A little nervous about this bike...

[Griffish]

I bought a bike VERY cheap from a local here. I only bought it because I saw that it was a Calfee frame. Turns out it is a 1998 Calfee Tetra Pro (carbon fiber frame and fork, with Shimano 600 components). The bike needed some work before it was rideable and over the last 2 wks. I have replaced all cables, new tires (Armadillos...switched from the bike's 23s to 25s), new tubes, new brake pads, retensioned and trued the wheels, adjusted the front derailer, new handlebar wrap. The frame is actually pretty dinged up cosmetically. I literally went over every cm with a magnifying glass and light. The dings are definitely into the paint and clearcoat, but none into the carbon fiber. I e-mailed Calfee with this info and he didn't seem at all concerned about the frame's integrity. I will eventually send him the frame to be checked out and refinished, but for now I just want to ride.

My question to you is...would you feel confident on a used carbon fiber frame like this? I weigh 225 and have been riding for a few months now. I've never really ridden carbon before and have heard all the horror stories. Bottom line for me is...I have fallen in love with this bike through all the work I've put into it now, but I will be just a little nervous tomorrow on my first real ride. Any thoughts?

Steve

[txvintage]

At 225, I wouldn't sweat it. Just ride it like ya stole it!

The most important thing is, you have a new to you carbon framed bike, you resurrected her, and you didn't post PICS!

We need PICS!

[Tom Stormcrowe]

Look for cracks and delaminations on the frame. That would be the only issue I might have to worry about. Other than that, enjoy the bike.

[jaxgtr]

At 225, I would not be worried. Calfee's are nice frames and the Shimano 600 is a nice group.

[Griffish]

Hey guys thanks for the advice. I took the bike out for the first real ride today....wow! Now I understand the carbon hype. This thing is fast compared to my Gary Fisher Wingra (which I think is a great bike also). It took some time to adjust to the different position though. I'm used to the more upright position, but this feels great. The hardest thing to get used to for me though is having the shifters on the down tube. Took awhile, but it all came back (used to ride alot in the mid 80s). I now feel great about the bike. Hopefully I will ride this bike to my goal weight and beyond!