Originally Posted by
Redbullet
However, if many users change their bikes at every 10 or even 3-4 years just to be in line with technological progress, we might never have enough stories available to assess carbon bike life span above 10 years.
For most consumer owned bikes, they won't end up in the dump after 10 years. But, will get passed onto someone else that will continue riding the bike, or perhaps stripped to a bare frame and built back up. My Colnago C40 was bought as a bare frame.
The new user will surely ride it differently than the original rider. So.
Now, there are several generations of carbon fiber bikes.
- late 70's through 80's. Graftek, Giant CADEX, Colnago Carbitubo. Several other brands too. Steel or aluminum lugs epoxied to carbon fiber tubes.
- 90's. Small carbon fiber tubes and carbon fiber lugs. Constructed like traditional steel bikes, but out of carbon fiber. My Colnago C40.
- 2000's. Oversized tubing, shaped tubes, aero tubes. Some of these are supposed to be quite stiff.
- 2010's. More emphasis on lighter weight. Some compliance with road, but still rigid structure for pedaling.
- 2020's.
Priced equal to their weight in gold.
Rather than simply going by the age of the bike, one might consider the generation of bike, and benefits and flaws with that generation.
I'd probably limit my riding of the first generation metal lugged carbon fiber bikes.
As mentioned, I do ride a 2nd generation carbon fiber lugged bike.
But, realistically, there would be benefits of moving to a third generation Monocoque construction with shaped tubes.
The frames tend to last very well, but they are prone to abrasion and rubbing damage.