[Closed] carbon doubters

Has this now overtaken the guy being knocked of his bike by the buck as the most posted subject ever?

It's not steel though is it.

The stuff is good when used correctly.

The shortest lifespan for one of my carbon road bikes was 3 weeks before I snapped the seat tube just above the BB.

The current score is 6 to 1.

6 failures , 1 having made it through to 5yrs and retirement.

I think it's 6:3 to the bus/bike story MSP.

Actually having written the above I have to say that I've been very impressed with my mate's Trek 9.8 EX.

At 18 and a bit stone and 6ft 6in he rides with around 300mm of seatpost out of the frame. He has bent 3 seatposts and much to our amusement he has recently killed off an inline Thomson 31.6mm (now with a custom layback).

I've never managed to bend, break or damage a Thomson seatpost so that one strong carbon frame.

Amazing how well it does in the tests, but I've never heard of anyone breaking a metal frame by [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/is-this-borked-damaged-giant-trance-advanced-carbon-frame-content ]over tightening their front mech[/url] or seatclamp. 🙂

I have seen a metal frame seat tube crumple because someone was cack handed with a deraillieur clamp

retro83 - Member

Amazing how well it does in the tests, but I've never heard of anyone breaking a metal frame by over tightening their front mech or seatclamp.

Seen a few tbh. The main difference is, when people do it with an alu frame they just try and forget about it, whereas when people do it with carbon they go "ZOMG CARBON BREAKS!" Sheldon talks about it too.

I've never heard of anyone breaking a metal frame by over tightening their front mech or seatclamp.

I have to admit that being able to cope with cack handed mechanics isn't all that high on my list of desirable properties of a frame.

One of our club riders last year. 😯

[IMG] [/IMG]

The [i]"tests"[/i] shown in that video are so fatally flawed they don't really prove anything other than some people like to smash stuff!

retro83 that frame did not break as far as we know.

Neils, what kind of impact?

Carbon looks so much worse than metal because it shears, but those sorts of impacts would total any frame I bet.

Moto GP and Superbikes have not had any success with carbon fibre as it kills feedback to the rider.

Makes you wonder.

Neils, what kind of impact?

Pothole and then a collapsed wheel resulting in the forks digging in to the road. TBH I think any fork would of fallen in half.

So actually it was the steel spokes and the aluminium rim that failed, nothing to do with the carbon at all?

6 failures , 1 having made it through to 5yrs and retirement.

😯

[i]*looks at flawless 12-year-old steel frame on current bike*

*shrugs*

*clicks next thread*[/i]

If you like "carbon destruction" videos

http://www.bikerumor.com/2010/03/31/photo-nasty-bike-breaking-velodrome-crash/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9TrGnY9VhY

Shelley Evans

Still, at least they've sorted out simple stuff like rims.
[img] [/img]

@GrahamS: indeed - my 15 year old vitus 797 is still doing regular service; though it could do with some new wheels; a new headset and new bar tape for the summer (and a bit of a clean up after winter) - but retirement ?? Nope!

No carbon for me thanks 🙂

Strength, toughness and design standards are all totally different things. Of course some manufacturers can do it right and when done right it can be VERY strong. This is why it's used in planes and F1 cars amongst other things. The thing is those are all tightly inspected, designed by experts who have countless years experience in doing it and designed in a way that prevents it being subjected to its kryptonite failure methods.

For example, my carbon cranks were lovely, tough and super-stiff. Bounced off rocks dozens of times, took the full force of me landing 5 ft drops. But after some use, left wet a few times and then abused again they failed catastrophically, de-bonding from the alloy inserts and subsequently snapping in half miles from home.

Horses for courses.

GrahamS & stevehine - I see your 12yo steel frame and 15yo bonded alu one, and introduce my 15yo monocoque carbon one into evidence (I also have a 14yo bonded carbon one, but that spends most of its time on the turbo nowadays).

I raise you and put my Isaac Force x2, Isaac Sonic, Trek Madone 5.5, Colango EPS and my [s]cracking[/s] Giant XTC Advanced* into the pot.

Although I did ride this today and it still a bloody stiff frame. Uncomfortably so with a Gusset XXL seat post.

No video for this one, unfortunately....

http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/niner-bikes-official-response-carbon-fork-incident-746864.html