Central_Rider

How often do you remove it to inspect it for cracks or other types of damage?

biker7

Only if you suspect there has been an damage incurred due to an accident or you hear unusually noise when loading the bars in a sprint etc. Otherwise...only if you remove the headset bearings for cleaning/regrease.
George

VT to CA

Good advice... I swap out forks pretty often, and I inspect anything before I install it... but if that wasn't the case, I think I'd still inspect it every month or so... I love carbon, but still don't fully trust it...

Central_Rider

That's kind of how I feel too. I think I'll take a look at it since it's been a couple of years since I installed it.
Thanks for the replies.

oilman_15106

The discussion continues about the questionable relability of CF but other than some failures under racing conditions(TDF) how many documented failures are there? You can overtighten your stem clamp which is not a failure of the steerer it is user failure. Also crashes should be excluded.

biker7

Agree with oilman on this. I don't have any apprehension about CF steerers or frames. I am very careful about torques and if anything err on the low side with the steerer. Vertically the steerer is retained and therefore the only purpose of tightening stem clamp bolts if for angular orientation. If you lose a bit of alignment you know your torque is a bit low. Same with the seat tube...err on the low side of torque. If the post slips, use a hint more torque. As a guy who designs things for a living, the thing to keep in mind which is consistent with Oilman's point is...companies could not stay in business with high liability relative to the products they put out there. CF frames and steerers are very reliable. CF is my favorite bike frame material. Also, I don't load the handlebars like a TDF sprinter...not that strong even at 195 lbs.
There is so much myth associated with frame materials. There isn't a single material that hasn't suffered a variety of failures...no one more then the other. The reason is each are designed within their elastic zone relative to yield strength.
George

terry b

Never.

Far more likelihood you're going to damage it clamping and unclamping the stem repeatedly than from regular riding. I suppose I might consider having a look at it if I ran into something headfirst with enough energy to damage the wheel. Or perhaps if I hit a bad enough pothole to generate some noise (did this one time and did do an inspection). Your typical sideways crash doesn't impart much energy to that part of the bike. But beyond those oddball events, I leave stuff alone once it's torqued.

jccaclimber

+1 for the most part.
When I had a bike with loose balls in the headset I took everything apart once a year (wheels, cables, so on) because it gave me something to do and I inspected it then.