Originally Posted by Rowan

Are you sure? There are many boats built with epoxy resins from decades ago that are still afloat and OK after more exposure to sun and heat than any bicycle will endure.

I get a little amused at the navel-gazing about CF and its use for cycling, as though bicycles are the only things made from it. It was used in yacht racing long before the first bikes, and many, many issues regarding lay-up and stresses were learned from hard experience. Yacht designers have always pushed the envelope when it comes to light weight and stiffness, much more than bicycle designers are allowed to by the UCI.

And, wasn't there some character in bicycle component design and production who once stated: "Cheap, light, strong -- pick any two". It's an adage that still holds true.