Originally Posted by
tanhalt
...Do you remember the pics of Gary's Tarmac busted into 3 pieces from the IV crit crash a few years back? That frame busted because someone landed on it! I don't think an aluminum bike would've shattered like that under the same loading. So, you see...it's all about the loading...
Man, I wish I still had the bookmark - last thread in the "carbon fiber vs aluminum" debate had a bunch of people talking about denting their lightweight aluminum bikes when they fell over in their pickup truck, when a shovel in the garage fell on it, etc etc.
It seems to me like it's been around long enough that it's been proven that modern carbon fiber is just as durable and resistant or prone to getting broken as modern aluminum.
Both materials are less likely to be broken if they're built for durability rather than lightweight - which can be difficult to find nowadays. I mean they make mountain bikes out of carbon fiber - it's certainly possible for them to make an extremely durable road bike out of it.