Carbon

carbonfiend

i repaired carbon frame on top tube it had a very small chip that went down 2 layers from shifters swinging into tube - it was very small but bigger than a scratch etc i got a kit from carbon mods and filled it with carbon epoxy resin and dropped tiny cut upfibres into it then layed some fibres over the top sanded it down all cool it looks a bit ugly but it works.
Might add it was a very small chip could only just get fibres in it was that small but was defo a repair job. I have seen people repair full on cracks and snaps

Splottboy

One day, ALL Carbon frames will be covered in "Splottolite", a very thin vaneer of Titanium, very thin but strong. Once all bike manufacturers use this, I will retire to the British Virgin Islands.

But, firstly, I have to invent it...

supersonic

Won't be long before we see diamond coated parts.

bomberesque

RealMan wrote:

And how extensive does the damage have to be before it is unfixable?

For instance, I have a carbon frame in my garage that is cracked all the way around the seat tube, and has big damage on the head tube from cable rub.

I'd look up a local boat builder and ask them but I would guess that just about anything can be fixed, if you have the time and inclination ... just depends whether it's worth the time and cost.

CF/GF fixes are not invisible, they usually leave a lump at the patch location, so if that lump fouls something (tyre for example) then you could be stuffed, otherwise it can probably be done

ride_whenever

based on what i've seen fixed in carbon racing shells (for rowing boats) just about anything can be fixed.

Hell i know one manufacturer made a batch of hulls and forgot to do the final structural layer, so the carbon had a seam running the length of the hull. Repeated use of the boat would cause them to open up like a banana! :shock:

He was just repairing them by removing the gel-coat and replacing the missing layer, a quick re-spray and robert it your mothers brother.

SDK2007

I'll echo Mark_K's post above.

I've had a Carbon AM bike since April 08. I've hit every trail center in Wales and Scotland; along the way I've had some falls, knocks and a few dodgy landings on DH runs and the frame hasn't missed a beat.

If it does go then Specialized's lifetime warranty will sort it anyway.

Carbon rocks
---

GHill

Does carbon have a stereotypical ride feel? I know that not all frames are the same, but the perception is that steel gives a flexy compliant ride that is more comfortable, whereas Al is stiffer and lighter.

From C handlebars I imagine that frames would absorb a lot of vibration? Is it like the stereotype for steel but without the weight? Or, is it stiffer than steel but less compliant? (Again, very generally)

One thing on my mind is the new carbon 456, it's £500 and weighs 3.3 lbs. The Ragley mmmbop is £275 and weighs 3.7 lbs. Seems like a significant increase in price for a saving of 0.4 lbs (less than 200 g). So how might the ride be different?

richg1979

seams ok as long as its not french.

supersonic

Typically carbon is stiff, but with high levels of vibration absorption, the sort of buzz you get on some terrain.

Of course I emphasise 'typically'.

Be interesting to know the final weight - I am gusessing nearer 1600-1700g when done.

GHill

supersonic wrote:

Typically carbon is stiff, but with high levels of vibration absorption, the sort of buzz you get on some terrain.

Of course I emphasise 'typically'.

Thanks. Exactly the info I was looking for, especially the "typically".

Northwind

I've helped repair a carbon fibre mast off a wee racing boat of some sort, and done a couple of fishing rods, in their ways both are more highly stressed than most pushbike parts. Still, the repairs apparently aren't expected to be as strong as the original layup, and since that obviously broke I'm not sure how keen I'd be on that myself.

But then, how many people break frames then repair them?

mozzy10

lots of people use carbon on mast on boats. On dinghys i guess it's worth a go to try and repair as if it fairs again it woudln't be life threatening. Carbon on your bike would be. Still, i'm sure it can be repaired, its just a matter of how much extra weight you want/can fit on your bike component.

Northwind

mozzy10 wrote:

lots of people use carbon on mast on boats. On dinghys i guess it's worth a go to try and repair as if it fairs again it woudln't be life threatening. Carbon on your bike would be.

A mast snapping can definately be life threatening, lots of weight and power in them... Not to mention you get left with no mast

mozzy10

I said on dinghys. Yeh sure, a yacht would be pretty catastrophic, but i'm also quite sure you don't get many home bodges on racing yachts with CF masts. But on a 'wee racing boat' i would and have before given it a go knowning my life isn't a risk, only slight injury.

