bfd
journeyman
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 77
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I recent saw the latest Calfee catalog. Very nice. However, there is one suggestion I would like to make that could be added to the catalog.
There are alot of non-carbon people out there who have this *fear* and *paranoia* about carbon fiber frames "shattering" and "breaking" just by looking at it. You know those types. They are everywhere.
In attempt to alleviate this fear, maybe one thing Craig can do in his next catalog is to put in some photos/data/info/discussion about the various Calfees/Carbonframes/Lemonds that have been around since 1987 or have over 100,000 miles on them and are still going strong.
What do ya think?
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Pintsized
journeyman
Reged: 02/27/05
Posts: 90
Loc: Corvallis OR
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I was one of those carbon phobes, so I think it'd be a super idea. Had I seen a simple discussion of what a prospective buyer should know about carbon fiber frames, and what ain't necessarily so, I would have had one of these a long time ago.
Yes, by all means, include supporting data and don't stinit on it. But I'd make it something you could refer to if you wante, e.g., on the next page, in an inset, or something. I'd counsel not to make people's eyes glaze over. Mine do that more easily than many, but I bet there are others out there like that.
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Insightdriver
captain
Reged: 03/07/04
Posts: 472
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What I would love to see is a video on a web site showing someone taking a standard carbon fiber bicycle tube bashing it hard against a telephone pole. I think that would be a convincer because contrary to popular belief, that stuff is tough to break.
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skuke
captain
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 321
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Quote:
Insightdriver wrote:
What I would love to see is a video on a web site showing someone taking a standard carbon fiber bicycle tube bashing it hard against a telephone pole. I think that would be a convincer because contrary to popular belief, that stuff is tough to break.
A riding buddy has a little start-up company building CF Mtn bikes. He was out on a ride with one of his early prototypes and set the bike down in the parking lot of a market while he ran in to get some grub and drink. When he came out, he found that his bike had been run over by a car. The driver was apologetic and very sorry. My buddy looked at the bike and except for some cosmetic damage, everything looked ok. He wasn't worried about the little damage since it was mostly old parts and he was just testing the ride. He let the driver go and all was good. ...until he tried to ride off. Apparently, the car bent both crank arms enough that he couldn't make a revolution. Both arms were hitting the chain stays in either direction! ...But the frame was intact and undamaged!
On the other hand, I know a guy who is making CF reinforced aluminum lacrosse sticks. Those break, but not as frequently as the non-reinforced versions. He's an mechanical engineer and uses a crude (and cheap) but repeatable method of testing. He plays "Barry Bonds" with the sticks against another lacrosse stick until one fails. Count the whacks.
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Skuke
95 Carbonframes Tetra Pro
92 Bridgestone MB-1
90 Moser 51.151
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nicrump
new member
Reged: 01/07/04
Posts: 42
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Quote:
Insightdriver wrote:
What I would love to see is a video on a web site showing someone taking a standard carbon fiber bicycle tube bashing it hard against a telephone pole. I think that would be a convincer because contrary to popular belief, that stuff is tough to break.
you might be suprised to find it shatters like glass at the inpact site.
but remember, doesnt have to hold up to pole bashing to be a great bicycle.
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flythebike
captain
Reged: 08/26/04
Posts: 272
Loc: N. Virginia, USA
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Carbon breaks, man. I had a Zipp wheel fail a couple weeks ago in a sprint. It must have had a crack and it just yielded when I sprinted on it. I has about 20 races on it, and I'm a powerful rider, yet I have a certain finesse. My chain came off, yet I didn't fall. So, while it is strong, the strongest material, it is brittle, and it can break. You should inspect it from time to time. I will inspect my wheels before and after every race now. That said, a frame takes much less abuse than wheels, and my opinion of Craig is that he makes stuff durable, as durable as can be while still being lightweight.
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