC). For commuting, I'd be shocked to see a significant consistent difference on my 6 mile 1-way whether on my 35 lb folding steel commuter or my 18 lb custom Ti. The route is basically pan flat. I haven't done it with both bikes, but any time saved would be in seconds, not minutes.


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## spiderman2099 (Dec 24, 2014)

krisdrum said:


> Personally, I'd take more pause around the performance/value ratio you are looking to walk away with. Plan to do alot of 9W long rides on the weekends. Go carbon. Really just sticking to the boroughs, save your cash. Really all the lighter (I'm assuming here) carbon frame/bike is going to gain you is a bit of performance going uphill (not alot of significant climbing in NYC).


Thanks Kris, sounds like some really good advice. I think I'll settle for a light-ish, sub $800 aluminum bike, maybe flatbar, just for tearing around the city. When I've scoped out some real road routes and have the time for them, I'll commit to that carbon fiber bike. Not that I wouldn't also use it on some quality city bike paths, though :wink5:


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## jrm (Dec 23, 2001)

I ride my alum/composite defy 1 on the crap streets of oakland riding on 25c tservs using spds. Plenty quick and fun.


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