The grim sound of carbon road bikes

[ChromeChainstay]

i ride 90's depth HED's. opposite of a nightmare

 

[grantoury]

Repulsive? No. Slightly disconcerting. As if the carbon wheels are scraping directly on the tarmac. I think the riders consider it the sound of success. I prefer silence.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I prefer silence.

A noisy bike is an anathema to me, silent is what I aim for.

 

[novocaine]

Management consultants or somesuch probably..

Must be tough for youngsters who aren't from well off backgrounds these times who want to start racing. I've heard of U-16s riding bikes costing €5000 plus. It's become a sport for the wealthy.

Has been for 20 odd years.

 

[foz]

My carbon bike isn't noisy, especially with tub wheels. It's nearly 20 years old so none of the "improvements" of modern bikes. But on the odd occasion I get out on my 653 Caygill, the complete silence always comes as a pleasant surprise!

 

[bikeworkshop]

Surely this is the answer for jangling internal cables and for those pesky cracks in carbon frames.....all problems solved for just a few quid....

Probably has twice the strength of a far east carbon frame...

Soudal Hand Held Expanding Foam

Moisture curing, self-expanding polyurethane foam adhering to all common building materials, resistant to water, heat and ageing. Excellent sound and heat insulation values. Can be cut, sanded, plastered and painted after full cure. Not UV resistant, cover once cured with sealant, paint or...

sealantwholesale.com

And if you're tired of redoing your tubeless setup on those deep deep carbon Rims, there's just enough left in the can!

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Carbon frames look very sculpted, some are beautiful. I don't want a Duplo Mattel plastic special though. If you like them all good, I'm old n grumpy so bah humbug

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

One of these went past me earlier.



They are very quick. Although I was towing a trailer, I don’t think it would have made much difference if I wasn’t. It was loud too! It sounded like the ultimate disc wheel. I suspect it would be louder inside it. I would still like a go though!

 

[bikeworkshop]

Does anyone remember:

State of the industry: a running thread

https://singletrackworld.com/2023/10/signa-sports-financial-woes-future-of-crc-wiggle-nukeproof-and-more-in-balance/?fbclid=PAAaaA5U4mbFVF_6CoN6gnPDoMiygklntcX39pRTmtkl7ELXLOXKEx25a-j_s&utm_content=cmp-true I'm not one to suggest stockpiling but you might want to consider it if Wiggle and Chain...

www.retrobike.co.uk

I think it's what the state of the industry sounds like.

It's not deliberate - it just happened

 

[james_from_stoke]

I have a theory that noise and ride quality are at least slightly linked, on carbon bikes - I've found that the more "carbon roar" that it makes, the harsher the ride tends to be - old TT bikes are usually the worst offenders – they absolutely pummel you, and you can hear them coming from miles off. A well-damped frame tends to make a little less noise.

Not to be a contrarian tw*t again, but my carbon bike is actually pretty quiet, even on very rough roads.
Don't get me wrong, I'll probably have a mental breakdown next time I have to change the headset bearings, fishing top-down routed Campag hydraulics through a bottom-up routed frame, while trying not to drop the forks and AARGHH, but... It's basically silent. I think it's the combination of big tyres and clutch 1x drivetrain - there's hardly any noise while riding.
That is, until I change gear, at which point you get a big crack BANG as it slams into gear and echoes through the carbon rims, tight spokes and big open frame, and probably even inside the big tyres, at least to some extent.