Carbon bike life span?

jc.borneo

I have heard often that carbon frame or any parts that is of carbon has a life span of 5 years? After that then it is more likely to break? Can anyone comfirm this?
Cheers

synchronicity

If that's true, Airbus is not going to be happy having to retire their A380 before 2014.

I haven't heard anything about it before. It's possible for plastic to become more brittle with time, but there's normally an epoxy resin polymer matrix in most CFRP composites. If I recall, thermosetting plastics aren't as prone to degradation as much as thermoplastics are.

I have a full monocoque carbon frame which I've been riding since 2001. I hope it's not bloody true because I love my bike!

One more thought: they thought the same thing about aluminium frames as they became lighter... even calling it the "aluminium timebomb".

Fatigue etc does exist, but it's probably an excuse to get you to buy more bikes.

jc.borneo

cheers mate really appreciate the feed back

John.T

My Trek 5200 is still going. It was new in 2000, just had it repainted so I hope it will last a bit longer. Don't see why it should not.

felgen

My Giant Cadex CF-2 is from 1993 and still going just fine. Some minor lacquer lifting but thats all. I will run this pasy my friend who works in F1 to see if he knows anything, though they chuck everything after a single use....

JF

I Don't have a carbon bike... yet.but anyways i'm also pretty big into sailing and our team has a carbon mast and pole for over 6 years and shows no wear and trust me that mast took more beatings than any bicycle. Plus its been exposed to bare sun more than a bike will be. The new technology are so advance i would worry about the carbon breaking, unless you have a pretty big accident or that u REALLY abuse your bike.

st68

got giant cadex hcm 3 mtb been used & abused 13years now my crap weather bike still going strong as ever

doyler78

I have a new carbon bike and because I release by unclipping inwards it means that my foot inevitably smacks into the frame. I do worry about this constant battering however there is no way to avoid it. Anyone see any probs with that?

giant_man

jc.borneo wrote:

I have heard often that carbon frame or any parts that is of carbon has a life span of 5 years? After that then it is more likely to break? Can anyone comfirm this?
Cheers

With all due respect to you mate, that is a load of crap!

JGS

doyler78 wrote:

I have a new carbon bike and because I release by unclipping inwards it means that my foot inevitably smacks into the frame. I do worry about this constant battering however there is no way to avoid it. Anyone see any probs with that?

Get a frame protector maybe? Or do a DIY job with a peice of dishcloth and some gaffa tape?

cougie

Or just learn to clip out properly ?

Frames will definitely last you far more than 5 years barring crashes.

I'm not so keen on carbon for other bits of the bike - bars and stem - they're no lighter, far more expensive - and these are more consumables rather than for the life of the bike. If your bike falls over - its always the bars that take the impact.

doyler78

cougie wrote:

Or just learn to clip out properly ?

It's not a matter of learning anything its physically impossible for me to do so. I do not have the necessary range of motion to be able to unclip outwards. That's as it is and I just have to work with what I can however it does concern me all this clattering into the frame though look at frame protectors as suggested. All seem to be American.

cougie

You could probably zip tie a neoprene chainstay protector round the tube - but I cant see that you could do much harm to it unclipping the way you do. Does that happen for both feet ?

doyler78

I can unclip on my right by twisting outwards however doing one one way and the other only confused me and I nearly came a cropper a few times so I stuck to inwards only. If you meant do I hit the frame when unclipping on both feet then I do. I have tried unclipping in all sorts of different positions however I end up hitting one tube or another.

Will check out the chainstay protectors - think I seen one on wiggle.

sloxam

i unclip inwards too and have found that when the crank is at 6.00 i miss everything. try it.

synchronicity

cougie wrote:

Or just learn to clip out properly ?

Frames will definitely last you far more than 5 years barring crashes.

I'm not so keen on carbon for other bits of the bike - bars and stem - they're no lighter, far more expensive - and these are more consumables rather than for the life of the bike. If your bike falls over - its always the bars that take the impact.

For me the consumables are the chain, cassette, tyres and even the gruppo. It's amazing how long the other solid metal components will last (brakes, cranks, post, stem).

I'll never buy a carbon stem. It's just the wrong material to use in my opinion. Bars are a bit different as they can be more ergonomic, but there are some hydroformed bars on the market that are getting catching up...

doyler78

sloxam wrote:

i unclip inwards too and have found that when the crank is at 6.00 i miss everything. try it.

Thanks for the tip sloxam. Will check it out during my commute tomorrow.