Much hype about alternative "hi-tech" frame materials exploded at this link:

http://www.henryjames.com/faq.html

Carbon fiber (or is it carpet fiber?) may be lighter and stiffer to the extent that a top-of-his-game pro rider would benefit (and mostly during a climb), but the rest of us poor bastards would gain more by shedding a few pounds of fat.  Members of pro teams have their (disposable) carbon fiber bikes replaced when they trash one.  The rest of us don't.

Aluminum?  May be a bit lighter than Columbus SL steel but sure feels "dead" to me.  Aluminum doesn't have the tensile strength of steel either.

A good lugged-steel frame (properly cared for) can last almost indefinitely - carpet fiber hasn't (so far).  Maybe you'll get a couple seasons out of a carpet fiber frame before it starts to literally unwind.

I'm not a technophobe - I'm just holding out for a "self-healing" Buck Rogers carbon nano-tube frame.  Now THAT would be something!