Carbon fiber bike life span
11-06-22, 07:59 AM
#26
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11-06-22, 09:55 AM
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11-06-22, 01:56 PM
#28
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11-06-22, 07:35 PM
#29
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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.
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11-07-22, 12:46 AM
#30
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Still have a 1993 Trek 5900 OCLV, their flagship model that year. Don't see any reason not to ride it, other than because it's currently disassembled for a cleanup and rebuild. The frame (minus fork) is a bit lighter than my 2010-era Diamondback Podium, although the hybrid steel/carbon fiber fork on the Trek 5900 that year was a bit heavy. If I could find a reasonably priced all-carbon fiber fork with a one-inch steerer I might try it to lighten the bike even more. But a one-inch carbon fiber steerer might be too narrow to be safe, I dunno.
11-07-22, 03:16 AM
#31
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the 1995 look kg 131 carbon fiber frame is holding up well. well enuff to take it places a road frame shouldn't go.
11-07-22, 06:02 AM
#32
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I saw many opinions saying that a road carbon fiber bike should be changed after 6,7,10 years, to avoid risk of carbon failure. However, talking about the large pool of riders of carbon bikes from reputable brands, outside of professionals or hard racing world, I wonder:
How many road riders from above category experienced carbon fiber failure from normal riding (no hard crash or misuse), and how long (years or km) did it take for such failure to occur?
How many road riders from above category experienced carbon fiber failure from normal riding (no hard crash or misuse), and how long (years or km) did it take for such failure to occur?
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11-07-22, 07:30 AM
#33
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Carbon, while not recyclable (yet), has no "fatigue" life like aluminum and is repairable. To me, that repairability carbon's greatest asset.
11-07-22, 07:40 AM
#34
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been wondering about this. I ride a 2009 Kestrel Evoke regularly. The bike has approx. 15k miles on it. I don't want to retire it.
11-07-22, 08:43 AM
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My 1994 Trek 5500 carbon fiber is 28 this year. It has lots of dings in the paint due to locking it up in the over crowded employee bike enclosure and the lovely Campy Chorus groupset is now pretty sloppy. As a young engineer I worked at Thiokol (rocket motors) and my frame and fork does not have a fatigue limit as said but will degrade from fatigue, differently from metals with a limit which typically surface crack. Fatigue in carbon lay-up can break fibers, cause resin bond to fiber failure or cause fabric layers to separate. Fortunately these conditions can usually be heard if one taps on the fork or frame and the sound is dull, more thud rather than the sharp sound one would expect.
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11-07-22, 11:29 AM
#37
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Road cyclists are terrified of any technology newer than the derailleur.
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11-07-22, 12:32 PM
#38
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11-07-22, 12:59 PM
#39
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Not sure about the acceptability of 'feebray' (feeble phonetic transcription of 'fibré')? A bit lazy, in my opinion, and loses the poseur (fake French) appeal of the original.
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11-07-22, 03:41 PM
#40
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11-07-22, 04:02 PM
#41
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11-07-22, 04:05 PM
#42
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11-07-22, 07:01 PM
#43
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I’m sure the recommendation is to cut up and landfill your 4 million dollar HH66 after 10 years, lest it disintegrate under you. Not that the people who buy these things have to keep them for that long.
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11-07-22, 07:12 PM
#44
Newbie
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.
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.
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.
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11-08-22, 05:18 AM
#46
What?? I guess I totally missed that transition. I'd like to see what you mean by this "burnt MDF plywood" looking material.
11-08-22, 05:19 AM
#47
Will CF frames outlast this thread?
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11-08-22, 07:58 AM
#48
11-08-22, 02:00 PM
#49
Newbie
Not woven fiber. (Seen on late 2000's Campagnolo cranks and I don't know where else it may have started but it's maybe another iteration in your list?)
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11-08-22, 02:41 PM
#50
I think what you are seeing there is the use of unidirectional carbon fibre, rather than the more basic bidirectional weave. It is still a layered mat construction (layup), not planks of material. Unidirectional layups can look a little odd because each individual layer is typically pointing in a different direction.
