rpenmanparker 

Makes sense...not!

rpenmanparker 

Could be from oxides of nitrogen in the auto exhaust concentrated on the track.

Dan333SP

Such a good point. I caught the car owner after the race and he was in tears, blaming it on the fact that he'd left it out in the rain overnight the week before the race. I'll have to shoot him an email explaining that the asplosion was most likely due to nitrogen oxide.

RPK79

Hey, it was from a reputable source @datlas who heard it from a friend who got the information direct from Lynskey.

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...rs-really.html

rpenmanparker 

No need to rehash this in another thread. Once was more than enough. I'm just pulling your chain anyway.

RPK79

Really? Because I was completely serious.

Brian Ratliff

Aluminum frames tend to use drawn tubes which are heat treated. Straightening might require a post-heat treat to eliminate work hardening. Welding on thin-walled drawn tubing is probably not recommended to fix cracks, especially since the frame is load bearing (body panels on cars are not load bearing). The weld itself will form a stress concentration that might lead to more cracking, and will probably require a heat treat as well.

When carbon is repaired, I believe the repair strategy is to cut out the damaged area and re-build the carbon tube structure with new pre-preg carbon fiber sheet. The orientation of the carbon strands is such that the repair is over-built; the intent being that the repaired area is more than strong enough for the frame location. Last I checked, it cost about $400 to repair a carbon frame and most of the time is a pretty routine repair.

Fogre

I find it interesting that Wound-Up recommends replacing their forks after 8 years (or 40,000 miles):

FAQ on Carbon Fiber Bike Forks From Wound Up Composites, SLC

Dan333SP

Lawyers told them to say that. In the same paragraph they note that their carbon forks should outlast aluminum, steel, ti, whatever.

Wound Up[SUP]TM[/SUP] forks withstand fatigue heroically, and should last much longer than steel, aluminum or titanium forks. Because of their unique filament-wound construction, they should also outlast other carbon forks. While exact lifespans are specific to a given rider and her or his riding habits, we usually see our forks lasting for more than a decade with fairly heavy use. However, since we cannot know your personal riding patterns, we cannot specifically endorse your using it beyond eight years. Or, if you like, 40,000 miles. That's why we offer our courtesy replacement program. If it's old enough for you to ask, don't risk it!

Lazyass

Wonder why

stockae92

I told my wife the carbon fiber bike only last 3 years so that I can get a new bike every 3 years.

j/k

bbbean 

Yes, carbon fiber becomes brittle and dangerous after 1 year or 5000 miles, whichever comes first. That's why I'm opening a carbon fiber disposal facility to keep all those unsafe frames off the street. Just send your used road CF bikes to Bean's Bike Disposal with a $50 handling fee, and I'll see to it they don't become a threat to some unsuspecting rider.

dtrain

This summer is year 2. I need to get some serious miles in...

cale

Some of us have bad hearts. Please keep your enthusiasm to a reasonable amount.

cale

In recognition of your "selfless" service, you can expect about zip. Remember, no good deed shall go unpunished.

cale

Carbon fiber bikes tend to get ridden more.

2manybikes

If your store your crabon bike near other aluminum bikes, be careful, the aluminum can catch the failure virus from the crabon bike. Keep them far apart.

cale

This is the truth! Aluminum frames are highly "corrosive" where it comes to it carbon and will insist that they die a premature death.

Lazyass

Post your proof. Give me a google link.

cale

No proof for you.

cellery

He never said anything about wheel recycling. That's my line of business, so send em my way.

Bluecoupe

So I shouldn't have bought that past years model on clearance and then stored it for the winter... only have 1 year left to ride it

Wingsprint

And DONT forget to put some sort of drip pan under these two wheeled toxic waste dumps. The stuff dripping off the frames will burn a hole in your floor.

FrozenK

So if a carbon road bike is only good for three years, a cyclocross one should only be good for two at the most. Right? That means I'm due for an upgrade, er... replacement. My wife wouldn't want me to risk my life on a two year old bike.

Dan333SP

A friend of mine races in pro cyclocross events across the country. She typically comes to each race with 4 or 5 brand new bikes. Each lap she will pit and swap bikes. The old ones are immediately discarded, as they are unsafe for any future usage. Some other riders even have new frame handups halfway around the lap because they don't trust their carbon to last a full lap at race speed. There are still dozens of catastrophic injuries in every professional cross race due to failed frames. It's really a sad story.