Crabon Fibre Forever!!!???

**I have long been against the idea of using carbon for mountain bikes, but slowly my mindset has changed. There many examples of carbon parts that perform fantastically and have hard to believe durability. I first had carbon DH bars about seven years ago with Easton's Monkey Lite DH. I rode those for a year and a half without a peep out of them. More recently, I tested a bike that had Race Face's SixC cranks and was floored with how stiff they were. I scored a set and have had them for a year without any problem. Nothing outside of BMX steel cranks feel as solid and they have remained silent as well as trouble free. Several months back I built a set of custom carbon wheels with Hadley hubs. They have been bombproof and the performance gain is astounding. Despite these instances, I remained wary of carbon frames over more than just durability.

Sure, I have seen the impressive testing videos that Santa Cruz put out a couple of years ago and have had friends riding carbon rigs without issue. Really it has been less of a concern of catastrophic failure, but price. Most carbon frames are at least a third more if not double the cost of their alloy counterparts. Yeah, I was able to pick up components on special or OEM take-offs, but buying a used carbon frame seemed like a bad idea. If I trashed it there would be no warranty, maybe crash replacement parts at high fees at best and I'd still be out a wad of kale without a bike to ride.

I am however, now rethinking this after reading up on the repairability of carbon. There are a number of places that do this, but Ruckus really impressed me. Feasibly, I could get a used carbon frame for far less than it's original cost and worst case scenario have it repaired for less than crash replacement. The environmental side is nice too in that it would be one less bike frame in the landfills.

What experiences have you had with the fantastic plastic?** :devil:

/startengineersrant

It's not plastic!!!

/endengineersrant

;)

**
I am however, now rethinking this after reading up on the repairability of carbon. There are a number of places that do this, but Ruckus really impressed me. Feasibly, I could get a used carbon frame for far less than it's original cost and worst case scenario have it repaired for less than crash replacement. The environmental side is nice too in that it would be one less bike frame in the landfills.

What experiences have you had with the fantastic plastic?** :devil:

Interesting advertising post, how much did they pay you?

I wish I could be a fan of carbon for all the rave reviews about how it rides, the shapes it can be built into, and the low weight. But it's footprint is too big and too unregulated for me to swallow.

There is nothing environmentally friendly about carbon fibre. The LCA is not justifiable. Production is incredibly toxic and needs large mitigation measures. Much carbon is produced over-seas and perhaps with even less environmental and worker health controls.

It doesn't go away. there are few recycling streams in place. Basically burning it off at high temp's with massive pollution controls, as it gives off huge GHG's and NOX. But there are few places that can do this and scrub it appropriately and face it, most consumers and bike companies aren't sending their waste to a proper recycling facility.

Both steel and aluminum have proven handling techniques and there is very little "virgin" steel or aluminum in the market-place, as it is widely recycled and up-cycled. It's very easy to dispose of a frame to a metal recycler, and they'll actually give you a few bucks for it.

Interesting advertising post, how much did they pay you?

Registered in 2013 to post an ad in 2015?? Playing the long game, eh?

No more carbon fibre on my mountain bikes… just fine with good old aluminum and steel thanks.

steel

Crabon Fibre

Interesting advertising post, how much did they pay you?

**I wish. Sell out?!? Sign me up and praise Jeebus!!!

Seriously, plastic or not anyone riding a CF frame? ** :devil:

Carpet Fiber - the next big thing.

Aluminum frame fatigues and may eventually crack and become recycling scrap.

A carbon frame if looked after could last a long, long time.

Aluminum frame fatigues and may eventually crack and become recycling scrap.

A carbon frame if looked after could last a long, long time.

I have a steel hardtail that - in terms of the material's strength - could feasibly last forever, but due to all of the new standards I'm likely to replace it in the near future.

I think for most people, when a bike frame actually breaks, it is due to a crash of accident. From what I understand, even though carbon is more durable that most other materials, a crash is just as likely to damage/destroy your carbon frame as an aluminum one (I'm, thinking mostly AM/DH here). That is how most frames end up suffering damage. Its rare these days to see decent-quality frame of any material break from overuse, fatigue or non-crashing abuse anymore.

Also, like someone said, even if your frame lasted forever, would you still want to ride a 10, 15, 20 year old frame as your only bike given the issues of finding spare parts and being bypassed by technological improvements?

I have had carbon cranks and a carbon bar, switched back to aluminum on both. The bar was for feel, the carbon was too rigid for my liking, felt to much feedback in my hands and elbows. Cranks I switched back for no good reason, just did when I got a new bike, don't miss the carbon cranks even though they were probably stiffer and more efficient.

Got some new carbon for the bike, haven't even installed it yet.
http://www.time-sport.com/pedales/atac-mx-dh_16_m42.aspx