want a carbon fiber bike, but nervous
04-08-21, 11:37 AM
#26
Tiocfáidh ár Lá
I joined this forum in 2003 and this topic came up a lot back then. Surprised to see it keep going. Don't fear OP it's time tested and proven by now.
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04-08-21, 12:01 PM
#27
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If the only carbon fiber bike you can afford is a no-name chinese frame, I would go aluminum or steel from a known manufacturer.
You said you aren't racing and riding for fitness so a little weight saving isn't really important. If you are putting out x effort for a given amount of time, you're getting just as much benefit whether the bike was 15 pounds or 30. You'll just go faster and farther on the lighter bike.
You said you aren't racing and riding for fitness so a little weight saving isn't really important. If you are putting out x effort for a given amount of time, you're getting just as much benefit whether the bike was 15 pounds or 30. You'll just go faster and farther on the lighter bike.
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04-08-21, 12:32 PM
#28
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I've ridden my 2015 road carbon frame with carbon bars and carbon wheels for 24,000 miles and not a single problem. I also have a carbon fiber cyclocross bike that I ride in the winter and put 6000 miles on it on some pretty rough terrain.
Never worried about either of them assploding.
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04-08-21, 12:36 PM
#29
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Careful - carbon will assplode eventually.
Seriously though carbon frames are more readily repairable than aluminum ones are. I'd venture to say than even steel ones are now as there are way more people doing carbon repairs than steel frame repairs anymore (it seems. I am sure someone will tell me I am wrong. It's kind of why I come here. So tired of always being right all the time IRL
)
Seriously though carbon frames are more readily repairable than aluminum ones are. I'd venture to say than even steel ones are now as there are way more people doing carbon repairs than steel frame repairs anymore (it seems. I am sure someone will tell me I am wrong. It's kind of why I come here. So tired of always being right all the time IRL
)Incorrect
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04-08-21, 12:39 PM
#30
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Try google "alien abduction" or QAnon.
I've ridden my 2015 road carbon frame with carbon bars and carbon wheels for 24,000 miles and not a single problem. I also have a carbon fiber cyclocross bike that I ride in the winter and put 6000 miles on it on some pretty rough terrain.
Never worried about either of them assploding.
I've ridden my 2015 road carbon frame with carbon bars and carbon wheels for 24,000 miles and not a single problem. I also have a carbon fiber cyclocross bike that I ride in the winter and put 6000 miles on it on some pretty rough terrain.
Never worried about either of them assploding.
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04-08-21, 12:50 PM
#31
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That's the wonder of the internet. Google anything you're worried about, and you can find a number of people telling you not only are you right to worry about it, but here are 10 things that are EVEN WORSE!!!!!! Back in the pre-internet days, you were stuck having to imagine your own potential catastrophes. Now you can get them piped into your home.
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04-08-21, 12:55 PM
#32
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Used to be you needed to be a med student, or at least own a medical dictionary to have med student's disease.
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04-08-21, 07:49 PM
#33
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If it makes you feel better, AL bikes are just as delicate as CF bikes. They make MTBs out of CF... it's fine.
If it makes you feel better 2, higher end AL bikes are just as good as CF these days. The 105 level AL frames are the same weight as the lower end CF bikes.
If it makes you feel better 2, higher end AL bikes are just as good as CF these days. The 105 level AL frames are the same weight as the lower end CF bikes.
04-08-21, 08:20 PM
#34
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Looking to buy my first road bike. Been riding an aluminum hybrid for 15 years, time to go lighter and sportier. I'm choosing between aluminum and carbon fiber. Carbon is 10 pounds lighter in weight, but after reading about all of the horror injuries coupled with the fact that I'm looking to go fast on this bike, I'm nervous about riding carbon fiber. I'm looking for a piece of mind that it won't implode under me at 15 mph. I'm looking to race only against myself and for fitness, so maybe the advantage of lighter and faster carbon fiber, for my purposes, doesn't outweigh the risks. I don't want to spend the time inspecting the carbon fiber frame for hairline-size damage. I want this bike to last me as long as possible. My current hybrid aluminum served me well for 15 years, with some grass hill riding and jumping curbs. That's why I'm leaning toward aluminum. An ultra-light carbon fiber bike sounds lucrative, but safety and longevity are my goals. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Boeing 777 wings which extend out from the fuselage over 200 ft are made from carbon fiber, I am pretty sure you will be safe on a CF frame.
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04-08-21, 08:25 PM
#35
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Yep, my Trek Emonda ALR complete with pedals and bottle cages weighs just a tad over 16 lbs.
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04-09-21, 12:10 AM
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04-09-21, 12:15 AM
#38
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I wouldn't buy a no name (meaning unknown quality control) carbon bike. I think CF is a great material to make bikes out of. My frame, handlebars, stem, fork, steering tube, seat post, saddle, and wheels are carbon fiber. I personally wouldn't buy another metal bike. But I wouldn't ride a low cost carbon bike of unknown integrity either. A lot of people are more daring than I am and seem to do ok.
