I don't think anyone should be afraid of carbon for the reason of failure. If there were a huge problem with carbon having catastrophic failures chronically we would all hear about it. I've broken most of the bikes I have owned. A few steel, a few aluminum and even a titanium. None from crashes, all just fatigue and wear and tear.
Anyone who wrenches on their own bike and cleans it regularly will usually discover new cracks before any catastrophe occurs. Your article notes the person bought a 2007 bike - it was already 10 years old. I wouldn't expect it to have too much life left in it if it was well used. I am more afraid of breaking a handlebar than anything else on my bike.
Out of curiosity, how often do you all replace your bars? I've ridden with some trials riders who replaced theirs every year. Seems reasonable when you think about it. Handlebars do tend to fail catastrophically, more so than any other part on the bike (forks are bad too).
July 24, 2018, 11:20 p.m. - Reed Holden
I don't think anyone should be afraid of carbon for the reason of failure. If there were a huge problem with carbon having catastrophic failures chronically we would all hear about it. I've broken most of the bikes I have owned. A few steel, a few aluminum and even a titanium. None from crashes, all just fatigue and wear and tear. Anyone who wrenches on their own bike and cleans it regularly will usually discover new cracks before any catastrophe occurs. Your article notes the person bought a 2007 bike - it was already 10 years old. I wouldn't expect it to have too much life left in it if it was well used. I am more afraid of breaking a handlebar than anything else on my bike. Out of curiosity, how often do you all replace your bars? I've ridden with some trials riders who replaced theirs every year. Seems reasonable when you think about it. Handlebars do tend to fail catastrophically, more so than any other part on the bike (forks are bad too).