Life expectancy of Carbon Frame?

Karl2010

so whats the average life span of a carbon frame? years/miles?

redddraggon

Until it breaks

SteveR_100Milers

a million years, unless you crash it and snap it. Some say its quite weak....

skyd0g

In the rain about 4 hours before it starts to melt.

Lillywhite

Karl2010 wrote:

so whats the average life span of a carbon frame? years/miles?

Suggest you ask Trek since they give a lifetime guarantee.

Hibbs

Lillywhite wrote:

Karl2010 wrote:

so whats the average life span of a carbon frame? years/miles?

Suggest you ask Trek since they give a lifetime guarantee.

Or almost everyone else who give 2 years

Lillywhite

Hibbs wrote:

Or almost everyone else who give 2 years

Do you mean only 2 years?

If so, then those manufacturers must be using inferior carbon fibre or have very little faith in their product. :shock:

Splottboy

Lifespan: 1 crash = Terminal Death...to the frame...

rake

does that mean you dont want to be on the new airbus A380 after two years in the air
like a bike 1st crash and its terminal though.

TommyEss

I know guys in my club with some pretty old carbon frames - like first and second generation Giants - they're still absolutely fine!

Hibbs

Lillywhite wrote:

Hibbs wrote:

Or almost everyone else who give 2 years

Do you mean only 2 years?

If so, then those manufacturers must be using inferior carbon fibre or have very little faith in their product. :shock:

To be fair to them, that's probably all the warranty they get from the Chinese/Taiwanese factory that they buy them from.

rake

do they make aluminium bikes in taiwan?
do all bikes have an industry standard 2 yer guarantee.? (not just carbon) :?:
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TommyEss

Yes they do - that's where my Giants and my Cannondale were welded.

And pretty much all items you buy come with one or two years warranty.

In terms of consumer rights - if you have a failure outside the warranty period, you could still get a repair or replacement, as any goods must last for a "reasonable amount of time"

Is it reasonable to expect a bike to last for 5 years? Yes. So if it breaks after 2 1/2, do you have a case with the manufacturer - probably, yes.

The warranty just simplifies the procedure - in that you go to the retailer, not the manufacturer.

APIII

Time frames are covered by a lifetime warranty, so some manufacturers have confidence in their product. They do make their own carbon fibre though, so they have control over the whole manufacturing process.

Lillywhite

Hibbs wrote:

To be fair to them, that's probably all the warranty they get from the Chinese/Taiwanese factory that they buy them from.

Trek's 4.5 model TCT frames are made in the Far East, I guess to Trek's exacting quality control, and they still have a lifetime guarantee.

TommyEss

Taiwan is one of the biggest manufacturing economies in the world - they didn't get there by being slap-dash and making crap products.

Lillywhite

TommyEss wrote:

Taiwan is one of the biggest manufacturing economies in the world - they didn't get there by being slap-dash and making crap products.

I agree. A bit of a change from the late 50's/early 60's when anything made in Hong Kong was usually very cheap and c**p.

SteveR_100Milers

I've crashed mine a couple of times and it didn't break. It would need to be a big impact to snap it, chances are you would have done too, in which case you probably wouldn't really care what the failure mode was.....

STEFANOS4784

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

I've crashed mine a couple of times and it didn't break. It would need to be a big impact to snap it, chances are you would have done too, in which case you probably wouldn't really care what the failure mode was.....

That's what i was thnking 'one crash' :shock: Maybe if you crashed off a cliff or straight into a wall at 30mph :arrow: