2nd Hand Carbon Frame / Forks Cycle

[mick1836]

Seriously thinking of changing my Cube MTB for a carbon frame / forked road bike, BOTH my sons advise me NOT to buy a second hand one are they right?
I

 

[BorderReiver]

As long as you don't use it in the rain you will be fine.

Seriously though, I assume they are worried about crash damage. Some people seem to think that if you look at a carbon frame too hard you will break it but really, if you give it a good looking over for obvious signs of damage you should be okay. Carbon really isn't that fragile and any damage that seriously weakens the frame will be evident. The stuff doesn't bend or dent it just breaks. You can even use it in the rain.

I've crashed two carbon frames, one badly enough to pretzel the front wheel and destroy the (carbon) bars and one badly enough to break my jaw and put me in hospital for 4 days. Both of the frames were fine following the crashes despite all the warnings you read. I used one for 5 years and the other is still going strong after 2. I checked both over very carefully for damage of course but I think a steel frame would have come off a lot worse.

 

[SWSteve]

One thing I would say, if buying a new bike, many manufacturers offer good warranties, something that wouldn't come with owning the same frame/forks second hand

 

[Yellow Saddle]

As long as you don't use it in the rain you will be fine.

Seriously though, I assume they are worried about crash damage. Some people seem to think that if you look at a carbon frame too hard you will break it but really, if you give it a good looking over for obvious signs of damage you should be okay. Carbon really isn't that fragile and any damage that seriously weakens the frame will be evident. The stuff doesn't bend or dent it just breaks. You can even use it in the rain.

I've crashed two carbon frames, one badly enough to pretzel the front wheel and destroy the (carbon) bars and one badly enough to break my jaw and put me in hospital for 4 days. Both of the frames were fine following the crashes despite all the warnings you read. I used one for 5 years and the other is still going strong after 2. I checked both over very carefully for damage of course but I think a steel frame would have come off a lot worse.

Never a truer word spoken. Let it be the last word on the issue.

 

[Dave7]

Never a truer word spoken. Let it be the last word on the issue.

Dont let Mrs Dave read that.......she ALWAYS has the last word

 

[T4tomo]

If people didn't buy second hand carbon forks Ebay would go bust overnight*, practically every decent aluminium road bike nowadays has carbon forks.

*i realise it wouldn't, but you get my point.

 

[dellzeqq]

I have a C40 frame you can have. The crack is nigh on imperceptible. I probably rode it for days before I noticed it.

 

[hatler]

Not the C40, surely ?

 

[dellzeqq]

Not the C40, surely ?

indeed. It got retired in 2009.

 

[hatler]

indeed. It got retired in 2009.

Blimey. I completely missed that.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I have a C40 frame you can have. The crack is nigh on imperceptible. I probably rode it for days before I noticed it.

How long had you owned it? It doesn't seem that long ago I remember you posting about getting it, did you try for a warranty replacement?

 

[dellzeqq]

How long had you owned it? It doesn't seem that long ago I remember you posting about getting it, did you try for a warranty replacement?

I had it for six years - which is fair enough. And it worked out well - I was so fed up for the next two days that Her Nibs insisted I went out and bought a C50 - which, almost eight years on is still in fine fettle. (SJ - you're clearly at that stage in life when events almost a decade ago count as recent)

I suppose the lesson is - buy a second hand frame by all means, but preferably from someone you trust, and, if not, then look at it really, really closely.