Originally Posted by
Bikedued
The reason is that the parts will most likely stop being available a few years down the road. How long does a carbon fiber frame last if it's ridden constantly from day one? 5 years? Ten? It seems most bikes now are made for the moment, not so they will still be ridable 30 years from now. Set a CF bike beside the garage
for 20 years like most of the steel bikes I find. I surely wouldn't trust it further than I could throw it. Twenty years from now I will probably not be able to throw it very far, despite it being light, hehe.,,,,BD
Time will tell I guess. I have a carbon-fiber mast for my sailboard that's about 15 years old. I have no qualms about using it and did just last weekend. I have a carbon tennis racket that's about the same vintage that I still play with as well.
My brother has a fiberglass sailboat from the 60's and I see 20 year old or more fiberglass boats all the time. These boats have spent a large part of their lives outside at least partially exposed to the elements as opposed to many bikes that spend most of their lives indoors. Just a hunch, but I think carbon fiber would probably outlast fiberglass.
Yeah, if a carbon fiber whatever has been sitting out in the sun, rain, and snow for 20 years I probably wouldn't trust it. But I doubt I'd want a steel framed bike that had been given similar treatment.