Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Lugged Carbon?

What’s up with lugged carbon?


In this day and age, why are carbon frames still being built with lugs? The technology is there to let the lugs go, and still frames are being built with lugs. What’s up with that?

The monobloc triangle frame is the very cutting edge of technology, but still, carbon frames are being built with lugs… what’s goin’ on? It’s interesting the things one can learn from being both an owner of a monobloc frame and educated in the ways of the lugged frame.

I have a monobloc frame. A few month back I think I must have derailed the chain and jammed it into the down tube just in front on the bottom bracket, resulting in a one and half inch hole being punched in the frame. Great, what do I do now? Well, I send it to Calfee Design to give it a fix. It will come back every bit as strong as before, but with a rather bulging lump in its place.

If this was a lugged carbon frame, much like the days of the steel lugged frames that road so much better than the tig welded frames, I would just have the down tube replaced, and it would be every bit as good and new. Wow, a carbon frame that can be repaired; what will they think of next?

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