Any non-paranoid carbon owners out there? How fragile ARE they?
10-05-10, 11:37 AM
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Any non-paranoid carbon owners out there? How fragile ARE they?
A friend is moving to Europe for a couple of years and is selling two CF bikes at desperation prices. I'm not likely to buy one ("Honey, we have to move the washing machine out to the driveway with the cars--I got another bike"), but looking at them raised a question:
Every week or so, seems like there's a new post from some carbon owner who's worried about transporting his bike or clamping it in a workstand or just leaving it in an unheated garage if the temperature drops below 50 degrees. My bikes are steel, and I literally never think about stuff like that. If I succumb here, though, how much do I REALLY have to worry about it? Do they really make bikes out of material that falls apart if it falls over? Do people really buy bikes like that?
Every week or so, seems like there's a new post from some carbon owner who's worried about transporting his bike or clamping it in a workstand or just leaving it in an unheated garage if the temperature drops below 50 degrees. My bikes are steel, and I literally never think about stuff like that. If I succumb here, though, how much do I REALLY have to worry about it? Do they really make bikes out of material that falls apart if it falls over? Do people really buy bikes like that?
10-05-10, 11:41 AM
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I go kayaking when it's 10 degrees fahrenheit, and watch snow flakes land and melt in the water around me as ice forms on my carbon fiber kayak paddle. The cold hasn't affected it.
10-05-10, 11:44 AM
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Carbon fiber is like the bastard child you adopted from the orphanage that's right by a cemetery. No matter how good it is, some people will never trust it.
I treat my bike no differently than I did my aluminum bike. It sees plenty of abuse, and is ridden over abhorrent roads daily. I hit potholes with it, I store it in lackluster conditions, and I verbally abuse it. It still runs like new.
I treat my bike no differently than I did my aluminum bike. It sees plenty of abuse, and is ridden over abhorrent roads daily. I hit potholes with it, I store it in lackluster conditions, and I verbally abuse it. It still runs like new.
10-05-10, 11:46 AM
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Mine's been crashed, ridden in snow, ridden in rain, ridden in temperatures over 100 degrees, ridden on a towpath that is dirt and gravel in the pouring rain, raced, taken it off curbs (not often, but I have) and it's fine.
Seriously. Don't worry about it.
Seriously. Don't worry about it.
10-05-10, 11:48 AM
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Throw the stick!!!!
I've ridden road bikes on mountain bike trails before so I guess I'm not too paranoid.
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10-05-10, 11:51 AM
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10-05-10, 11:52 AM
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10-05-10, 11:54 AM
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I know people who ride pretty rugged singletrack trails on cyclocross bikes with carbon forks. So yeah, they're not that delicate.
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10-05-10, 11:58 AM
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Throw the stick!!!!
I thought of it as enjoying the moment and being out with my buddies. Seeing the looks on some of my other buddies faces (on mountain bikes) was pretty cool as well. I have also ridden several technical trails with rock gardens and switchbacks with my cyclocross bike but that probably doesn't count since it is aluminum.
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10-05-10, 12:07 PM
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I've had a steel bike fail at the BB.
My wife's aluminum bike died falling over in the garage (just the bike, not her) victim of a christmas tree stand.
My CF bike has been crashed twice, flown to the Bahamas, tossed in and out of vehicles, hung off the back of vehicles, fallen over leaned against porta potties, and ridden well more than 10,000 miles, and its still going strong.
My wife's aluminum bike died falling over in the garage (just the bike, not her) victim of a christmas tree stand.
My CF bike has been crashed twice, flown to the Bahamas, tossed in and out of vehicles, hung off the back of vehicles, fallen over leaned against porta potties, and ridden well more than 10,000 miles, and its still going strong.
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
10-05-10, 12:09 PM
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One thing that impressed me about how strong a CF frame can be was removing a stuck bottom bracket cup from the frame. I had to use my full weight with a pipe wrench to remove the bottom bracket.
When I jumped on the pipe wrench, and barely flexed the frame that gave me a pretty good idea that the frame is pretty strong.
When I jumped on the pipe wrench, and barely flexed the frame that gave me a pretty good idea that the frame is pretty strong.
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
10-05-10, 12:12 PM
#15
Throw the stick!!!!
One thing that impressed me about how strong a CF frame can be was removing a stuck bottom bracket cup from the frame. I had to use my full weight with a pipe wrench to remove the bottom bracket.
When I jumped on the pipe wrench, and barely flexed the frame that gave me a pretty good idea that the frame is pretty strong.
