It's not that I am afraid of a carbon frame it is just in the price range I am looking at ($1600.00-1800.00 for a complete bike) there are just a lot of bikes with carbon seat stays or rear triangles, and this is an area that is going to need to soak up the bumps and I would think it would fatigue over time. I have not been able to find any real information on the longevity of such frames anywhere. My brother-in-laws all have carbon frames and I have taken one out for a short spin and it was just as sturdy as my steel frame, and had a similar feel. I plan on taking my time and riding several bikes to find the one I want so it may be next year before I actual purchase.