mwrider

I'm sure Carbon vs Aluminum has come up on this forum, but being new here, I can't find the thread. I'm 64 and have crashed a few times in the last 10 or so years. The last time was this week, and I still don't know how I lost control. But, I bounced back up, checked the bike, carried on. I've always had aluminum bikes and never had a problem. I've been wondering lately if a carbon fiber bike is worth my investment and at the same time, wondering if a clunker like happened 2 days ago would crack a carbon frame? I live in the San Fernando Valley. My usual route is the bike path that stretches from Sherman Oaks west to Canoga Park and north to Granada Hills. Round trip is 30 miles. I was reading the warranty on Piranello's website and it specifically states, "The Products have been designed for specific uses consistent with their characteristics. For example, the racing models will be intended solely to be used on a track or a smooth road, while MTB are intended for outdoor usage on unpaved and/or downhill roads. Therefore, each Product should be used in accordance with its characteristics and structure (“Designated Use”)."

The bike path is part poured and rolled asphalt and part concrete slabs with the inevitable uneven seams. You can't help but hit a bump. There's cracked and uneven spots along the way. Do all manufacturers of carbon fiber bikes have this type of "Designated Use" rider in their warranties? If so, I guess I'll stick to aluminum.

PeteHski

Watch this video. Spoiler alert: carbon frames are much stronger.


As for disclaimers about intended use, all bike manufacturers state them regardless of frame material. So if you go gap jumping on a road bike and the frame breaks you can’t claim on the warranty.

wolfchild

The aluminum frame bend and deformed, while carbon frame shattered and failed catastrophically...I'll stick with aluminum and steel.

shelbyfv

Welcome to BF! I don't know if carbon fiber frame durability has been discussed here but I expect folks may have opinions. I'd probably prefer steel if I planned to wreck frequently.

wolfchild

This is why I prefer steel framed or aluminum framed MTBs or cross bikes. You can ride them anywhere and don't have to worry about any "designated use".

Ogsarg

At 64 (same age as me) I'd worry more about breaking a hip than the bike. Not sure what kind of crashes you have experienced but if just falling over I would not really worry about either. As was mentioned above, steel is what I'd get if really concerned about it.

tyrion

Canyon calls it "Bike Classification" -https://www.canyon.com/en-us/gravel-...sl-8/2850.html

I bet most bike manufacturers put out this kind of statement to help them battle overly aggressive warranty claims.

mwrider

Dislocated my shoulder about 8 years ago when I fell. The blood pressure medication I was on lowered it too low, and I blacked out on the bike path. The crash I had this week was minor. Over corrected leaning away from the fence long the bike path while laid out on my aerobars. If I weighed 230 (my weight pre lockdown) rather than 195 (my weight now), I might have broken something.

mwrider

My wife was mad at me. I'm more concerned about that.

mwrider

Thanks for the video. I hadn't seen that demo before.

GlennR

I have a "pro" lever carbon bike and have put 26,000 miles on it. I ride some MUPs but mostly road. The roads on Long Island are far from pristine with plenty of potholes, patched section and uneven pavement.

I'm 200#, the bike is 14# and i'm 65.

Life is short, buy the bike of your dreams and ride the crap out of it.

BTW... i've you've never watched any of the "cobble" classics such as Paris-Roubaix, take a look at the surfaces they ride.

Kapusta

If the weight and ride quality of CF is worth it to you, get it.

I would not worry about crashing it.

terrymorse 

If strength and longevity are the important features, there's no contest.

Carbon fiber beats aluminum every time.

The one weakness of carbon fiber is it doesn't like to be crushed or dented. If you expect to be smashing your frame against rocks, then pick aluminum.

mwrider

Thanks, for he video and the advice. The cobblestones look like a brutal ride.

Rolla

Unless there’s some crucial performance advantage that only carbon will give you, I’d stick with metal. It's pretty durable stuff.

70sSanO

I don’t own carbon, but know enough people with carbon bikes, especially mountain bikes, to not see an issue with the material.

I would be a bit more concerned with the crashes and what geometry would work best for your riding. If the bike doesn’t fit well or isn’t as stable as you want, you need to get a bike that fits your riding now and in the coming years. You don’t need to get a real dog when it comes to performance, but maybe something that won’t be an issue negotiating certain situations.

My Cannondale Criterium has steep angles and it is a blast to ride, but as I’ve gotten older I feel I need to be aware that it is less forgiving and over-correcting can have consequences. I’m not ready to give it up, but the day I do, I’ll be looking for a bike that is more stable.

John

AlmostTrick

If CF isn't any more fragile or likely to fail than metal, why all the "Is this scratch/nick/scrape/whatever on my CF bike safe to ride?" threads on BF?

Kapusta

Because..... BF.

terrymorse 

"pretty durable"

No metal is as durable (fatigue resistant), strong, or stiff as carbon fiber.

Rolla

Durability is about more than fatigue. Compare failure modes.

Maelochs

This is one of those topics where science makes no difference.

Buy whatever you like.

At our age, if you crash hard enough to damage the frame, the real problem is paying for the ambulance and emergency room treatment .... and the cast, the cane, the PT .......

Funny part to me is that we all know a lot of cyclists, and we all know a lot of cyclists who ride CF. Somehow that Actual data pool is ignored so that folks can debate stuff they searched for online to support their prejudices. And then they claim "Science."

Just for kicks watch the F1 race from Baku from 6-6-21. A couple 200-mph crashes .... sadly both drivers walked away uninjured because they foolishly put their faith in carbon fiber.

I weigh about an eighth of a ton---and most of my bikes have 20/24 or 24/28 spoke counts. Everyone says I weigh 70 pounds too much for such low spoke counts. In my ignorance .... I don't have wheel issues nor do I break spokes. if only I understood science better .......

PeteHski

That is simply not true. Regardless of frame material you cannot ride any bike anywhere. In the modern world of litigation all modern bikes come with "designated use" statements. They are usually over-stated, but you can't go riding bikes on terrain way beyond what they were designed for and expect them not to break. This has nothing to do with carbon vs metal frames.

Phil_gretz

Quoting:

"My usual route is the bike path..."

and

"...while laid out on my aerobars."

What the heck? Why in the world would you be riding aero bars on a multi use path? Are you time trialing?

ClydeClydeson

The aluminum would be folded in half long before it reached the load that made the carbon fail.

Cpn_Dunsel

Carbon fiber is a superior material for bicycles.


Period.