Hoshie
Posts:134
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| 03/19/2014 05:07 PM |
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Hi,
I have a Scott Addict coming up on 7 years and it shows no signs of going kaput. It's been ridden a lot but not raced much.
I was reading and saw some of the usual "Ti lasts forever" and a company claimed that light weight carbon only lasts for a few years. I have nothing against steel, aluminium or Ti as frame materials by the way - ridden them all and been pleased. To me, design and fit / geometry and intended use is largely the factor that gets me to like a bike.
Anyway, is there any truth to that has been objectively measured? Besides boredom, what's a fair life expectation of a quality carbon frame? I'd think without incident, boredom will kick in long before any real reason less a structural mishap like cracking or de-lamination.
Anyone have insight besides the purely anecdotal?
J |
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ChinookPass
Posts:809
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| 03/19/2014 06:41 PM |
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I've never had a carbon frame. but I've had plenty of carbon forks and none have been ridden to failure and most have been in at least one crash (of the rider-error kind). I would think the fork would be the most vulnerable part of the frame/fork combo.
As long as you don't drop it on sharp objects, let a gravity-challenged person step on it, subject it to rapid extreme thermal cycles, or immerse it in caustic substances, it should be fine. I'm sure you can find many youtube videos demonstrating the extreme strength of carbon and the extreme fragility of carbon.
They used to say the same about aluminum bikes, that you had to replace them every x years but I agree that boredom and FOMO on the latest new stuff is more likely to cause you to part from the Addict. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 03/19/2014 10:56 PM |
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*for Mrs. Hoshie*
You are WAY past the safe age limits of your Addict. You should stop riding that bike immediately, head to your local LBS and get a new bike ASAP.
*for you*
If you are happy with the Addict, ride till you heart is content. Zero safety issues.
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Spud
Posts:525
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| 03/20/2014 11:06 AM |
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Rode a Carbon Trek for 14 years, before purchasing my Colnago. Longenvity of the frame actually never entered my mind. If you're looking to have it checked.
http://bikexray.com/ |
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zootracer
Posts:833
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| 03/20/2014 12:27 PM |
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| Unless you crash and damage a carbon frame, it should last indefinitely. I have over 34,000 miles on my Trek Madone 5.9SL. |
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Hoshie
Posts:134
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| 03/20/2014 02:23 PM |
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CK - nailed it! That is the psychology of it, isn't it?
Nice to hear of a bunch of these frames going to distance.
J |
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Keith Richards
Posts:781
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| 03/20/2014 03:09 PM |
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| I would think that a properly laid up carbon frame would last LONGER than an equivalent steel bike, all other things being equal and we see how long those last if taken care of. Especially since we have moved past the AL lugs bonded to carbon tubes era and the problems they had. |
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It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong. |
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Master50
Posts:340
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| 03/20/2014 09:45 PM |
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I have seen lots of 25 year old steel frames. No assurance they were ever ridden regularly.
I watched a lot of fatigue tests on bars when I first switched to carbon bars. Easton showed their early carbon bars and after some 200,000 cycles they stopped without failure. Aluminum bars failed around 40,000 cycles and steel was a little higher.
Carbon has no fatigue life. That is if you do not create a stress high enough to damage it, that it will last until you do.
My fear with Carbon is only related to the engineering that created it. Carbon is complex and to do it well the engineers must be good at it.
My only negative is related to anecdotal reports of early Scott frames breaking.
Until you crash it or abuse it. Carbon frames should last indefinitely. That said is they only have 25 to 30 years of history and I still see a lot of early Treks. |
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Oldfart
Posts:511
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| 03/21/2014 01:46 PM |
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My father was a mechanical designer of mining equipment. He told me years ago that they had designed a device for concentrating the desired mineral which shook on a steel spring suspension. They broke springs regularly until they replaced them with fiberglass springs. Carbon composite is pretty similar to glass composite and I thin if designed correctly will last a very very long time. My carbon mountainbikes seem to take a pretty good beating.
Some folks suggest that the seats for press fit bearings will deteriorate relatively quickly in the bb area. I don't know about that. I recall people saying that drop in bearings in carbon and aluminum frames at the headset would be failing right left and center. I don't think that happened. I did once flare out a head tube on a steel mountain bike that had the old one inch standard and a really short head tube. I figure if the bearings are large in diameter and the head tubes longer that it won't be an issue.
the other thing a rider should do to help keep their bikes lasting longer, is to own and ride more bikes. |
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jacques_anquetil
Posts:245
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| 03/21/2014 03:09 PM |
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the longevity my carbon frame was tested to failure by the compressive force of my ass landing on the downtube after slipping on a rain-slicked driveway  |
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Master50
Posts:340
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| 03/21/2014 08:14 PM |
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Posted By jacques anquetil on 03/21/2014 03:09 PM
the longevity my carbon frame was tested to failure by the compressive force of my ass landing on the downtube after slipping on a rain-slicked driveway
Balls of steel? |
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jacques_anquetil
Posts:245
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| 03/21/2014 08:24 PM |
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| butt of lard. |
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