Carbon concerns

mlbaker

Does anyone know if carbon frames are very durable, I ride in the Peak District and regularly hear the sound of rocks hitting my frame. Could these crack a carbon down tube?

nicklouse

if it is designed to be an MTB it will behave like an MTB.

the biggest issue is wear through friction.

ride_whenever

to put your mind at rest

hammertime

Mancunianfightingcat

nicklouse wrote:

if it is designed to be an MTB it will behave like an MTB.

the biggest issue is wear through friction.

There's a thread somewhere featuring worn through chainstays due to heel rub!

edit:

here it is

supersonic

I'd guess alu would have worn just as quick.

Tank-slapper

He should learn to ride with his heels out or get a crankset with a larger Q-factor.

Worries about the durability of carbon are usually false.

stumpyjon

Yep, aluminium wears and dents too. In fact carbon is more likely to bounce back after an impact if made well whereas ali will dent. Ali is pretty soft too, the brake hose cut a groove in the BB shell of my stumpjumper before I got a protective (plastic) patch over it. The patch seems more durable than the metal :shock:

bomberesque

I've also read and heard complaints from people with tyres rubbing through frames. Carbon you'd sort of expect, but it happens on all metals, a mate of mine has an indy fab titanium frame with tyre wear mark (ie missing metal) on the inside of the chainstay!

ashleymp777

If you're worried about damage caused by stones etc. hitting your frame then put some helicoptor tape over the areas most affected. Presumably under the bottom tube and the chain stays.