Carbon Anxiety?
02-03-15, 01:48 PM
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Carbon Anxiety?
What level of concern do you harbor for carbon fiber frame, fork or component failure?
None at all?
Avoid certain parts?
Enough to not want to ride it at all?
Something else?
Please share and explain your thoughts on this matter.
None at all?
Avoid certain parts?
Enough to not want to ride it at all?
Something else?
Please share and explain your thoughts on this matter.
02-03-15, 01:55 PM
#2
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https://youtu.be/xreZdUBqpJs
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02-03-15, 02:27 PM
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i don't worry about carbon at all - unless the guy i'm drafting has a carbon frame or fork in particular.
the only carbon i have on any of my bikes are some theadless headset spacers.
i have no doubt that carbon fiber has a higher tensile strength, the numbers are what they are. but it doesn't bend, it shatters. it doesn't rust (a nice warning sign you have a bike you don't want to ride), and it degrades in sunlight. c.f. got no impact resistance. it can be compromised in one of the layers and you'd never know.
Tensile Strength
steel: 400 MPa (depending on grade)
aluminum: 300MPa (depending on grade)
carbon fiber: 3.5 Gpa
if you click this link: Tensile strength - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and scan down the Yield Strength column, you'll see that Carbon Fiber is N/A - that means it shatters when it fails.
Just something to think about when your bouncing down the trail on a carbon fiber seat post.....
the only carbon i have on any of my bikes are some theadless headset spacers.
i have no doubt that carbon fiber has a higher tensile strength, the numbers are what they are. but it doesn't bend, it shatters. it doesn't rust (a nice warning sign you have a bike you don't want to ride), and it degrades in sunlight. c.f. got no impact resistance. it can be compromised in one of the layers and you'd never know.
Tensile Strength
steel: 400 MPa (depending on grade)
aluminum: 300MPa (depending on grade)
carbon fiber: 3.5 Gpa
if you click this link: Tensile strength - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and scan down the Yield Strength column, you'll see that Carbon Fiber is N/A - that means it shatters when it fails.
Just something to think about when your bouncing down the trail on a carbon fiber seat post.....
Last edited by mrv; 02-03-15 at 06:01 PM. Reason: i don't no how to spell "know"
02-03-15, 03:18 PM
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None at all. I ride a Cannondale Criterium Series.
02-03-15, 03:24 PM
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02-03-15, 03:24 PM
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I worry more about aluminum. With aluminum, ANY bending or flexing is verboten and will eventually cause a failure. Carbon is much more forgiving.
02-03-15, 03:26 PM
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Nope.
02-03-15, 03:40 PM
#10
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I'd only worry if you are doing things on your bike it wasn't designed for. "Just riding along" doesn't cause me any concern. The fact that threads like these exist is sort of funny to me, "catastrophic failure" needs to be paired with the phrase "abnormal abuse or user error".
Watching any of the Road Bike Party videos speaks volumes about modern carbon resilience, no normal rider puts their bikes through that much abuse and yet there were no failures, catastrophic or otherwise.
Watching any of the Road Bike Party videos speaks volumes about modern carbon resilience, no normal rider puts their bikes through that much abuse and yet there were no failures, catastrophic or otherwise.
02-03-15, 03:52 PM
#11
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A bit of anxiety. Not for catastrophic failure but for eventual failure. I have carbon seat stays and ... it seems like each month there's a new nick that goes past the clear coat.
There have been 4 nicks so far. All are pretty small but you can clearly see the carbon fiber and touch it.
At this rate I figure that my seat stays will eventually be completely exposed carbon in a few decades ...
So I decided to tape it up with some diamond-patterned reflective tape. Looks sweet. I didn't cover the entire seat stay; left some of the carbon poking out on top so people know what my bike's made of
. Plus makes the back end (and side) of the bike much more visible at night.
There have been 4 nicks so far. All are pretty small but you can clearly see the carbon fiber and touch it.
At this rate I figure that my seat stays will eventually be completely exposed carbon in a few decades ...
So I decided to tape it up with some diamond-patterned reflective tape. Looks sweet. I didn't cover the entire seat stay; left some of the carbon poking out on top so people know what my bike's made of
. Plus makes the back end (and side) of the bike much more visible at night.
02-03-15, 04:46 PM
#12
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Carbon fiber is treacherous;anyone riding a frame made out of it has a death wish. Also,you should never,ever touch your front brake,as you are guaranteed to flip over the bars.
/s
/s
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02-03-15, 04:58 PM
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I used to worry about it, prior to owning one.
But now after owning and riding a carbon bike for a while, it doesn't concern me any more.
But now after owning and riding a carbon bike for a while, it doesn't concern me any more.
02-03-15, 05:35 PM
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I had to check the date on the post to make sure the question wasn't asked in 2005.....
02-03-15, 06:14 PM
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Let me add to all of your anxieties: both Boeing and Airbus make commercial airliners with massive amounts of carbon composite parts. Good luck on your next flight.
02-03-15, 07:03 PM
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Steel is my first choice. Aluminium is acceptable. I mistrust carbon and wouldn't touch anything made from carbon.
02-03-15, 07:09 PM
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None of my bikes are carbon nor any of the components. I don't distrust it as in I could possibly damage it riding it, but I do worry about damaging it accidentally in my garage or doing something stupid like clamping it too hard in my stand. I also don't want to look like a old poser riding a high dollar race bike. My Moots looks more like a guy my age should be riding. 
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02-03-15, 09:02 PM
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Everything I ride now is carbon and I don't give it a second thought.
02-03-15, 11:42 PM
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None of my bikes are carbon nor any of the components. I don't distrust it as in I could possibly damage it riding it, but I do worry about damaging it accidentally in my garage or doing something stupid like clamping it too hard in my stand. I also don't want to look like a old poser riding a high dollar race bike. My Moots looks more like a guy my age should be riding.
02-03-15, 11:51 PM
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02-04-15, 12:01 AM
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Sorry, it was a joke about titanium bikes being dentists' bikes.
02-04-15, 08:46 AM
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The bike did better than the car
https://twitter.com/pelotonmagazine/...67035286093824
https://twitter.com/pelotonmagazine/...67035286093824
02-04-15, 08:55 AM
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