Originally Posted by
haaseg
Well, I'm going to come out and say that bike definitely wasn't new. From what I know, the newer Colnago cross bikes are monocoque in the front and only butted in the seat and chain stays. And I'm guessing this wasn't the first time the owner bunny-hopped the thing either - he's probably done that 1000s of times. No telling what other kind of impacts that frame has taken - it just had one too many.
For reference, I think you should go take an aluminum bike out there and slam into the same 2" lip at 15mph and see how that feels.
This.
I will not buy a carbon MTB or cyclocrosser because I crash and I ride hard. I am NOT a pro (or even fast amateur) nor am I abusive with my equipment, but I know that carbon can fail abruptly whereas aluminum and steel usually give warning signs such as cracks and dents. Carbon also does not like side impacts-- something that might dent steel could break (or crack, then break) carbon.
I ride my carbon road bike happily and do not subject it to things that a road bike shouldn't. I do hit sidewalks when I need to in order to access a MUP or get out of a high-traffic street.
Anyway, to repeat, this one specific incident probably was not the undoing of that Colnago. It was all the other hard use it saw and then this severe impact.