Be Honest With Me...........is my carbon frame really going to melt ??

[Dave7]

I took my baby (carbon Giant) out in the rain for the first time today.
She behaved well and didn't squeek anywhere but>>>>>>>>>>
I have read on CC that carbon frames have a tendency to melt if they get wet.

• Is she really going to melt ?
• Is there anything I can do to help e.g.
• bring her into the conservatory ?
• gently dry her ?
• take her to bed with me tonight (I'm sure the wife won't mind)

Any genuine advice will be appreciated

 

[fossyant]

It will rust

 

[Drago]

I'd be more concerned about it exploding if used in the rain.

 

[EltonFrog]

@Dave7 you want certifying you do, takin a carbon bike out in the rain, what's the bloody matter with you man? Jeeez!

 

[pclay]

Below in red.

• she really going to melt ? yes
• Is there anything I can do to help e.g. no
• bring her into the conservatory ? you could do, but you will just end up with carbon drippings on your conservatory floor.
• gently dry her ? yes, do this as soon as contact with water is made. It will stop the melting process in its tracks. Don't hold the hair dryer to close though, as this will result in more melting.
• take her to bed with me tonight (I'm sure the wife won't mind) This is a personal preference.

 

[Dave7]

@Dave7 you want certifying you do, takin a carbon bike out in the rain, what's the bloody matter with you man? Jeeez!

Realy sorry man but it wasn't raining when I started a 40 mile loop and wasn't forcast until 1500 but actually started at 1300.
I promise I will try not to do it again

 

[winjim]

Not melt. Dissolve.

 

[AndyRM]

Not melt. Dissolve.

Yeah, they only melt when you leave them near a radiator to dry.

 

[numbnuts]

 

[User269]

You can't dry carbon fibre, which will slowly dissolve over time (hours) once wet.
To remove the moisture residue, you should rub down the entire frame using coarse sandpaper, removing around 4mm.
Finally, soak a cloth in petrol and rub the entire frame until liberally coated, and dry the frame carefully over a source of 'organic' heat (ie; naked flame) such as candles, gas ring etc.

 

[PeteXXX]

I would be inclined to carry a blowtorch with me if it looked like rain..
Once the rain stops, you should play the flame briskly over the entire bike.
This may just prevent serious damage.
Hope this helps!

 

[ayceejay]

Don't listen to this garbage Dave they are winding you up. You can check this on the Giant web site but what has caused this concern is what the carbon tubes used in frame construction are filled with. Carbon is so soft it won't stay round on it's own, you will notice some odd pear shapes on some bikes, so what they do is fill the tubes with a material called Suk Itup a material developed during desert storm and what happens if this gets wet is that it expands and causes the tubes to explode. If on the other hand you get it too warm by taking it to bed for instance the opposite will happen and your bike will shrink. This technology enabled the US marines to capture large parts of Iraq using only water pistols and those tubes we heard so much about once that were in fact carbon tubes developed by Giant.
If you ride with an umbrella handy at all times there should be no worries.

 

[User269]

Don't listen to this garbage Dave they are winding you up. You can check this on the Giant web site........

There was no 'garbage' in my post! I can assure you all the info I quoted can be found in Richard's Bicycle Book, although I would concede that Suk Itup hadn't been invented by the time he died in 2013 (Richard Ballantine I mean, not Suk Itup).

 

[gavroche]

Is your bike a "she"? Mine is just an "it".

 

[jonny jeez]

Any genuine advice will be appreciated

good luck