Carbon or no carbon?

I've owned aluminum, aluminum with carbon rear triangle and fork, full carbon, steel, and magnesium. Of all these it's full carbon all the way. The new Giant TCR Advanced that Team Einstein's is racing this year is not only comfortable but super stiff as well. The Ultegra version is the best bang for you buck but you may want to upgrade the wheels.

I guess Id have to ask what type of racer are you and body type? You a light climber type, go for a super light carbon frame. Medium to heavier all rounder/sprinter.....good question.

Like DeBroux said the new Giant Advanced frame is the best of all worlds, light AND stiff! Not as light as most new carbon frames out there, but a good compromise. I'll go into the giant....

Giant has set a standard with the NEW advanced frameset/ISP bike. No company has done more REAL race R&D with any frame than Giant has. T-Mobile has been riding the new advanced frame and variants of it for 3 TOURS, and only this year, has Giant made it avail to the general public! What they have come up with is a COMPLETE RACERS INPUT race frame! The new advanced frameset weighs more than pretty much ALL other carbon frames out there for a number of reasons, here are a few:

1. Riders/racers felt that the BB and seat stay junction needed to be stiffer.

2. With bigger sprinters on T-Mobile they wanted a stiffer headtube.

3. The UCI weight limit. 6.8kilo/15lbs is too easy to reach these days with inline components.

Strolling past the Gerolsteiner bus at the 2005 tour I saw that Levi had to ADD weight to his bike (in the form of a wrench under a bottle cage. WHY?? Because everything is getting so freaking light…and I must say for a price. Why not add the weight where the rider needs it, like in the frame stiffness where required?? T-Mobile runs the inline stock frame WITH an SRM, light wheels and a D/A kit and can still hit the weight limit. Giant makes TWO models of the NEW Advanced frameset, a non ISP and the ISP (Integrated Seat Post). Since the ISP needs the strength to keep the seatpillar stiff, it has added material around the seatstay and seatube junction...thus adding yet MORE out of the saddle rear end strength.....downside is traveling with this bike. A large model requires a special case since you cannot remove the seatpost. From the spy pics and info I have seen/read, you will see this type of design in the 08 Trek line as well(heavier frames).

That’s my .02, not just a Giant plug. And keep in mind that opinions are greatly varied. One mans Ti is another mans scandium!