Carbon vs. Aluminium

grantus

If manufacturers recommend you replace a Carbon fibre frame after a crash then should you take an insurance policy out on your bike?

Obviously if your bike is worth £2 or £3K then you probably would anyway but I'm thinking more of things around a grand ie Focus Cayo Planet X, etc.

Surely Aluminium has a major advantage over Carbon fibre then? especially at the £1K price point?

Basically if you have a reasonably serious spill - which is not exactly uncommon - your bike should be written off if it's carbon?

Seems uneconomical to me.

Would be interested to know what people think

willbevan

that is one reason i am thinking of a Ti bike...

Know a few people that have come off on carbon bikes and are still riding them, they tell me carbon bikes arn't as fragile as people make out... but with my track record i wouldn't risk it, bt then a cheap 1k planet x or focus is dam inviting! think i would still insure it though

giant_man

No carbon bikes aren't as fragile as they seem to be. Maybe not as durable as alu or ti but still surprisingly touch, especially in a crash situation. Of course there are exceptions ...

Eat My Dust

It would depend on the crash I think. I wouldn't chuck the carbon just because of a crash (although I'm sure the manufacturers would love that!!) A serious heavy crash and I would seriously think about it, but then again I would do the same with any bike no matter what it was made of.

grantus

some interesting points.

think you hit the nail on the head with the comment about the manufacturers loving the writing off of frames!

Thing is as well, is a £1K carbon bike more of a 'status symbol' or a bling thing rather than being far superior than aluminium.

Is it a case of clever marketing that many people assume Carbon fibre = faster/better than Alu?

p.s. those planet x bikes do look good though!

ksalno

Some manufacturers give a crash credit for a new frame. It doesn't make replacement free but it is a lot less than buying a new frame at retail.

redddraggon

A crash is more likely to damage a thin walled Alu frame than a carbon frame.

Slow Downcp

Quite often accidental damage (including bikes) is covered on home insurance. I had my chain come off and get jammed between chainset and stay which put a small cut into a carbon frame. I phoned my insurers and they said to take it to my local bike shop and if they thought it should be scrapped, then get them to put into writing along with cost of replacement and they would settle. Turned out I didn't need to claim, but reassuring to know how simple it would be.