Originally Posted by rpenmanparker

I do not mean to suggest that catastrophic failure of a fork or frame or any other CF composite bicycle equipment is to be expected due to exposure to heat, light, and air. I am just pointing out that such degradation is a known trait of plastics, including epoxy composites. I am sure that modern epoxy formulations are stabilized against oxidation, but such preventative measures are not always fully effective. Because of the exposure of the surfaces to the greatest amount of sunlight and dependence of the chemistry upon oxygen absorbed through the surface of the structure, that is where one would expect to see the most damage - on the surface. I would look for dullness of the finish, a powdery residue, crazing and at the worst cracking. Much like the type of oxidation that auto paint used to exhibit before the formulations were improved to today's standards. Some materials (I don't know about epoxy composites) are notch sensitive, i.e. small surface cracks can propagate very easily and cause serious damage throughout the structure. It is simply valuable to recognize that organic materials exposed to heat, light, and air don't last forever.