Dave Cutter

It might make better sense to use a more inert base for the fiber. Currently wood fiber is used to make the Rayon fibers woven into cloth and then charred (carbonized). The process uses vast amounts of pure water. I don't think there are any American sources anymore.

I am glad they got the pic BEFORE the raccoon started eating!

RobbieTunes

No wrecks made worse by carbon here, if you don't count the fact that the moronic TT-tuck wrecks have all been on carbon bikes....I think that's just part of their package.

My worst wreck was on a Technium, but the bonds did not fail. The frame bent, the fork bent, and the spokes broke when the front wheel taco'd. 1 spoke went through and through my R calf. 1 spoke went in and hung there. You'd be amazed at how fast your mind can work out the angles to reverse the direction of said spokes while removing them. Self-preservation created intuitive geometric thought.

There is no doubt in my mind that accident would have been just as brutal on almost any bike other than perhaps a mountain bike. I was racing one dog and hit another, broadside. The funny thing; I was cycling to get over a running injury.

lostarchitect 

because Strongbad:

embankmentlb

Steal bikes fail also. I the 1980's periodically we would see a frame crack or split from fatigue.
It was probably a manufacturing defect that would come to light over time.

OldsCOOL

Man, that is gruesome.

inkandsilver

1500 euros ! ! !

cb400bill

For the longest time, this forum was mostly self moderated. Something over the line might get posted, and someone would chime in with a "That's now how we behave in here." type of response. Apologies would be issued, the poster would edit their post, and life in here moved on. Of course, we had the occasional dust up, too. When that happened, the post would get reported and the mod staff would have to look into it.

Lately I have seen more and more snarky comments and more staff moderation needed. I've seen many long time members move on. Maybe their interest in bikes moved on to other things. Maybe they didn't like the tone of the forum as much, and didn't feel as welcome. Likely, a combination of both.

If you see something posted in here that you think needs to be addressed, report it by clicking the little triangle in the lower left corner of the post in question. I mainly hang out here in C&V but don't have the time to read every thread. I like to ride bikes more than I do like to read and write about them.

Thank you.

randyjawa 

In Canada, it is fibre.

JohnDThompson 

FWIW, both Reynolds 531 and Columbus SL/SP tubes were initially developed for use in airframes. But since unlike bicycles, aircraft have mandatory routine airframe inspections, extrapolating from experience in aircraft to bicycles is like apples and oranges. And then there's the issue of counterfeit carbon fiber frames and components of unknown quality in the marketplace.

JohnDThompson 

Yes, they do. But steel tends to fail gradually, giving the perceptive rider an indication that something is wrong before completely failing. When carbon fiber fails, it tends to fail completely and immediately.

embankmentlb

i think that is true but there are instances of bikes failing suddenly without worning in the tdf. I have never seen one fail suddenly first hand of any material.

gugie 

Thank you!

RobbieTunes

Neat stuff. Merckx once suggested everyone ride the same bike, and then see who showed up for Stage 2.

RobbieTunes

This is what scares me. I know a rider who bought a "Dogma," for $600. Yep, one of those. In fact, a reputable bike shop that did not sell Pinarello told him "it just went out the back door, same maker." Head tube broke in half on a climb. Only carbon failure like that I've ever seen.

I did buy an FSA Plasma bar/stem that gave me pause after I saw pictures posted about the counterfeit failures.

Duo

My bike is a steel touring bike, built not for speed but durability. Just wondering, would the average recreational rider be better off with a good sturdy steel touring bike over aluminum/carbon racing bikes? I tried demoing some of the higher end stuff, but it didn't do much for me as racing is not in my blood.

mtnbke

Exactly. The whole "steel is real" cult mentality and all the kool-aid drinking is almost always based on a lack of experience with titanium, aluminum, carbon fiber and really is just perpetuated by people who ride steel, have only ridden steel, and want to validate their feelings about the steel bikes they have.

I couldn't' agree with you more.

mtnbke

For me the carbon fiber thing makes no sense. I want my bikes to last a lifetime. I don't want a favorite bike to rust out being exposed to moisture and rain, or salt on the roads when touring. I don't want a bike to fail because its fragile like with carbon fiber. For me aluminum is a great choice.

Search for threads on C&V Cannondale ST touring bikes. Relaxed geometry, will embarrass any steel "racing" bike in a climb all other things being equal (rider, wheel set, components), they are literal "rocket bikes" in terms of acceleration and when sprinting. You pedal and you GO. The relaxed geometry and fitment of wide tires and fenders, and touring gearing makes these a favorite of many C&V people here. The fact that these touring bikes can be raced in a pinch and they will more than hold their own with vintage steel, just makes them even more cool. Plus they are incredibly strong and stiff, and very lightweight, for a touring bike and can carry much heavier loads than steel touring bikes. They aren't as beautiful as a lugged steel bike though with lug lining, a chromed fork and seat stays, and nice paint. Just monochromatic.

mtnbke

That's a really good point. You can visually see the increase in average speed when the paradigm changed to aluminum and then carbon fiber OR you can look at that graph and see the paradigm change from doping. Or both.

I see the gaps for WWI and WWII but what is going on in the '20s? Why are average speeds so much lower? Where on that graph do we actually see multi-speed derailleurs com into play? Would that be 1930 and that steep climb? What explains the DROP of average speeds essentially since Lance was done?

Blue Belly

I speak for myself but, I couldn't disagree more. Ive owned top of the line modern race bikes. Aluminum, too. I'll give a nod to modern shifting & pedals, for racing. New carbon wheel technology is superb. Add that to a properly built steel bike & I'd be happy to race against anyone, all things equal. & Ive dropped may a good rider on my inferior shifting, old tech steel bikes, as well. The rider plays a much larger role, in the scheme of things, than most wish to believe.

Ayers

I learned early on this board how to utilize the ignore feature for the more abrasive members. No sense in not enjoying this fantastic forum just because a few that I don't care for.

And, bonus obligatory picture of my wife's pet raccoon.

mtnbke

I'd have bought those if I'd knew about them. Everyone talked about the Strider but it was just cheap chinese crap with plastic tires. We tried a Kettler but it was heavy and I wasn't impressed. We bought a Specialized Hotwalk and it was very heavy and seemed very cheaply made.

Blue Belly

Yes & No. Touring geometry can be a great thing for long rides. But swift handling usually isn't something that comes along with that. Touring bikes do often give a comfortable ride which allows for less fatigue over a long ride. There are many racing bikes that try to combine both characteristics, however.

ppg677

I prefer Earth's "carbon"-based fiber:

Renovo Hardwood Bicycles. Handcrafted in Portland, OR

mtnbke

Since you are mudslinging, I'll bring something more accurate to the conversation. Actually I found my replies to be reasonable and conciliatory, and I was trying to explain to you where your indictments and preconceived notions were coming up short. Your replies were insulting and abusive, you actually didn't read anything that was sent to you as was clear from your replies which were disconnected from any reasonable attempt to establish a dialog. I answered your questions repeatedly and you seemingly didn't care to acknowledge that. I took the whole thing as just an attempt to bait on your part. At which point you PMd me in a tantrum and said you were done with the communication.

For the record.

CroMo Mike 

Really cool raccoon. We once hand-raised a pair of baby possums that my wife picked up on the side of the road after their mom was killed by a car. They grew to be as big as tomcats and very tame and friendly.