Does carbon wearout? If so how long?
I have heard so many conflicting ideas on this one. What is the cold hard truth? What are the factors involved? Road conditions, time spent on the bike, style of riding, weight of the rider, quality of carbon, all of the above?
Someone please set me on the right path.
Define wearout…
Go to any roadie event, a century or metric, and you will see loads of ten year old Trek OCLV carbon bikes. They last a long time. Since you are on Slowtwitch, you’ll probably get tired of your bike by next year and it won’t matter anyway, but bicycle frames don’t wear out. Sure, they are ruined in crashes, but you will probably be riding something new long before that happens
X2.
Also be on the lookout for old Kestrel 4000s of late 80s and early 90s vintage.
Of those and older Trek OCLVs, you would be surprised how many of those perfectly fine frames are hanging in garages collecting dust.
Minus a manufacturing defect, crash, or some other traumatic event, most carbon frames will be relegated to hooks in the back of the garage long before they might “wear out”. I’ve got a friend who still qualifies for Kona whenever she wants who still rides 2 original Kestrel 200SCi framed bikes. That isn’t to say she hasn’t looked at all the latest stuff like P3C, etc. I suppose its that old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
I love my bike and I would hate to part with it but I have heard all sorts of things from all sorts of people (bike sop owners, mostly). Here are a few of the questionable things I have been told about carbon frames.
- Depending how much you ride, you will need a new frame about every four years.
- Some peoples sweat can be caustic and actually etch/pit the outer coat of the frame.
- All carbon frames become “credit cards” which is to say “flimsy” in time.
- You will lose power and speed as the frame gets older and loses stiffness.
Is this just sales talk? Has anyone else heard any of this?
I love my bike and I would hate to part with it but I have heard all sorts of things from all sorts of people (bike sop owners, mostly). Here are a few of the questionable things I have been told about carbon frames.
-
Depending how much you ride, you will need a new frame about every four years.
MARKETING GENIUS! Please explain “need.” Like for example, I “need” carbon bike shoes? -
Some peoples sweat can be caustic and actually etch/pit the outer coat of the frame.
Wash your bike once a week, and at least wipe it down after every ride if you have a tendency to slobber all over it or pour your fluids on it. If you use it on a trainer, put a towel or other sweat protector over the top tube. -
All carbon frames become “credit cards” which is to say “flimsy” in time.
Funny, diamonds are carbon and last forever and don’t get flimsy. -
You will lose power and speed as the frame gets older and loses stiffness.
YOU will lose power if you slack on your training, get fat or lose muscle mass. As YOU get older, you might lose power, but the bike has no ability to lose power. Again, inspect it for frame cracks and stuff, but a well-cared-for bike will last a long, long time. As does a car or a body.
Is this just sales talk? Has anyone else heard any of this?
‘‘1. Depending how much you ride, you will need a new frame about every four years.
2. Some peoples sweat can be caustic and actually etch/pit the outer coat of the frame.
3. All carbon frames become “credit cards” which is to say “flimsy” in time.
4. You will lose power and speed as the frame gets older and loses stiffness.’’
Holy Crap! Those are all the things they said about aluminum frames and probably about steel frames before that. So what do they tell the guys with ti frames; " silver is going out of style’'?!
moving parts wear out; bad welds break. Unless your bike takes an impact, no issue. I’ve got a 2001 aluminum frame that I just rebuilt w/ new parts- good as new. I’m anticipating 10-12 years minimum from my carbon Talon.
Sooo, I am being dooped into buying another frame before I truly need one, eh.
Hey, anyone have a used Cadi they wana sell me?
How about a bridge in Brooklyn?
…Holy Crap! Those are all the things they said about aluminum frames and probably about steel frames before that. So what do they tell the guys with ti frames; " silver is going out of style’'?!
Aluminum frames do wear out. Tell that to felix__w who had his bike fail a few weeks before a big race:
Who’s felix?
Looks like he doesn’t do much maintenance.
How old was the frame?
What make?
What caused the damage?
If you go to one of those roadie events, you’ll find even more old aluminum frames still rolling along with no problems.
(sorry, my spell checker changed your name by accident)
Thanks for all the help.
That frame looks bad.
I wish Tom was out there to chime in on this.
Lets see, here’s a list of my carbon bikes and ages:
- 1992 Trek 2300 (carbon main frames and alum stays) This one looks brand new!
- 1996 Zipp 2001
- 1996 Zipp 2001
- 2001 Trek 5200
- 1996? Trek Y-11
All these frames are performing as new, as of today!!