Originally Posted by DogBoy
I hang out with a lot of cyclists, racing and recreational. The only CF failure I've heard of was due to a crash...meaning crash first, then impact of crash caused the failure. So I guess my point is this...perhaps no one talks about castrophic CF failures because they are rare.
BTW, I second the Ti suggestion, but agree that you should ride several bikes and go with the one that fits/feels the best to you. Unless you are talking about SL type frames, anything will hold you up.
All I can say to that, is that, in a recent company disclaimer (a very well known one) they warned that if you were approaching 250 pounds that they would not warrantee any of their carbon fiber products at all!
The fact that CF is working for some of us bigger riders and hasn't cracked (yet) doesn't mean it won't in the future as the products age and take on more micro cracks. Failures are sudden and unexpected unlike steel, in that, if you see a crack forming you can take measures to repair it before you are injured.
I read of a rider who recently had his CF fork snap after hitting a modest chuckhole on a group ride and there have been others. The mere fact that manufacturers have specific disclaimers on their carbon fiber products leads me to believe that they have some doubts as to its long term durability and I believe them before I believe any consumer. Lawyers don't advise companies to write these things so specifically if there isn't some risk involved. For the
lightweight racers yes....they can get away with using CF products since they often go through bikes every year and don't weigh over 170 pounds. In a recent racer mag I read that one of the larger pros had Bianchi re-engineer their aluminum frame that he prerferred because he was cracking the downtubes. Apparently the frame had very thin guage tubing and he produced so much torque that the life of the tubing was compromised. Everyone knows of aluminums low fatigue strength, unless it is very over built and despite this, the material has a more limited lifespan, unlike a proper guage steel tube which we all know can flex for years without developing cracks. Big guys need stronger frames and cyclists who want a bike for more than a season or two, need them as well.
Steel remains a proven material for frame building as evidenced by the countless restored road bikes from fifty or more years ago that are still very rideable.
Opinions are like belly buttons.......