Carbon fiber and degradation over time (GCN)
 

Excellent video by GCN:
I've ridden my Roubaix quite hard and haven't noticed any issues around the Zertz insert areas, but I'll definitely monitor going forward...

Interesting thought about interviewing a polymer chemist as well

To summarize, what both experts in the video said regarding the long term integrity of CF frames (and by extension, other components, e.g., handlebar) was quite reassuring.

Yeah. Mostly don't store in bright sunlight, and don't be Mark Cavendish, and you should be fine.

Just finished applying some sunscreen to my bare carbon frame.

No concerns here on that front.

You know you're supposed to apply that every couple hours, right?

If Cavendish can safely use a frame for a year, I can probably use one till the heat death of the Universe.

The smell is too overwhelming if you do so. Besides, my rides generally only last a couple of hours.

You need some of that coconut scented stuff. It may drive you nuts, but the riders you pass, or who pass you, will be briefly wafted away to more tropical climes...

LOL! Speaking of the Universe, the antenna masts on the Voyager spacecraft -- which are both still in operation after 45 years travelling well in excess of 30,000mph -- are made of carbon fiber. I'm pretty confident our CF bike frames aren't going to assplode even without watching that GCN video

...but I'll watch it anyway, what the hell.

Well, there's no wind resistance in space, and it's not accelerating, and it's moving AWAY from the biggest UV source, but apart from that, you make a reasonable point. ;)

Let me try to save you the trouble with this summary thereof: unless one constantly subjects one's CF bike to (a) professional sprinter levels of cyclical mechanical loads or (b) UV ray bombardment, the bike is much more likely to fail due to a latent manufacturing defect than fatigue through normal use.

​​​​​​Sunlight is a hoax. ☹️

Yeah, there was a hiatus a couple of hours long in the big production required to perpetuate that elaborate hoax in southern California today, but as soon as I rolled my car out onto my driveway for a rinse under the rain, the hoax resumed.

Doesn't seem that long ago that we were worried about the life span of an aluminum frame... Ha

I can understand the use of a short lived frame, or even a one time use frame, at the professional bicycling level. Truly professional level bicycle racing has its own spectrum longevity...

Seeing how many car and M/C race parts are made of carbon fiber I am not too worried about my bike frame.

I haven't watched it yet, but I really hope it means I can safely buy a set of Spinergy Rev-X's. Because I really want a pair.

They weren't safe when new, age hasn't helped. Really wish they had a slightly better design since I loved mine till they cracked, they will always be cool looking, but the blades were designed to flex like a spoke and should have been built more rigid.

That's the rumor, but I've never met anyone who had them fail catastrophically. I had a pair in the 90's and they held up to many years of Seattle bike messengering. I even T-boned a car and tacoed my frame, but the spinergy survived unscathed. I had to retire them when the brake surface wore through. I hear some versions were better than others.

The colors later on denoted the strength from what I remember, blue was regular, red was heavy duty and the yellow was a lighter weight. There is video out there as a couple collapsed under pro riders which is probably what did them in. Mine did crack and I wouldn't trust them, I did use them for several year in cross races and they really took the bounce out of the course.

What ever happen to Mad Fibers?

How come bike makers never figured out gel coats? For boats and turbines and sailplanes and RV's it's de rigueur. Basically anything composite that lives outside.

Hoaxes are a hoax, by definition.

Ok it’s not by definition, but by MY definition.

”Steel Carbon is the real deal”

if products of low value are made of high quality, the profit margin decreases & the market saturation slowly increases. Designed & planned obsolesces are real.

Gel coat is a thick, brittle material. If used on bikes, the flex and constant impacts would cause it to crack. It's heavy also.

have you done any repair work on gel coat? its pretty great to work with. I did repairs on RVs and boats for a few years I enjoyed the gel coat work. not the fiberglass work that sucked. lol..