Originally Posted by
audiofx
I am in the market for a new or used road bike. I have less than $1500 to spend so I am either looking at a nice brand new aluminum bike from the LBS or perhaps a used carbon bike from Ebay.
Being 250lbs, should I even consider a carbon frame? Should I stick with the more durable aluminum to avoid any potential problems? I am looking at the Felt line and have read about cracking with some of their carbon frames. Buying a used Felt also voids the frame warranty (I think).
CF which is actually carbon fibre reinforced plastic, is actually more durable then AL, in that it doesn't suffer from fatigue failure issues. Fatigue failure is the tendency of Aluminum to break if flexed repeatedly over time. This is why AL frames are super stiff,
However CF has a different issue, if you crash, with a CF frame or fork it needs a professional inspection, to make sure there isn't internal damage, , if damaged the component needs to be replaced, damaged CF is severely weakened, and tends to fail at some later point in time catastrophically. Because of this, I would avoid a CF frame or fork that is used, unless you know the bikes history, and not just what the guy selling it, is willing to tell you. Some people will have a crash, find out the frame needs to be replaced, clean it up and sell it, because they don't want to pay for a new frame, and the cost of moving components over. They would rather have a new bicycle that isn't damaged.
The real issue though is, if you like the bike, and it fits well, and you find it comfortable, then that is the bike to choose, regardless of frame material.