Originally Posted by
biknbrian
How long will it really last?
Imponderable, but a long time.
How hard of a shock is too hard? Is it ok to use at 10 degrees F when hitting potholes or hopping curbs
Yes, I have done plenty of this with mine. Not at 10degrees F, but well below freezing. As far as I can see, carbon bikes are either OK or they are broken. After six years of robust treatment, my oldest CF bike seems absolutely unscathed. And I'm a big rider, currently 200lbs, 220 when I bought it.
Is it ok to coat with salt or whatever mystery chemicals get thrown on the roads in the winter.
Yes, I'd worry much more about the non-carbon components.
Is it ok to leave it exposed to the sun for 8 to 12 hours a day while my bike is parked outside? .
I can't give a definitive, materials scientist-type answer to this, but I have used my CF bikes for commuting and they have, therefore, been parked outside for up to twelve hours per day on numerous occasions. It appears to have no effect whatever. And I have no qualms about riding them in the sunshine for as long as I can stay awake, so I see no reason why being chained to a fence should be any different. And since they build aircraft out of the stuff, I can't see that UV exposure can be a problem.
Listen, I love steel bikes, I have three. I think a classic steel or TI frame has an elegance that neither CF nor aluminium can match. But CF is a very tough material indeed. All the stuff about it being fragile is largely just fear of the unfamiliar, IMO. Yes, it will break if you crash it hard enough, but what won't?