Riding older carbon road bikes

[Gritstone]

Locally I’ve seen a nice carbon road bike for sale, it’s from around 2012 and appears to have had little use.

What is the cycle chat consensus of using older good condition carbon frames as a daily? Who’s still riding a carbon bike they got back 10-15 years ago?

I’d obviously give it a thorough inspection before riding, just looking for people’s experience in general. I’m used to riding and looking after 20-40 year old steel and 15 year old aluminium bikes but carbon is a new one for me.

 

[Punkawallah]

According to the nice boys at GCN, carbon frames can still be good after 20 years. Apparently the two big problems are ‘unpainted ‘ carbon (as UV degrades the ‘bare’ material), and undetected damage (as it needs an ultrasound to confirm) .

 

[DCLane]

Son no. 2's usual bike is a 30,000+ mile 2011 BeOne Raw and I tend to ride a 2015 NeilPryde Nazaré. I've no issues riding an older carbon frame but do regularly check it over just in case of potential cracks or damage.

 

[Gritstone]

Excellent, thanks!

 

[Big John]

17 years but not altogether trouble free. Mine is like Triggers Broom. I bought the bike 20 years ago when I was 50. Few years later I wrote the frame off but not the forks. New frame is still going strong after 17 years and the 20 year old forks are still good. It's still slick and a lot quicker than my steel bikes, which I enjoy riding more than my carbon. I ride once a week with an old riding buddy who's now 86 and he's got a new carbon bike with all the bells and whistles. I have to use my carbon bike for that ride otherwise he'd give me a kicking. I've had several sets of wheels on the carbon bike during the total 20 year period.

 

[Webbo2]

I have 2013 Orbea that currently is on the turbo but I would be more than happy to use it out the road if I didn’t have other bikes to ride.

 

[Drago]

If theres no visible damage it wouldnt concern me unduly.

Where carbon is bonded on to alloy dropouts or lugs and then allowed to age to that point I would be getting the bus instead, although most frames of that era shouldn't be of that type.

 

[Drago]

According to the nice boys at GCN, carbon frames can still be good after 20 years.

Theyre the last folk I would take advice from on any matter, although in this instance I'd be inclined to agree.

 

[fossyant]

I've seen some very nice bikes from that sort of age, with top of the range kit. Very tempted to pull the trigger on one but not sure (MrsF wouldn't be happy). I have an alloy and carbon (forks) CX bike from 2012 that's great which I bought used 3 years ago.

 

[Webbo2]

When folk started saying carbon frames dissolved in the rain. There was some YouTube videos where the guy tried to destroy some carbon frames and they took some destroying.