What do you think about the use of carbon seatstays on tiitanium bikes (such as Guro Aero Ti and Litespeed Saber)? Does the use of carbon provide for a more comfortable ride? Does the use of the carbon adversely affect the durability of the bike (which presumably is one of the reasons to pay more $$$ for titanium). Seems like the use of carbon seatstays on an alum. bike could make sense because there is arguably a larger comfort benefit and less of a durability loss than is the case with the ti-bikes.
They’re silly, but they do guarantee a straighter frame from the stays back. Also, one should build with carbon stays for more stiffness, as comfort is from the top tube.
They do not – and *cannot – *add to comfort. Stays support the rider along their length, and there is no rigid bike frame material on earth that provides cushioning in compression.
Carbon stays are marketing. I don’t think they detract from the quality of the bike, but they don’t add anything either.
I have a Al bike with carbon stays (QR Caliente), and I would have bought it if the stays were aluminum or steel or whatever. I bought the frame for its geometry, not because of what it was made out of.
Carbon stays are a marketing gimmick. You should in fact pay less for a bike with carbon stays since you get no added-value and added potential problems. In particular, aluminum and carbon are not particularly compatible materials.
Carbon adds nothing to comfort. The only real reason for a carbon frame is for the potential to achieve maximum strength/weight ratio (you can vary thickness and fiber orientation at will) and, to a lesser extent, fancy shapes. And this will only be realized by competent frame designers (and this will be achieved with the main triangle and not with stays). The comfort/vibration damping ability of carbon is a myth.
Comfort is a function of tires, saddle and frame design (mostly chainstay and wheel base length). For a general introduction on these concepts, I suggest the article by Sheldon Brown. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html
The truth is:
For a given frame geometry, there will be no noticeable difference in comfort from one material to another, if one defines comfort as vertical compliance (shock absorbtion).
It is very easy to make a bike stiff with any frame material.
It is very easy to make a bike light with any frame material.
It is very hard to make a bike that is light AND stiff with any frame material.
IMHO when you buy a bike, you should assess the frame designer/builder, way way before you think about frame material.
I have carbon stays on a Scandium aluminum frame at the recommendation of the builder. He said they make a stiffer rear triangle…and these carbon stays are beefy…I believed him before I bought the bike, and I still do…this sucker ain’t giving much, at least at my power-generating abilities. I certainly didn’t get carbon stays for comfort reasons.
Yoo can make a stiff rear triangle out of any material. Stays work essentially in pure compression-tension. That’s why they are so skinny compared to tubes from the main triangle. A bike needs to be stiff around the bottom bracket and head tube where loading occurs. Rear triangle stiffness was not a problem before carbon stays. But eh, builder need reasons to sell new bikes. Buy the pre-made stays in Taiwan and glue them to any material and cash in an extra profit margin… Marketing, that’s th sad reason behing carbon stays.