Carbon Bikes. Epic failure.

What a bunch of crap. most (or all) of the pics on this site are results from crash damage. Carbon fiber and composites don't necessarily fail catastrophically. I good friend just got his S-works Epic replaced under warranty. The bike has been making a strange creak for several months. We've made many inspections, checked the BB, replaced some suspension pivot parts (all under warranty), checked over the drivetrain, pedals , etc.

I had chalked it up to amplified FSR creak on a carbon bike.

Finally, a very subtle, I mean barely noticeable line appeared around the BB shell. The rep was called, and RMA was issued and a brand new frame was sent out.

My point is this. How much warning do you get before you notice a crack on your aluminum frame? How many months do you continue to ride your aluminum frame with a crack? Remember, this frame DID NOT FAIL. It was still being ridden the day before it was replaced. Theo is a hammer-head, and rides pretty aggressively too. If anyone is going to break an XC frame, he's the guy to do it.

There are plenty of broken aluminum and bent steel stories out there too. I'm just sad that in this day and age, with all of the technological advancement in composites, we're going to waste a thread on carbon failure.

I guess if you can't afford it, you must have to hate it. :p :D :p :D
 
Its all about the magnitude of the forces in play and elastic vs. inelastic deformation. I will never run carbon anything on my MTB (I weigh 200lbs haha, lots of elastic deformation happening in my wheels and frame). I have nightmares about a head tube separating at speed...no bueno.
 
Most of the pics on that site ARE from crash damage, as was pointed out, but I've seen at least one carbon frame develop fatigue cracks, too.

The frame was a Trek Y-22 that had a LOT of miles on it. The crack was at the bonded interface between the frame and the aluminum shock mount. Trek replaced the frame under warranty.

Trek's OCLV carbon is about the best there is, but nothing lasts forever.

Would I run anything carbon on my bike? I might run a carbon handlebar, but the last time I was in the market for a new h/bar I didn't want to spend the extra cash. Maybe next time, and it will be a carbon DH/Freeride bar even though I do XC-style trail riding. I really like the vibration damping abilities of carbon, but I'd go with a DH/FR bar for the extra strength and hopefully, extra longevity.
 
I own to Trek carbon bikes. My moutain bike is a epic fuel 9.0 carbon, and I have a trek madone 5.2 also carbon. I know alot of those photos are crash damage, I also saw a couple that weren't. I'm not hating on carbon, i love it. But ouch, can we destroy it any harder! :lol:
 
I agree with MTBFred. Yes if you run bike into a car or slam a ditch at speed you are going to break your road bike. I'm on my 5th carbon bike and have broken one. It was a Trek 9800 hardtail and and the non chain side of the chain stay cracked. I noticed it while riding San Juan. The crack at first looked like a chip in the paint. But as I continued to ride it grew bigger. Keep in mind I did the whole upper loop, plus all the way back to the bottom with a cracked frame. By the time we got back to the car, it was a obvious crack, but still never catastrophically failed. And yes Trek sent me a replacement at no charge.

I'm not sure I would ever run an MTB with a carbon steerer, but do have the other carbon bits on the bike.
 
Unless you strike the frame on a rock the carbon should be as strong or stronger than the aluminum. And it your frame is striking a rock your having a bad day anyway.

As far as riding carbon for big guys, I weigh 235 with no gear and I blast down stuff on a carbon cyclocross fork without a second thouht. I'm more afraid of the aluminum frame breaking at the head tube or chainstays.
 
Yes. Carbon Fiber does fail. So does aluminum, steel, and all those other bike materials. Most composites for bikes are created for specific energy channeling purposes. Used correctly, none of these composites will fail. Used incorrectly, i.e. crashing, the composite will fail. Manufacturers do not make a composite necessarily durable during crashes. Yes, to some extent they will try to make it durable. The point of riding a bike is to ride it, not to crash it. When you crash the bike, you are putting stresses on it that it is not (necessarily) meant to take.

The same thing as crashing. Would you try to ride an XC bike on a Downhill course? You are using the XC bike for something not intended or forseen by the manufacturer.

I bet I could also find tons of other images with broken steel, broken aluminum, broken composites. Obviously nothing is indestructable.
 
Yeah, if you look through all the postings on the blog there's also postings of aluminum, steel, and even titanium (gasp!) frames torn apart.
 
Don't forget this one!!!!!!!!!

BrewMaster said:
Say what you want, but it is still a fun site to look at.
Click to expand...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiYknIFEayw
another carbon!

I weigh too much for carbon. I'd get a carbon road bike but stick with metals for rough stuff.
not really a comparison but it's carbon. Just wanted to post it. Ironic she navigates insane terrain at speed and had an incident on a road bike.
 

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 537 (members: 0, guests: 537)
Robots: 231

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
63,933
Messages
979,886
Members
16,230
Latest member
Screeming Yellow Zonker.
Back
Top