ALScott

My new Felt Z4 disc will be here this week and I have been reading a ton about everything regarding the bike. Catching up after 20 year absence. I wanted to ask for any info on care/maintenance unique to CF frames. I read the post below and the responses mostly refer to carbon frames "asploding." I assume that is some slang for explode but I have read it in a ton of other threads very old and new. Why is it mentioned here so much? For someone new to the forum I am lost as to why it comes up so much. Is it from folks who don't care for carbon frames or ones who have them and are poking fun? Is it sarcasm?

Then the link to the bike shop's warning which just seems to be CYA from the shop. Being in liability insurance I get why they would do it but it seems to be over the top.

rpenmanparker 

Repeat after me: "crabon", "asplode", "guads", "drope the hamer"...

Very good. You are now an official member of the 41 (Road Bike Forum).

Asploding is the single mode by which crabon frames disintegrate. Resistance is futile. It will happen. How could it not? The bike is plastic after all.

Just enjoy the new bike...for a long, long time.

TheBlast82

Asplosions?

PiLigand

+1 to rpenmanparker.

There are a lot of people here who don't really understand how materials (in the sense of engineering concepts and attributes of those materials) work and how structures are designed. Makes sense, you really don't need a degree in engineering to ride a bike. But it doesn't stop people from thinking they know better than those designers.

The one thing you want to be aware of is that since carbon tubes are larger and in some places thinner and less ductile than alloy tubes, they are a bit more susceptible to pointed impacts. Try and be aware of concrete/metal corners that could impact your frame. Otherwise, carbon should outlast steel, Ti, or aluminum.

This video is about mountain bikes, but similar concepts apply to road bikes. It helped ease my mind about carbon early on. I assume it will help you too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xreZdUBqpJs

Enjoy your new bike!

PepeM

That first post actually made me laugh.

bikepro

And don't forget to "dial it up to 400 watts".

ALScott

Thanks for the video, it was helpful. I guess I just need to quit researching all of this and look at reality. There are untold numbers of carbon bikes ridden every day and if were as much risk as some would have you believe there would also be untold numbers of deaths/injuries. I had decided on an endurance style frame and posted for help in choosing and searching old posts. It seems the most suggested, and what I originally thought I would buy, is a Specialized Roubaix, then Synapse and Trek Domane (carbon versions) -- all carbon frames. I guess they must be "OK" bikes or the highways would be littered with asploded Roubaix's, Synapse and Trek's. Maybe I should look closer in the ditches. Bet there would be some good components and such laying around.

See what I did there..... used "asplode" myself.

PiLigand

Homebrew01

Don't drive into your garage with your bike on the roof, or lean it against the back of the car, then drive in reverse. Carbon bikes are too wimpy for those situations.

ALScott

Been there..... My second road bike was a Cannondale SR500. I had it on the top of my car in a Thule rack, forgot and tried to drive into a parking deck. Pulled the rack completely off the roof but bike was fine. A lot of today's bikes, carbon or alum, probably would not fair as well as that tank did. I had a few doozies of accidents on that bike too, cars ran me off the road and into a ditch, twice. Got that frame after totaling my first road bike I bought in high school. A car pulled in front of me as I went through an intersection doing around 25 mph. That was very bad, knocked me out cold and took a good long while to come around. Stood up and went down again. No helmet either. Somehow while I was unconscious it became my fault.

I loved that Cannondale. Got the frame at LBS while in college and built it myself. Switched out everything on that bike multiple times. Wish I had kept it.

Can't wait to get back on a bike.

Kindaslow

Hopefully you are not actually worried about the CF frame any more. MTBing is likely to be harder on frames than other forms of cycling, and virtually all nice MTBs are now CF frames. Also, Santa Cruz has some great videos showing how much stronger the CF frames are.

datlas 

Ride more. Worry less.

Igualmente

Follow the bolt torque limits marked on things like saddle posts and stems?

Jarrett2

Definitely follow the torque specs on carbon parts.

Don't sit on the top tube.

Don't let the bike impact on any sharp objects.

Once and a while, give a look over for chips or cracks.

Otherwise, ride it and have a blast with it.