I woudln't try to repair my handlebars or frame myself. Not that I'm saying it can't be done. This is getting pretty off topic but who do you work on CF with?

supersonic

A forum mast debate eh, tis a first hehe

Northwind

mozzy10 wrote:

I woudln't try to repair my handlebars or frame myself. Not that I'm saying it can't be done. This is getting pretty off topic but who do you work on CF with?

I don't really, just ended up helping with some DIY repairs because they knew I could lay up fibreglass and they figured it's the same thing. Similiar at least...

Wouldn't repair a handlebar, then again, I doubt I'd break one either But then that comes back to the same thing, nobody ever repairs aluminium bars either. Most broken parts end up in the bin regardless of what they're made of.

bails87

supersonic wrote:

A forum mast debate eh, tis a first hehe

Ew!

paulrockliffe

Having looked at the videos of that Cannondale Taurine being bashed up and squashed in a vice on Youtube, I think I'd rather be on a carbon bike when it fails than a metal one.

Where a metal downtube might snap at a weld and cause the top tube to bend in half, dumping you face-first through your own forks, the carbon frame simply isn't going to fail this way. It might get his by a rock and (worst case) have all the resin shatter, but the fibres would still resist the tension and let you make a safe exit from the scene.

bomberesque

supersonic wrote:

Won't be long before we see diamond coated parts.

OH YES 8)

RichMTB

Wouldn't repair a handlebar, then again, I doubt I'd break one either But then that comes back to the same thing, nobody ever repairs aluminium bars either. Most broken parts end up in the bin regardless of what they're made of.

I didn't bother trying to repair this!

El Capitano

But did you replace it with an alloy or carbon fibre bar?

RichMTB

I bought another carbon one. TBH the crash that broke the first one would have badly bent or broken an alloy one (and my ribs might have been in much worse shape)

The second bar is still going strong three years on and on its second bike

weescott

I built my Heckler 2 years ago with an Easton Monkeylye XC CNT riser bar. It has lasted the odd DH outing and a couple of big crashes. Im only just away to replace it now, but I would replace it if it was an Alu bar too. It's getting replaced with a DH Alu bar....but only because I got good deal on it.

I built up a Blur XCc recently. I have no worries about taking it on some double black XC runs.

There will be a Carbon SC V10 soon too. Carbon is the future.

.kyle

CNT technology will help to make carbon frames/parts even stronge/tougher/more resiliant etc....

Dirtydog11

I thought all frames and components etc had to be built to the same CEN requirements irrespective of what they're made from. If that's the case then the whole, is carbon stronger than aluminium alloy debate is just a none starter IMO.

supersonic

Depends where the frame is made - not all have to meet CEN. And some far exceed it.

Northwind

Dirtydog11 wrote:

I thought all frames and components etc had to be built to the same CEN requirements irrespective of what they're made from. If that's the case then the whole, is carbon stronger than aluminium alloy debate is just a none starter IMO.

This is a bit like saying "The highjump bar was set at 5 feet, therefore everyone who cleared it jumped exactly 5 feet". CEN tests some specific things, but different frames will pass it, ace it, or anywhere inbetween, and it doesn't test everything- frinstance a frame could pass the testing but be very brittle against impact.

Dirtydog11

supersonic wrote:

Depends where the frame is made - not all have to meet CEN. And some far exceed it.

Yes some will exceed it but the point I'm getting at is that the CEN standard means that we have a minimum safety requirement in place. So I'm no more worried about carbon components breaking than I am alloy.

On the face of it (from what I have read) the CEN standards appear to be quite high as a number of manufactures have had to increase the weight of there frames in order to meet the new requirements.

Just out of interest what was the standard used before CEN was it BSI, ISO and do all bikes sold in Europe now have to meet this standard ?

supersonic

Not sure what was used - some BSI but unsure of the standards.

The CEN regs are rather daft - very limited scope for the vastly different bikes we have. On one hand we may have an over engineered machine for bridleway pootles, or an under engineered one for dropping off cliffs.

lugsey2k5

[quoteStill, the repairs apparently aren't expected to be as strong as the original layup[/quote]

A proper repair should be as good as the original product if done correctly. Carbon repairs are regularly carried out on stressed aircraft panels(if within tolerance) and the repair must meet the same standard as the original