I'm not going to stop riding my CF bikes
#101
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It depends. There are many levels of being a “pro”. If you’re getting free gear from one of your sponsors, you are expected to use it. If you don’t have a bike sponsor, you’re free to ride what you want. For the top road teams, pretty much everything is sponsored gear. For performance on a race course in today’s world, CF has surpassed all other materials so much that any other material is a tiny minority - maybe even and oddity - even at amateur levels.
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#102
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Things have changed in the dowhill racing scene but I haven't followed it since some years. I will do some research and update my knowledge,I am also here for learning new things.I do like older OCLV trek mountain bikes because they were built like tanks as well as older carbon road frames from Trek, Look, Time, Colnago and Specialized.
I have a 20+yo OCLV MTB, and a Time CF road bike almost as old. They are still excellent machines that have been ridden hard, and still have lots of life left. I also have a newer Trek CF MTB (basically the 20-year update of my old one), and a newer CF road bike. The newer bikes also both have CF rims. There is nothing that indicates to me that the newer bikes - despite being lighter - are any less durable than the old ones.
On the newer MTB, I broke a spoke in the rear wheel, just above the nipple (a wayward bouncing rock kicked up by my riding buddy). I removed the flopping spoke section from the hub, and finished 5+ miles of my ride without taking it any easier than I would have before breaking the spoke. The rim showed no sign of additional wobble at any point. This is a 1300g CF wheelset.
Last edited by Eric F; 05-15-23 at 09:25 AM.
#103
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#104
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I've ridden CF frames since 1986 and carbon rims for about 10 years. No problems.
Aluminum rimmed wheels get bent and sometimes need truing whereas I have never had to true carbon wheels nor have I had to replace them, unlike Alu.
I worry a lot more about aluminum fatigue than carbon. Actually, I do not worry about carbon fatigue at all because it doesn't
Aluminum rimmed wheels get bent and sometimes need truing whereas I have never had to true carbon wheels nor have I had to replace them, unlike Alu.
I worry a lot more about aluminum fatigue than carbon. Actually, I do not worry about carbon fatigue at all because it doesn't
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#105
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Things have changed in the dowhill racing scene but I haven't followed it since some years. I will do some research and update my knowledge,I am also here for learning new things.I do like older OCLV trek mountain bikes because they were built like tanks as well as older carbon road frames from Trek, Look, Time, Colnago and Specialized.
#106
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I remember that back inthe late 90's early 00'ss Giant and Cannondale's used Alcoa Aluminium, Specialized used the M4,some other firms used the Easton Varilite/Ultralite/Scandium tubing especially Kona and Lapierre back then,. I have rarely seen Dedacciai aluminium tubing in DH or XC except by Bianchi when they won the worldwide Crosscountry Title with Dario Acquaroli. Perhaps matter of cost fabrication, I never had a full suspended bike just own 3 MTB hardtails and beginning a fourth and last one .
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When I got mt first (cheap) full suspension bike I swore I would never ride a hardtail again. The one I have now (pictured above) has a 160mm fork with 150mm rear travel and 27.5 x 2.8 tires. It will take a big hit, cruise through a pile of rocks, and has saved me from my mistakes more than once. It just floats over square edged ruts and bumps and can go faster than I am willing. It's heavy, but it's not an XC bike.
I'm 69 now and I do more mellow off road stuff where a 25 pound cf hardtail would be fine. I have taken it on rides with people on gravel bikes and it's kinda big for that.
#108
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I don't know. My best is a yellow jacket wasp into the upper/inner thigh of thin lycra bib shorts - yes, right there at the edge of the padding. Left the stinger and a sting, but didn't quite hit the tender bits.
Last edited by Camilo; 05-14-23 at 06:01 PM.
#110
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Yeah I’ve been a mountain biker for the last 20+ years. I’m totally aware of the yellow Dee Max and owned a few sets of Crossmax SL and XL alloy wheels. I never rode anything aggressive enough to need Dee Max wheels. They were strictly DH only. My current mtb has very nice carbon DT Swiss wheels which are light, strong and never need truing.
Go and patronise someone else because this anti-CF bs is getting old.
Go and patronise someone else because this anti-CF bs is getting old.
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#111
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#112
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#113
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In a follow up to the incident I had last December involving a water monitor lizard, (post #60), here’s a photo I took of the beast a couple of minutes after riding over the middle of his/her body. Carbon rims seem to be ok as is the CF bike frame.
#114
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Fun fact:
Things do stuff sometimes.
One other fun fact:
Things don't do stuff sometimes.
Things do stuff sometimes.
One other fun fact:
Things don't do stuff sometimes.