I'll share one of my phobias.

Any lightweight bike will eventually fail.

Steel, aluminium, carbon, whatever. None are designed to last.

Where carbon and aluminium are worse is failing catastrophically, snapping like a chocolate egg. Steel cracks slowly, ti bends.

Steel is what I'd choose for a bike that will be a keeper.
 
I've got full carbon forks on my cross bikes and they've taken everything that i can throw at them on some fairly extreme cross rides.

I've seen snapped carbon bars on rigid set ups, but not where people are using sus forks.

I've seen quite a few snapped carbon/alu forks. Where one material is bonded to the other there's usually a weak spot.

I'm also wary of ti components where the same amount of material is being used as a substitute for steel - such as pedal and bb axles. I think the discussion has been had here before - you need to use more to ti make it as strong as the equivalent steel.

Like most things, i'm sure you get what you pay for. I know that easton, amongst others, make excellent carbon products, but i'd be very wary of unbranded offerings.

Rich
 
Not really a phobia but whenever I hang my arse over the back of the saddle down hill I always remember my mate who sat on the rear wheel of his bmx at speed.
The bike stopping dead in its tracks as his hips were thrust forward into the seat post.. goolies first :shock:

Laughed so hard I cried.
 
chris667":2vmvdw8w said:
Steel is what I'd choose for a bike that will be a keeper.
Click to expand...

I agree.
As long as that steel frame is a Clockwork or a P7 ;)

All hail the God Orange :cool:
 
Yes, I have the carbon phobia too. If you look at what the pro road guys use; they all ride on aluminium bar and stems even though their sponsors make carbon parts available.

I would ride a carbon road frame (Colnago of course) but it just makes no sense on a MTB frame because of the number of crashes. My MTB is carbon free.

My phobia used to be frames made of 2 materials, like the aluminium road frames with carbon stays.
 
bordercollie1":17vq088j said:
Yes, I have the carbon phobia too. If you look at what the pro road guys use; they all ride on aluminium bar and stems even though their sponsors make carbon parts available.

I would ride a carbon road frame (Colnago of course) but it just makes no sense on a MTB frame because of the number of crashes. My MTB is carbon free.

My phobia used to be frames made of 2 materials, like the aluminium road frames with carbon stays.
Click to expand...

Yep, For an MTB it just doesn't work...one crash could spell the end for a carbon frameset where as steel could just be a dent and still useable.
 
I dunno, lots of mixed feelings. Here's a couple of anecdotes which Ive posted up on forums before, so apologies, if youve read it before.

I was once a spectator at an amateur road race. The bunch descended a hill, where there was a sharpish corner at the bottom, but it was taken at some speed. Out of the bunch there was a gunshot sound (literally as loud), lots of chaos, but fortunately no crashes. What had happened was a guys carbon chainstays had snapped in the middle of the stays, so not a bonding failure. No warning - he said his bike felt as always till that incident and then it was suddenly gone. Scary!

I also remember at the end of the sheffield tour of britain stage, examining the team bikes. Some had hugeish chunks ripped out of the carbon forks, probably as a result of prior crashers. These didnt look like fresh "wounds" either, so had started out like this for a hard stage including descending holme moss at 50mph plus. So maybe we're being a bit over cautious. Maybe the good branding v cheapo stuff holds true.

Ive got carbon forks on my roadbike, but it sometimes still unsettles me.
 
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