Originally Posted by Spasticteapot

The problem with all carbon fiber is the very small amount of damage required to render it inoperable. In a crash between my ancient Civic and a Pagani Zonda (which weighs about the same)at 40MPH, my car would be damaged, but not so much that it couldn't be repaired for a few thousand dollars. In contrast, the Pagani would very likely suffer a catastrophic failure of the structure of its' carbon monocoque, effectively totalling it.

Furthermore, carbon fiber bicycles suffer far more abuse than carbon fiber used in cars. Unlike a formula one car or Ferrari, on which the carbon skeleton is well protected, a bicycle's structure is protected only by a few microns of paint. While cars built to be as rigid as possible, bicycle frames are designed with a great deal of flexibility to absorb bumps in the road, which can also eventually lead to failure. A carbon frame is a spectacularly fragile thing, and unless the bicycle is almost never used (which is possible), I doubt many of the ones made today will see out the decade.