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04-09-21, 02:14 AM
#40
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Carbon isn't all about weight. It's ridiculously strong; most carbon frames are more durable than any half-decent aluminium frame (cheap ones will be built like tanks). You have to go pretty damn light with carbon before it's as fragile as a nice aluminium frame, like 600g.
But the really special thing about carbon is the fact it's a bunch of fibres which can be more or less optimally oriented for a trade-off between stiffness, comfort and handling that is completely impossible with any other material in a diamond frame (although beam bikes, banned by the UCI, are another story).
Having said that, if you got a compact aluminium frame showing a long and light carbon seatpost, you'd get a pretty good stiffness to comfort ratio. The double diamond sucks for vertical compliance, and the UCI needs to GTFO.
But the really special thing about carbon is the fact it's a bunch of fibres which can be more or less optimally oriented for a trade-off between stiffness, comfort and handling that is completely impossible with any other material in a diamond frame (although beam bikes, banned by the UCI, are another story).
Having said that, if you got a compact aluminium frame showing a long and light carbon seatpost, you'd get a pretty good stiffness to comfort ratio. The double diamond sucks for vertical compliance, and the UCI needs to GTFO.
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04-09-21, 02:34 AM
#41
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Looking to buy my first road bike. Been riding an aluminum hybrid for 15 years, time to go lighter and sportier. I'm choosing between aluminum and carbon fiber. Carbon is 10 pounds lighter in weight, but after reading about all of the horror injuries coupled with the fact that I'm looking to go fast on this bike, I'm nervous about riding carbon fiber. I'm looking for a piece of mind that it won't implode under me at 15 mph. I'm looking to race only against myself and for fitness, so maybe the advantage of lighter and faster carbon fiber, for my purposes, doesn't outweigh the risks. I don't want to spend the time inspecting the carbon fiber frame for hairline-size damage. I want this bike to last me as long as possible. My current hybrid aluminum served me well for 15 years, with some grass hill riding and jumping curbs. That's why I'm leaning toward aluminum. An ultra-light carbon fiber bike sounds lucrative, but safety and longevity are my goals. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Stay away from carbon at all costs and you will have a long and happy cycling life and BF career.
Check out all of the online articles about how many times each week professional cyclists have to replace their carbon frames because once they drop them or slightly damage them they immediately become prone to catastrophic failures.
04-09-21, 09:17 AM
#43
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I can't wait to get past 10 posts so I can send you guys some links, including what seems like real stories, from another bike forum. The more I read these, the more I'm leaning toward an aluminum bike. I'll share these stories and have you guys rethink your CF bikes. I just read a story on another bike forum of a member dying after his Orbea CF frame separated for no reason. Don't get me wrong, I really want a CF bike, I've read about all the advantages.
Great. Can't wait either. I suggest that for each story story that involves death and/or disfigurement due to sudden carbon implosion syndrome, you also post a story about somebody who has enjoyed thousands and thousands and thousands of trouble free miles on their carbon bike. I will start.
In 2014 I bought a giant TCR. I don't ride huge miles, but I've been over 220 lbs for nearly the entirety of time since then. I have logged 21,336 miles in that time span, 13,466 of them on the TCR. Like I said, I don't log huge miles, but I am big and heavy and I absolutely ride the snot out of that bike. I love it. I hope it doesn't kill me.
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04-09-21, 10:09 AM
#44
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I can't wait to get past 10 posts so I can send you guys some links, including what seems like real stories, from another bike forum. The more I read these, the more I'm leaning toward an aluminum bike. I'll share these stories and have you guys rethink your CF bikes. I just read a story on another bike forum of a member dying after his Orbea CF frame separated for no reason. Don't get me wrong, I really want a CF bike, I've read about all the advantages.
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04-09-21, 10:16 AM
#46
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I can't wait to get past 10 posts so I can send you guys some links, including what seems like real stories, from another bike forum. The more I read these, the more I'm leaning toward an aluminum bike. I'll share these stories and have you guys rethink your CF bikes. I just read a story on another bike forum of a member dying after his Orbea CF frame separated for no reason. Don't get me wrong, I really want a CF bike, I've read about all the advantages.
Aluminum only for you. Aluminum wheels, and I'm not real sure what you'll do for a front fork.
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04-09-21, 10:17 AM
#47
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I can't wait to get past 10 posts so I can send you guys some links, including what seems like real stories, from another bike forum. The more I read these, the more I'm leaning toward an aluminum bike. I'll share these stories and have you guys rethink your CF bikes. I just read a story on another bike forum of a member dying after his Orbea CF frame separated for no reason. Don't get me wrong, I really want a CF bike, I've read about all the advantages.
04-09-21, 10:20 AM
#48
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04-09-21, 10:20 AM
#49
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04-09-21, 10:48 AM
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I have no idea if the stories you refer to are true or not, but if you honestly suspect that a carbon bike is more likely to result in serious injury or death, why on earth would you consider buying one?
