Specifically P3X/PX - I’ve read anecdotes about how the lack of seat tube seems to result in fewer road vibrations being felt in the “saddle area”. But then I think Slowman wrote that he noticed zero comfort difference in his P3X ride with Hoffman.
I’m just curious to get some more perspectives on whether there really is a noticeable comfort difference on a beam vs. a standard frame. Thanks.
The only beam frame I’ve ridden is the Ceepo Shadow-R but in my experience, the comfort benefits are real. It was very noticeable to me on small to medium bumps and road cracks like expansion joints. If I was designing a frankenbike with my favorite design elements, it would 100% have a beam.
In the past I was a softride sponsored rider and the curved beam was super compliant. You’d hit potholes and not know it. While I jest some on that it did really smooth out the road. The straight beam was more stiff but the roads were smoother than with a regular seatpost/frame.
I had a P3x. I wouldn’t call it more or less comfy than my previous Scott plasma. The Plasma was a HUGE upgrade in ride quality over the Specialized transition it replaced.
The tldr is some of the older beams would really smooth out the bumps some of the newer beams might help take the edge off but I suspect this will depend on what you’re coming from
similar to Desert dude, i was a sponsored softride athletes and it was the most comfortable bike i ever riden. it was amazing. I then rode a diamond a few years ago and those ridig beam do provid some comfort but not to the extend of a flexible beam like in the past.
all this said, i love beam bikes!
My opinion is yes for Dimond. I’ve tried to get the company interested in a elastomer style micro suspension to improve it further, but they haven’t gone that direction yet.
Back in the 'aughts I was riding a titanflex beam bike. While not as springy/bouncy as a softride beam, it definitely soaked up some road shock. It’s worth noting that back then we were riding 21-23mm tires at 120psi vs 25-28mm tires at 80psi.
In the past I was a softride sponsored rider and the curved beam was super compliant. You’d hit potholes and not know it. While I jest some on that it did really smooth out the road. The straight beam was more stiff but the roads were smoother than with a regular seatpost/frame.
I had a P3x. I wouldn’t call it more or less comfy than my previous Scott plasma. The Plasma was a HUGE upgrade in ride quality over the Specialized transition it replaced.
The tldr is some of the older beams would really smooth out the bumps some of the newer beams might help take the edge off but I suspect this will depend on what you’re coming from
How did you enjoy your time with the P3X? What did you move on to?
Specifically P3X/PX - I’ve read anecdotes about how the lack of seat tube seems to result in fewer road vibrations being felt in the “saddle area”. But then I think Slowman wrote that he noticed zero comfort difference in his P3X ride with Hoffman.
I’m just curious to get some more perspectives on whether there really is a noticeable comfort difference on a beam vs. a standard frame. Thanks.
Another Softride rider from the 90s. My first Softride Power V was Greg Welch’s bike, which had a fairly unique paint job for the time.
The versions with the curved, beam were very comfortable–the top and bottom carbon sections of the beam sandwiched some sort of elastomer material. I found the bike to be very stable, even when I swapped in 650c and 24" forks. I liked the ride, but I had three framesets fail in different locations, so I moved on.
I also had Trek’s beam bike, too, and I found little, if any difference, in ride comfort when comparing it to a standard diamond frameset. The beam was rigid, especially when compared to Softride’s original.
Aerodynamically, I found that both bikes performed much better with a rear disc than any other wheel. (I also found the same for Kestrel’s Airfoil Pro.) There are a good number of current bikes that will test faster than these early beam bikes.
Keep in mind that removing a seat tube means that material needs to be added elsewhere. Apart from the early Softrides, you’ll find more comfort gains by looking at tire width and pressure, along with careful attention to fit. These days, a carbon beam bike is a solution looking for a problem that can be better solved by contemporary designs.
Of course, you cannot discount the placebo effect of riding a beam bike.
Back in the 'aughts I was riding a titanflex beam bike. While not as springy/bouncy as a softride beam, it definitely soaked up some road shock. It’s worth noting that back then we were riding 21-23mm tires at 120psi vs 25-28mm tires at 80psi.
Ahh–forgot about Titanflex. I did some rides on one of them, and I liked it. As you note, it wasn’t as springy as Softride, but it worked well. Back then, my race tires were 18mm Panaracers run at 150+ psi. How the world has changed!
As someone that has had a Brilliant, Marquise and a Mogul Dimond I still remember the first day I rode my first one, the Brilliant down the road after finishing building it. I was looking for rough sections to run over as having come from a Shiv and never ridden a beam bike the contrast felt night and day the reduced road noise. Each to their own but it is subtle differences like a beamed bike, the difference between a spoked disk or a solid disk and the like as minor as it may be I’ve enjoyed. Check out the small amount the new Trek Madone seatpost hangs out the back of the frame to give aero road bikes that are renowned for a harsher ride a little more dampening and compliance.
The Pearson Beam Bike:
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My friend has a Pearson bike. Graeme Pearson was the first person I thought of to build me a custom mantis set of tri extensions before they came into vogue. He comes from New Zealand and just across the ditch as we call it in Australia, seems adventurous with what he likes to do in carbon and did me a custom set at a fraction of price you can buy a stock set now…
Off-topic…but what base bar is that Shambolic?
Check out the small amount the new Trek Madone seatpost hangs out the back of the frame to give aero road bikes that are renowned for a harsher ride a little more dampening and compliance.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/924245241970401
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Pro Missile
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Haha too much compliance. I’ve never been a Trek fan…
Specifically P3X/PX - I’ve read anecdotes about how the lack of seat tube seems to result in fewer road vibrations being felt in the “saddle area”. But then I think Slowman wrote that he noticed zero comfort difference in his P3X ride with Hoffman.
I’m just curious to get some more perspectives on whether there really is a noticeable comfort difference on a beam vs. a standard frame. Thanks.
I personally didn’t find it much different. I borrowed and tested a P5X for about 3 weeks and set it up for me. I thought it was a nice ride, but it wasn’t much different from any super bike I’ve ridden these days. Ultimately it wasn’t a viable ride for me because my current rig was faster “for me” and the P5X is out the window for road TTs.
So was I!! (many, many moons ago!) I LOVED that bike . . . smooth and fast!! When I did Ironman Europe (now Roth) in the early 90s German media did a piece on my bike in transition because it was the only one in the race. That was even before they sponsored my friend Jürgen Zäck . . . Jürgen still beat me on the bike 
, but had to do a then world record to be sure of it!
That front end is pretty dope. Have you tested whether there is any cost to that down tube bottle?
I’m assuming you mean the bottle on the underside of the tri bars? That was for an IM and I run three nutrition bottles so was about function but if not doing an IM I run an empty Xlab Torpedo in the hope it is a more aero shape. But no I’v done no testing.