Carbon Fiber Pros and Cons?
10-06-18, 05:44 PM
#26
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For many years I did not take any pictures at all. Then I spent some years learning how to shoot underwater video and film editing using the GoPro system. A few years ago I started getting into basic photography with a decent P&S camera and dive almost exclusively with two pretty talented underwater photographers, so I have learned a lot from them in terms of framing shots etc... I now have an DSLR but most bike pictures are being taken with a $300 Olympus TG4 or android smartphone.
OK. Back to repairing carbon and comparing contrasting with other materials!
10-07-18, 02:58 AM
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Well maybe that clarifies it. Where you consider cycling a sport carbon has a place but where you are actually just cycling for fitness, relaxing and commuting its less than ideal. At a premium price I personally don't see why a overly strong road bike frame couldn't be made of carbon but I guess such a bike might end up at lets say 11kg instead of 14kg approx but 11kg would not be impressive to many cyclists and would be a very limited market. When at my heaviest I've always favoured steel and that is the advice I've been given or read. Often steel frames have little concern for weight as they are not competitive in weight terms normally and when they fail they often give prior warning which is very important for a heavy cyclist who likely will do less well hitting the ground at high speed. For a gravel/cyclocross bike I would still favour aluminium myself over carbon. While it may have fatigue issues over the long term it's probably good for 3 years of heavy off road use before the frame becomes significantly weaker. However I accept a perfectly made carbon frame that is only given light abuse would be fine and possibly superior. However I've watched too many Luescher Technik videos on youtube and the perfectly made carbon frame doesn't seem to exist most seem to have manufacturing imperfections which creates a fatigue scenario or a very weak point in the frame.
10-07-18, 08:46 PM
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I知 looking at carbon fiber gravel/cx bikes and I知 wondering about the pros and cons of carbon fiber. I understand if it cracks it is shot and that can be the whole frame. How do they ride compared to other materials such as titanium and cromoly etc etc. Suggestions?
10-08-18, 05:54 AM
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I ride a 5 year old carbon fiber bike and I weigh 220lbs. I am not easy on it by no means. I don't avoid every crack or bump in the road and have yet to have any issues. I am currently waiting on the Fuji Jari carbon gravel bike to hit the U.S. in December. I keep a pretty good relationship with a few LBS's , they all say the same thing. They see very very few frame issues from any material.
10-09-18, 08:19 PM
#30
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I ride a 5 year old carbon fiber bike and I weigh 220lbs. I am not easy on it by no means. I don't avoid every crack or bump in the road and have yet to have any issues. I am currently waiting on the Fuji Jari carbon gravel bike to hit the U.S. in December. I keep a pretty good relationship with a few LBS's , they all say the same thing. They see very very few frame issues from any material.
This bike has a maximum total weight limit (combined weight of bicycle, rider, and cargo) of 275 pounds (125 kg).
Last edited by McBTC; 10-09-18 at 08:23 PM.
10-09-18, 09:40 PM
#31
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I put about 7000 miles on a Trek Domane 5.9 and the stock wheels while easily exceeding 300 lbs of rider + gear when I commuted to work on it 2016. Zero issues with minimal truing needed.
Yet when I commuted on my Emonda SLR 9, I put a small crack in the seat mast on the 3rd ride home at only about 200 lbs of rider + gear.
Yet when I commuted on my Emonda SLR 9, I put a small crack in the seat mast on the 3rd ride home at only about 200 lbs of rider + gear.
