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CF and cold?

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Old 11-29-09 | 03:03 AM
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CF and cold?

I'm new to cycling so this may be classified as a bonehead question. However, I recently read that carbon fiber and cold don't mix. I recently purchased a cf bike and I'm planning on riding it through the winter. Is there anything for me to worry about riding my cf bike in 20-30 degree weather?
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Old 11-29-09 | 03:29 AM
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At 20 degree it will shatter. You should buy a steel Huffy instead.
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Old 11-29-09 | 03:31 AM
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Don't worry about it. If it was a problem I'm sure someone would have sued someone in the US and there'd be big warning stickers on your bike!

They make skis out of CF, I'm sure it's different but not that different.

It has been asked before and I'm sure it will be asked again.

As my physics lecturer used to say "No such thing as a stupid question, just stupid people."
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Old 11-29-09 | 05:06 AM
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Carbon fiber is used on airplanes that regularly fly at 30,000 feet. The air temps at that altitude are extremely cold, somethiing in the neighborhood of minus 30 to minus 50 degrees.

That's good enough for me.
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Old 11-29-09 | 08:33 AM
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Originally Posted by cyclefreaksix
Carbon fiber is used on airplanes that regularly fly at 30,000 feet. The air temps at that altitude are extremely cold, somethiing in the neighborhood of minus 30 to minus 50 degrees.

That's good enough for me.
The problem with that argument is you don't know what binder resin was used in your bike. It is not the carbon fiber that is affected by the cold, it is what holds it together. The ski argument is a little skewed also, since ski's are flexible, so obviously that is not the same carbon fiber bonding agent that is in your bike frame.

However, as someone already stated, if the cold that a bike could be subject to while riding outside in the US was enough to cause a failure then it probably would have already happened, a law suit filed, and a new version of the "dork disc" applied to all carbon framed bikes.

I don't worry about it, but then I don't ride carbon wheels either. Of all all the stressed carbon componets on a bike, the rims have to be the most stressed.
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