Carbon on Rollers ?

KonaMike

I was in my local bike shop on Saturday and happened to ask if my carbon bike (Look 566) would be ok to use on my rollers as I am selling my spare Alu Giant Defy due to lack of space.
Both the guys from the shop answered me at the same time but one said NO and the other YES !!
The guy who said NO thought it would put unusual stresses through the frame,but the other guy said he used his carbon Bianchi on rollers 3 times a week.

I am leaning towards just doing it....but before I do ...
Anyone ever had an issue with carbon bikes on rollers ??

dee4life2005

Couldn't imagine there being a problem using rollers ... a turbo trainer should be fine as well, as long as you aren't doing any out of the saddle sprinting.

I've used my carbon bike on the trainer twice without issue.

greasedscotsman

If it's a no, then someone needs to let this fella know...

racingcondor

I can't think of a good reason it would be a problem on rollers. Can't even think of a bad one...

At least with the Turbo fixing the rear axle removes the rear wheel from the equasion so puts more strain through the rear triangle. That might matter if you're hammering.

ugo.santalucia

What has happened to all the good and experienced mechanics? Is the industry so squeezed for profit that they have to fill the shops with imbecils?

smidsy

The only issue I can think of is the same regardless of frame material....falling off the bloomin thing :-)

KonaMike

Thanks all ! I couldnt see the problem either but it caused a heated discussion between the LBS staff !!
You have reassured me enough ...I'm sticking it on the rollers tonight.
If it melts or snaps in half I will post pics :roll:

ugo.santalucia

KonaMike wrote:

Thanks all ! I couldnt see the problem either but it caused a heated discussion between the LBS staff !!
You have reassured me enough ...I'm sticking it on the rollers tonight.
If it melts or snaps in half I will post pics :roll:

Another possible problem... carbon is the fibre form of graphite, which you do find in pencils... as you know if you rub it, it will wear out, so make sure you don't rub your frame against the rollers... but I am sure the staff at your LBS have warned you already...

neeb

It's hard to see how anyone with half a brain could think that rollers could do any harm to a frame - how on earth could the damage happen? You are just cycling on the rollers rather than on the road and the frame doesn't come into contact with anything. Any stresses through the frame will be tiny compared to going over small bumps on the road.

Even on a turbo, where the rear dropouts are locked in place, you will do no harm whatsoever. If you think about it, when you are climbing out of the saddle on the road the dropouts are also having to transmit all of the lateral forces you are putting through the frame, the only difference is that the force is counteracted by the leaning of the bike and your bodyweight rather than by the turbo frame. And if you are still worried, apparently Tour magazine once did a test where they proved that it doesn't do any harm...

simon_masterson

If you couldn't ride the bike on rollers, how could you ride it on the road? I'm never going to that bike shop!

KonaMike

Simon Masterson wrote:

If you couldn't ride the bike on rollers, how could you ride it on the road? I'm never going to that bike shop!

Thats the odd thing about it :?

The guy that said it is an awesome mechanic,builds wheels,races a bit etc ....but every now and then he says something that makes me question him,like when he said grey LOOK cleats had more float than red :?

neeb

The only conceivable way it could be any different from riding on the road is that the contact point of the front wheel with the roller is very slightly ahead of the contact point it would have with the ground, so the forces going through the fork and steerer might me minutely different. But it won't make the slightest difference in practice.

neeb

neeb wrote:

The only conceivable way it could be any different from riding on the road is that the contact point of the front wheel with the roller is very slightly ahead of the contact point it would have with the ground, so the forces going through the fork and steerer might me minutely different. But it won't make the slightest difference in practice.

Actually now I think about it, even that need not be true, it depends on the exact spacing of the rollers.

priory

perhaps he thought a carbon frame might go too fast , being so light, and you might take off.

Monty Dog

Some makers do state that riding on a turbo trainer voids their warranty, even though I've yet to hear of anyone damaging their frame this way. There is no conceivable way that rollers places more stress on a bike than regular riding.

MattC59

Go back to the LBS and tell the guy who said it would be a problem, that he's a mook !

Sprool

Another possible problem... carbon is the fibre form of graphite, which you do find in pencils... as you know if you rub it, it will wear out, so make sure you don't rub your frame against the rollers... but I am sure the staff at your LBS have warned you already...

I'm hoping this was a tongue-in-cheek comment, as the soft slippy platey form of graphite in pencils bears no similarity whatsoever to woven carbon fibre matting encased in epoxy resin, have you tried sketching with your forks?

NewTTer

Sprool wrote:

Another possible problem... carbon is the fibre form of graphite, which you do find in pencils... as you know if you rub it, it will wear out, so make sure you don't rub your frame against the rollers... but I am sure the staff at your LBS have warned you already...

I'm hoping this was a tongue-in-cheek comment, as the soft slippy platey form of graphite in pencils bears no similarity whatsoever to woven carbon fibre matting encased in epoxy resin, have you tried sketching with your forks?

Oh dear, if you needed to ask if it was tougue in cheek from Ugo, then you are possibly on par with the fool in the LBS

andy_wrx

err yes, laughing smiley face at end might have been a clue...