want a carbon fiber bike, but nervous
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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.
#127
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The difference in weight between carbon, aluminum, titanium, and steel frames will be--at most--a couple of pounds.
If you're really worried about catastrophic failures (which are going to be VERY, VERY rare in any material if it's a reputable manufacturer), go with steel. It will dent before it brakes. But really--if
My biggest concern about carbon would be that if you're getting a frame that really has a weight advantage over other materials (and again, you're looking at a pound, or MAYBE 2), you're going to be spending so much you'll get crap components for the same price. If you look at most manufacturer's sites, you'll see a progression that looks something looks like:
$1000: Steel/AL with Tiagra
$1500: Steel/AL with 105
$1750: Carbon with Tiagra
$2000: Steel/AL with Ultegra
$2150: Carbon with 105
$2500: Carbon with Ultegra
$3500: Carbon with Dura Ace
If you're moving into your first "real" road bike, I'd suggest you buy a high-quality gently-used bike (with any frame material), because within 1-2 years, you'll know what you want and want to buy a different one. Or you'll want to customize it bit-by-bit and spend 3x the cost of a new bike, if you're like most of us.
(I'm in the process of building an all-ti fully rigid hardtail that will do absolutely nothing better than a Karate Monkey but will cost me 3x-4x the price, when I'm done. So I may resemble that last remark)
If you're really worried about catastrophic failures (which are going to be VERY, VERY rare in any material if it's a reputable manufacturer), go with steel. It will dent before it brakes. But really--if
My biggest concern about carbon would be that if you're getting a frame that really has a weight advantage over other materials (and again, you're looking at a pound, or MAYBE 2), you're going to be spending so much you'll get crap components for the same price. If you look at most manufacturer's sites, you'll see a progression that looks something looks like:
$1000: Steel/AL with Tiagra
$1500: Steel/AL with 105
$1750: Carbon with Tiagra
$2000: Steel/AL with Ultegra
$2150: Carbon with 105
$2500: Carbon with Ultegra
$3500: Carbon with Dura Ace
If you're moving into your first "real" road bike, I'd suggest you buy a high-quality gently-used bike (with any frame material), because within 1-2 years, you'll know what you want and want to buy a different one. Or you'll want to customize it bit-by-bit and spend 3x the cost of a new bike, if you're like most of us.
(I'm in the process of building an all-ti fully rigid hardtail that will do absolutely nothing better than a Karate Monkey but will cost me 3x-4x the price, when I'm done. So I may resemble that last remark)
#128
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(Note - This is not directed at you. I'm continuing the well-deserved mockery of the OP. By the way...Welcome to BF! )
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Get a bike that fits your body and your wallet, regardless of what its made of.
Side comment: Wonder how many 15-year-old + carbon frame bikes are still being used?
Side comment: Wonder how many 15-year-old + carbon frame bikes are still being used?
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This is not correct. There is plenty of history of steel frames cracking and breaking, sometimes pretty darn quickly. I have a few friends who had some fairly unpleasant experiences with their steel frames breaking during a race, back in the day when steel was the material of choice for top-level frames.
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This is not correct. There is plenty of history of steel frames cracking and breaking, sometimes pretty darn quickly. I have a few friends who had some fairly unpleasant experiences with their steel frames breaking during a race, back in the day when steel was the material of choice for top-level frames.
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Get a Titanium frame. Ti doesn't rust, it's fairly light and it won't fail catastrophically.
Most reputable builders provide a very robust guarantee if your the original owner.
Most reputable builders provide a very robust guarantee if your the original owner.
Last edited by LeroyZ; 04-12-21 at 01:13 PM. Reason: addition
#142
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Dump the cheap CF and Aluminum bikes
i tried posting a few links, but I have under 10 posts, so the forum is not letting me. google "carbon fiber bike lawsuits"...there's an Outpost article. Youtube "carbon fiber bike failure".
+ someone I know broke his arm in several places when his carbon fiber handlebars broke for no reason. he ended up suing and won.
i'm on a budget and looking to purchase either a $400 aluminum or a $1,000 carbon fiber bike from China. at this low price, i think its safer to go with aluminum. i know most carbon fiber bikes do not break, but most people buy $2,000 - $4,000 carbon bikes made with quality. I don't want to spend that much, as this is my hobby #10, not #1 like probably for many serious life-long cycling enthusiasts on here. If I break my arm or leg, I'll be out of my 9 other hobbies for a long time....just want the piece of mind riding aluminum. At least if aluminum starts to fail, I'll have early warning signs. If I wanted to spend $2-$3k, maybe I'd go with carbon.
+ someone I know broke his arm in several places when his carbon fiber handlebars broke for no reason. he ended up suing and won.
i'm on a budget and looking to purchase either a $400 aluminum or a $1,000 carbon fiber bike from China. at this low price, i think its safer to go with aluminum. i know most carbon fiber bikes do not break, but most people buy $2,000 - $4,000 carbon bikes made with quality. I don't want to spend that much, as this is my hobby #10, not #1 like probably for many serious life-long cycling enthusiasts on here. If I break my arm or leg, I'll be out of my 9 other hobbies for a long time....just want the piece of mind riding aluminum. At least if aluminum starts to fail, I'll have early warning signs. If I wanted to spend $2-$3k, maybe I'd go with carbon.
