Originally Posted by
Hondo6
I stand by what I said: a TdF frame has different necessary design criteria than consumer frames, in part because it does not need to last as long. If it lasts a year, that's 3-4 times longer than it actually needs to last. And with CF (and other materials without a fatigue limit), intended normal lifetime impacts the design. Due to the nature of the material, there's no way around it.
The challenge I have with this is that the same frames that are used by World Tour riders are available to consumers. There may be the occasional one-off custom (certainly custom paint, but that's not what we are talking about), but manufacturers are not making special frames for every rider, for just one event. It makes no sense that a frame built from a material with an infinite fatigue life, that can endure the demands of racing for 3 weeks at the highest levels, will have a sudden drop-off of durability and performance shortly afterwards.
Originally Posted by Specialized
Composites do not behave like metals. In fact, they don’t actually fatigue like metals in the same classic sense of the word. The fatigue life of the fibre itself is just about infinite.
Originally Posted by Kestrel
...carbon composites themselves are not subject to fatigue failures as metals are. So the fatigue life of a properly made carbon composite is “infinite”.
Originally Posted by Enve
If you look at carbon materials in general, they’re very good in fatigue, much better than any aluminium or steel would be. If done properly, a frame could last you forever.
I know quite a few people who ride on pro-level CF frames of varying ages, including a couple that were actually ridden in the TdF. They continue to perform just as they always have. My experience with my old CF frame is not unusual or lucky.
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Last edited by Eric F; 09-14-21 at 12:27 PM.