Bring two elitist activities, road cycling, and engineering, and what do you get? An epic thread.
Don't worry, this comes from someone who is both a cyclist and an engineering student. I actually plan to build and test a CF road frame for my senior design. I have a few ideas, but I guess we'll see if the data is conclusive, or even useful.
grolby, I think I agree with what you are saying. The material info is available, and we shouldn't expect to find anything new and earth-shattering. But, how much info is readily available on how these material specs come into play with bicycle design? I'm sure the big companies have a lot of test data, but they aren't exactly sharing it. It would be interesting if one of us did some R&D on how these materials react to different frame geometries and shapes. I'm eager to start playing around with a CF frame in Solidworks FEA. It will just be a fun test at first, but I may learn some things when I start digging deeper. I like that CF can be molded to any shape, making the design possibilities endless. Trial and error works well, but a thorough, unbiased test would be an interesting project IMO. Also, why does everyone keep saying that we can't test the frames because we can't ensure they are all set up the same(tires, wheels, etc..)? We are testing the FRAMES, therefore they would be the only item in the test jig. This is standard procedure with all other frame tests. Secure at the dropouts and start your tests. Record the reaction data when it is subjected to a reproduction of high frequency road bumps, then record the reaction data when it is subjected to a smooth but forceful pedal stroke. There will undoubtedly be a lot of complications, and not nearly this simple, but that is why it is engineering.
This stuff is interesting and potentially useful.
Why wouldn't we want someone to try it? Nothing to lose but someone else's time.