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I don't expect the OP will be able to manage that with his current budget.
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#144
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Again, agree with your points made on the subject of carbon but I don't think a bike I can order direct from China for $900 is the same as Specialized, Giant, Trek, C'dale.......
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#145
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Just to add some fuel to the OP's paranoia, in last year's TDF wasn't there someone, I want to say an Astana rider, who couldn't make a curve and ran up a driveway where his bike broke in two? Of course we know that all the teams have to modify the frames so they can insert an electric motor and still be at the UCI weight limit.
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Eric, I agree with the points you've made and yes it's silly to suggest carbon as a material will just fail as one is riding along. I do feel a lot of people in the thread are not making an apples-to-apples comparison. The OP didn't generalize carbon bikes. It seems he is only referencing the cheap no name 'open mold" carbon bikes that can be had for $800-$900. Then everyone started talking about how reliable their $3,000+ Tarmac or Giant TCR has been.
Again, agree with your points made on the subject of carbon but I don't think a bike I can order direct from China for $900 is the same as Specialized, Giant, Trek, C'dale.......
Again, agree with your points made on the subject of carbon but I don't think a bike I can order direct from China for $900 is the same as Specialized, Giant, Trek, C'dale.......
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Eric, I agree with the points you've made and yes it's silly to suggest carbon as a material will just fail as one is riding along. I do feel a lot of people in the thread are not making an apples-to-apples comparison. The OP didn't generalize carbon bikes. It seems he is only referencing the cheap no name 'open mold" carbon bikes that can be had for $800-$900. Then everyone started talking about how reliable their $3,000+ Tarmac or Giant TCR has been.
Again, agree with your points made on the subject of carbon but I don't think a bike I can order direct from China for $900 is the same as Specialized, Giant, Trek, C'dale.......
Again, agree with your points made on the subject of carbon but I don't think a bike I can order direct from China for $900 is the same as Specialized, Giant, Trek, C'dale.......
Originally Posted by motopokep
I'll share these stories and have you guys rethink your CF bikes.
...he was definitely generalizing CF as being more dangerous than other materials.
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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.
First, you will never find hairline cracks or stress risers in used carbon frame sets. I have a used frame set that belonged to Thomas Fritchnecht. He would definitely be some one that would have stressed the frame. I have had no problems.
Riding really fast is not likely to cause you injuries unless you are not a good bike handler or use poor judgement.
if you are serious about getting is seriously lighter bike, try Titanium. I have 5 bikes that are under 15 pounds. Two carbon fiber, two Ti, one aluminum. To bring the weight down you have to go way beyond the frame set. All components must be lightweight/high strength designs. For instance, my front wheel weighs less than 500 grams including tire/tube and skewer. Wheels are far more likely to contribute to crashes if improperly built than the frame set.
DO NOT BUY CHINESE CARBON. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ARTICLES EXPLAINING WHY THESE ARE INFERIOR
Last edited by sabele; 04-12-21 at 02:41 PM. Reason: Addition
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Eric, I agree with the points you've made and yes it's silly to suggest carbon as a material will just fail as one is riding along. I do feel a lot of people in the thread are not making an apples-to-apples comparison. The OP didn't generalize carbon bikes. It seems he is only referencing the cheap no name 'open mold" carbon bikes that can be had for $800-$900. Then everyone started talking about how reliable their $3,000+ Tarmac or Giant TCR has been.
Again, agree with your points made on the subject of carbon but I don't think a bike I can order direct from China for $900 is the same as Specialized, Giant, Trek, C'dale.......
Again, agree with your points made on the subject of carbon but I don't think a bike I can order direct from China for $900 is the same as Specialized, Giant, Trek, C'dale.......
I'm very comfortable, I've ridden steel bikes since the age of 4 or early 5, when I took off the training wheels, while many other kids my age were still using them. I rode almost daily during the warm season up to my early teens, then a lot in college, and occasionally rode my alum bike with no issues ever since 2006. I like to ride, I'm very comfortable with steel and aluminum bikes. I'm not comfortable with CF though I want a CF Bike. Maybe the frame will not fail, but the CF handlebars, wheels, or most likely the CF fork will fail. I don't see a point getting a CF frame with the rest of components being aluminum. I'd like it to be either all CF or all aluminum. I got the answers I wanted from this thread and made my decision to go with aluminum for my purposes. I see that 99% on here have faith in CF. I'll get back into this hobby with a cheap aluminum bike, and if I'm really into it down the line, I'll purchase a quality CF bike, from a manufacturer like Specialized or Trek, who are trusted for quality CF. Oh wait, didn't Specialized recall 12,000 CF forks? https://www.velonews.com/gear/specia...f-12000-forks/
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