When I jumped on the pipe wrench, and barely flexed the frame that gave me a pretty good idea that the frame is pretty strong.
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10-05-10, 12:12 PM
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Every week or so, seems like there's a new post from some carbon owner who's worried about transporting his bike or clamping it in a workstand or just leaving it in an unheated garage if the temperature drops below 50 degrees. My bikes are steel, and I literally never think about stuff like that. If I succumb here, though, how much do I REALLY have to worry about it? Do they really make bikes out of material that falls apart if it falls over? Do people really buy bikes like that?
It is the quest for making things as lightweight as possible that makes things weak. Some people have cracked their carbon bikes by dropping them into something, but I've also heard of modern lightweight steel bikes being damaged similarly.
And carbon can be repaired.
10-05-10, 12:16 PM
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ive crashed my new bike....1 small crash, not even a scratch, 2 a guy "stopped with me" crash, not a scratch, 3 cant remember what happened crash, 1 paint scratch caused by the front calipper, new shifters got scrapped, and my tyfosi tyrants got destroyed!!! sucks!
cf is strong...stronger than you
cf is strong...stronger than you
10-05-10, 12:21 PM
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i'm much more careful with my aluminum Cannondale than my carbon Roubaix. Reinforced plastic is very strong and resilient. that's why they make fishing rods out of it. i could likely permanently bend my aluminum frame with my hands. carbon one? no way.
10-05-10, 12:24 PM
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The funny thing is when the mechanics have to take a carbon frame out of commission for warranty reasons. They have a really hard time trying to break it and that's with it clamped in a vise and them slamming their body against it.
10-05-10, 12:24 PM
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The 2010 Nobel in physics were just announced today. Guess what? "Carbon fiber surprised us again", the Nobel committee's statement announcing the prize said.
I read something about ultra-thin carbon flakes called graphene being able to spread over a coffee cup and supporting the weight of a truck at pencil point.
Now, that is strong!
I think carbon may yet turn out to be the best material discovery in bicycles. The properties are just that awesome.
I read something about ultra-thin carbon flakes called graphene being able to spread over a coffee cup and supporting the weight of a truck at pencil point.
Now, that is strong!
I think carbon may yet turn out to be the best material discovery in bicycles. The properties are just that awesome.
10-05-10, 12:44 PM
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The 2010 Nobel in physics were just announced today. Guess what? "Carbon fiber surprised us again", the Nobel committee's statement announcing the prize said.
I read something about ultra-thin carbon flakes called graphene being able to spread over a coffee cup and supporting the weight of a truck at pencil point.
Now, that is strong!
I think carbon may yet turn out to be the best material discovery in bicycles. The properties are just that awesome.
I read something about ultra-thin carbon flakes called graphene being able to spread over a coffee cup and supporting the weight of a truck at pencil point.
Now, that is strong!
I think carbon may yet turn out to be the best material discovery in bicycles. The properties are just that awesome.
OMG!!!! i just read wiki on graphene!!! in 5 years we will see bikes and components made out of this!!! 200 x stronger than steel!
10-05-10, 12:57 PM
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I bet a lot of the posts about the dangers of CF are from people that just don't like change and new technology. So they just make up things to say and post to justify in their minds why their current bike material is the best.
10-05-10, 12:59 PM
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I'm riding a carbon bike that's 17 years old and has definitely been crashed a couple of times, and I'm 200+ lbs. It's just fine. Just like any other material, check to make sure that there are no cracks and you're fine.
You've got 2500+ posts. Surely you've also read a little bit and read that Aluminum, Steel, and Titanium also can be damaged in crashes.
And, as UMD says, carbon tubes can be repaired. Aluminum, TI, not so much. Steel, maybe, but not easily or affordably.
10-05-10, 01:20 PM
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The 2010 Nobel in physics were just announced today. Guess what? "Carbon fiber surprised us again", the Nobel committee's statement announcing the prize said.
I read something about ultra-thin carbon flakes called graphene being able to spread over a coffee cup and supporting the weight of a truck at pencil point.
Now, that is strong!
I think carbon may yet turn out to be the best material discovery in bicycles. The properties are just that awesome.
I read something about ultra-thin carbon flakes called graphene being able to spread over a coffee cup and supporting the weight of a truck at pencil point.
Now, that is strong!
I think carbon may yet turn out to be the best material discovery in bicycles. The properties are just that awesome.
I read this today also. The bike companies are already drooling over this stuff. So are the bike company accountants.