Originally Posted by FBinNY

I'm probably the wrong guy to ask. I'm something of a retro grouch when it comes to carbon. I don't dispute any of the benefits, but since I work in metal, and don't race I prefer metal stuff to carbon which I call "plastic"

With decent care, on good roads, and barring bad luck I'd venture that most carbon frames will outlast their owners attention span so that shouldn't be a worry. I have bikes ranging in age up to 44 years, but stuff changes so fast these days, that most people don't expect to keep a bike much more than a few years anyway.

My problem with carbon is that it's impolite, and things will appear perfectly OK one day, and the next day, with zero warning, they are beyond repair. What a mechanic friend calls "digital failure". It's kinda like the difference between carburetor cars of old and modern electronic fuel injection. The new stuff is undoubtably better, but when a carburetor acts up you can tinker a bit and limp home, and with electronic ignition, the only thing to do is call a tow.