Concerns about Carbon Fibre

[RCITGuy]

Hi Folks

So I'm about to upgrade from a 2014 CAAD10 to a Synapse Ultegra 2016 Carbon Fibre road bike but I am a bit worried about Carbon Fibre, its life span and durability?

Does carbon fibre have a limited lifespan?
Is there anything I should know or be concerned about over and above a normal aluminum frame?

Will stonechips cause issues or washing it with normal fenwicks bike wash stuff...?

Cheers all :-)

 

[MikeW-71]

Theoretically, carbon fibre has an unlimited lifespan as it does not suffer fatigue as metals do. Aluminium for example has a limited fatigue life after which it will fail. Plenty of MTB's use carbon frames as well as road bikes.

A good carbon frame is extremely durable, needing a lot more force than aluminium to make it fail. The difference is that when it does fail, it fails catastrophically, and snaps where metal will bend and might still be rideable.

Stone chips are no more of an issue than on an alloy frame, clean it exactly the same way. I just use car shampoo and warm water on all my bikes.

Don't be worried about carbon frames, I bet you've been riding on some carbon forks so far yes? No issues with them? There you go then

 

[steve50]

My LBS won't touch carbon bikes because he claims they suffer just as many issues if not more than alluminium.
He claims carbon frames can be damaged too easily and the only way to detect the damage is to xray the frame, they also suffer , allegedly, from damp at the bottom of the seat tube where it meets the BB mount. He also claims the frame can fail catastrophically in the event of a minor shunt where a metal framed bike might absorb the majority of an impact.
These are the words of an LBS owner who has been in the trade many years.

 

[buggi]

If they were bad thousands of people wouldn't be riding round on them. Having had aluminium, carbon and magnesium frame I can honestly say the best one was the magnesium... But I think it was more to do with the colour than anything technical. If you like the bike, buy it.

 

[RCITGuy]

Don't be worried about carbon frames, I bet you've been riding on some carbon forks so far yes? No issues with them? There you go then

I forgot about that, indeed I have, carbon forks on the CAAD10. Cheers..

 

[Justinslow]

My LBS won't touch carbon bikes because he claims they suffer just as many issues if not more than alluminium.
He claims carbon frames can be damaged too easily and the only way to detect the damage is to xray the frame, they also suffer , allegedly, from damp at the bottom of the seat tube where it meets the BB mount. He also claims the frame can fail catastrophically in the event of a minor shunt where a metal framed bike might absorb the majority of an impact.
These are the words of an LBS owner who has been in the trade many years.

I'm amazed an lbs can refuse to work/sell carbon bikes! seems a bit silly to me given how many are out there.

 

[outlash]

Am I the only one who's thinking that going from a CAAD10 to a Synapse isn't much of an upgrade?

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

Am I the only one who's thinking that going from a CAAD10 to a Synapse isn't much of an upgrade?

Beat me to it. The CAAD10 is fantastic (bottom bracket notwithstanding). Depends how much your Synapse or, to put it another way, how good is the carbon layout?

In any event, keep the CAAD.

 

[smutchin]

These are the words of an LBS owner who has been in the trade many years.

So a shopkeeper rather than a qualified mechanical design engineer then?

 

[Crandoggler]

To put it into perspective, the military helicopters I work on use carbon fibre in the main rotor head, skin, frames, internal flooring, cockpit flooring and frames, and the undercarriage. To be honest, the only real metal parts belong in the gearboxes, main lift frames and engines. The rest is composite. I should imagine your weight on a single formed piece of carbon fibre will be absolutely fine, and the durability will outlast your legs. These helicopters have been flying since 1987 with the same* parts, so they aren't worried, and nor should you be.


*exclude failures and design modifications.

 

[StuAff]

To put it into perspective, the military helicopters I work on use carbon fibre in the main rotor head, skin, frames, internal flooring, cockpit flooring and frames, and the undercarriage. To be honest, the only real metal parts belong in the gearboxes, main lift frames and engines. The rest is composite. I should imagine your weight on a single formed piece of carbon fibre will be absolutely fine, and the durability will outlast your legs. These helicopters have been flying since 1987 with the same* parts, so they aren't worried, and nor should you be.


*exclude failures and design modifications.

+1. Bought the Viner (nearly new second hand) in 2009. The day I bought it, it toppled over in the garden and got a little dink in the top tube. Then I had an off descending from the Gospel Pass a couple of weeks after that, bounced off a cattle grid into a hedge. The following year, a crash coming down Reigate Hill. It must have toppled another four or five times since. According to that brain surgeon in the LBS any of these could have caused catastrophic failure. Well, yes, but any frame material would have failed (or not) in the same circumstances.

Six years and twelve thousand miles later (at a rough guess) still perfectly OK, still going strong.

 

[Citius]

My LBS won't touch carbon bikes because he claims they suffer just as many issues if not more than alluminium.
He claims carbon frames can be damaged too easily and the only way to detect the damage is to xray the frame, they also suffer , allegedly, from damp at the bottom of the seat tube where it meets the BB mount. He also claims the frame can fail catastrophically in the event of a minor shunt where a metal framed bike might absorb the majority of an impact.
These are the words of an LBS owner who has been in the trade many years.

Time he retired, by the sounds of it.

 

[Crandoggler]

I'd imagine a carbon bike frame one of the strongest shapes for carbon to be made in. The constant stresses in all directions mean that the carbon will be constructed in a fashion that allows this stress to occur without fracture. Whereas, a prop shaft for instance, will be constructed so that it is very strong and can withstand the torque from the 'twist' of a gearbox output, yet would fracture if it was dropped or bent horizontally.

 

[ianrauk]

Your worries are unfounded. Simple.

 

[bozmandb9]

My LBS won't touch carbon bikes because he claims they suffer just as many issues if not more than alluminium.
He claims carbon frames can be damaged too easily and the only way to detect the damage is to xray the frame, they also suffer , allegedly, from damp at the bottom of the seat tube where it meets the BB mount. He also claims the frame can fail catastrophically in the event of a minor shunt where a metal framed bike might absorb the majority of an impact.
These are the words of an LBS owner who has been in the trade many years.

Wow, there's going to be millions of disappointed customers when we all realise how terrible our carbon bikes are. Can he shed any light on when we should expect all these problems to materialise? ;-)