All City Space Horse - Carbon Fiber Comparisons?

Thorondor, the All City Space Horse, has now been my primary long-distance, have-a-lot-of-fun, riding steed for about 3.5 years.  Thorondor is a do-it-all kind of bike.  You can commute with it, tour with it, bikepack with it, and even do some fast rides with it.


But how does it compare to a carbon fiber race bike?  Up until recently, I had absolutely no idea.


Prior to early April, I had never ridden a carbon fiber bike of any variety.  Any bike I had ever ridden was either steel or aluminum.  None of them would be considered "high end".  As an avid bike geek, that creates a rather obvious question:

Is carbon fiber better?

It was a question that I could not answer.  There was no practical experience to pull from.  And then we went to Florida!

My wife and I decided to go to Florida for spring break.  It is a 20 hour drive from Michigan.  On any trip, the first question I have to answer is, "Am I going to bring a bike?"  Typically, the answer is "Yes, of course I am going to bring a bike...duh!"  But, the thought of keeping track of a bike and keeping it safe over 4 days of total travel did not appeal to me.

So I looked into bike rentals.  AH-HA!  There is a bike shop in Clearwater where I could rent a carbon fiber race bike for just $60!

Sold!

The bike I rented was a Specialized Tarmac.  I do not know what model year but I would guess it was 3-4 years old.  Over the course of 2 rides and about 45 total miles, I came to a few conclusions:

1. When you put power through the pedals of the Tarmac, it takes off like a rocket.  Admittedly, that is pretty cool!
2. Even on smooth, Florida asphalt, the 23mm tires pumped up to 100 psi combined with the carbon fiber was quite similar to riding on a 2x4.  I felt every bump and jolt, no matter how small.
3. My average speed was not significantly different on the Tarmac than on the Space Horse.
4. If I was going to do more than 20-25 miles, there is not a scenario where I would pick the Tarmac over the Space Horse.  The Space Horse with 38-40mm tires is faaaarrrr more comfortable and any difference in speed is negligible.

To be fair, this shouldn't be the final word on carbon fiber.  If I were to ride a carbon fiber bike designed for long-distance riding that had the same tires and the same fit as the Space Horse, I might just sing a different tune.  Who knows, I might even fall in love!

Take home point = the grass is not always greener on the other side.  Be grateful for what you have!