Two Spoke Forums banner

No name Carbon frames?

21K views 28 replies 13 participants last post by  John_V 
#1 · (Edited)
See less See more
#4 ·
When you consider that many companies choose to have their own brands made in China, it shouldn't surprise you to see Chinese-made carbon fiber frames on eBay. And the painful truth (sorry, SG) is that even the most respectable names will find their designs copied and sold much cheaper. I know this for a fact, as there was a guy on another site that was selling frames built to Wilier's spec, right out of the factory. After I got that sorted out, I apologized to the Wilier rep at Interbike, but he was kind of rude. Like it was my fault.

Before you pull the trigger on an eBay frame, go back and look at Rola's Trek. That's a Trek, from his local bike shop, and it self-destructed. Do you really want to trust a no-name frame with no dealer to back it up?
 
#7 ·
Are there any carbon frames that are any good? I know from the ATV world we would never use carbon for parts that carry load, because it's as brittle as fiberglass, it just makes good lightweight body parts and accessories.
 
#8 ·
now that the links work... they seem nice.

Hack, the second link looks like a Pinnarello Dogma. you said to the same specs, so are they exactly the same minus paint. or are there some differences?

if they are the same the price is unbelievable.
 
#9 ·
They may look exactly the same, and they may even be made using the same molds. But there is no assurance that they used the same quality of materials, or that the layup of the carbon matting is the same, or that they followed the same process. And of course, the quality assurance may not be the same.

Unlike metal tubing, where the thickness is mostly uniform, or at least predictable, carbon fiber can suffer from a lack of material, or even a bubble in the resin, which can dramatically weaken it.
 
#12 ·
A full carbon frame would be a waste for me. I am just an old man on an old bike. Slow and steady. But I was toying with the idea of maybe a seat post or handlebars. I saw somewhere that there are carbon chain rings. How can carbon hold up to that stress?
 
#14 ·
I know many people that have purchased these no name frames from China. Some were completely satisfied with their purchases and continue to ride them. Others got real crap and returned them immediately.

Do not expect these bikes to be of the same quality that they appear to be the same as! They are not made to the same specification as the real thing! Let alone dealing with warranty issues can be sketchy at best. This has been discussed ad nauseum on another forum I belong to and there as many different frames as there are opinions about these frames. I have been tempted on numerous occasions but have never had the guts to pull the trigger on one of these frames. I can honestly say I have not regretted paying more for my frame and having peace of mind than saving a little money and left with a bitter taste in my mouth.
 
#16 ·
I'm so afraid of carbon, that I don't think I'd enjoy riding a carbon bike. I'm starting to think about other fork options if I went with a Cannondale CAAD-10, or with a Motobecane Ti.
 
#18 ·
It's just that I'm hearing and seeing evidence of carbon frame failures way more than any other frame material. And I live (and ride) in an area of the country that has the largest number of pedestrian fatalities in the country. Now, I know that car vs. bike will pretty much destroy many frames, but there is too much carbon failure that is not related to that.
 
#19 ·
You see and hear of carbon failure because that is what a majority of high end road bikes are made of. You will hear to some extent how much we love our CF bikes but after the newness wears of we don't talk about the bike. Next thing you hear is that a CF bike failed and that it is a manufacturing defect. I can understand your worry but I can honestly say that out of 30 people that I ride only 2 or 3 bikes are not CF. I have ridden with these people for 4 years now an average of 50 miles every Saturday and have never seen one of their frames fail. Of course people are going to publicize when their frame fails, it is natural for us to so that. I have 2009 Look 586 that has over 10k miles on it on rough and chip seal roads. My Specialized Roubaix has almost 3k miles on it and three no no signs on failure or stress to the frame from my fat butt riding it. I really wouldn't worry about riding a CF bike honestly.
 
#20 ·
...I can honestly say that out of 30 people that I ride only 2 or 3 bikes are not CF...
That's the other reason for me to avoid carbon! :p

So I probably won't sweat the CAAD-10 or a Ti bike with a carbon fork! :thumbsup:
 
#21 ·
Carbon fiber is a great material when its done right Duende. It is VERY intolerant of errors in lay ups, and any sort of variation in the manufacturing process. Done right, it can last for many years being stronger than steel, light and corrosion resistant, and personally I think it gives a good ride.

IF a single piece of fabric is not put exactly as it should be, a void develops or any of a host of other imperfections that can occur in an imperfect world, it very well may be trouble waiting to happen. Trouble is that there is absolutely NO WAY to know. You can not tell by looking. Carbon fiber will not bend. It usually won't crack in a way that would allow a rider to see a problem developing. It almost always is a situation of one minute it looks and works fine, but the next minute something snaps and totally fails. If something on the frame fails, its almost always really bad news. If a carbon front fork snaps, you are going over the handlebars and hopefully not in front of an 18 wheeler that is about to pass you. You are extremely luck if it breaks when you are not on the bike.

Just because most of the people you know ride carbon fiber bikes does not mean the risks are not there. No knowing about a risk does not change them, it just means you are not managing them. It may only be 1 in 100 that has a problem, but for that 1 its a 100 percent.

IF I wanted to go to a carbon fiber frame, Id look at it this way. First buy only from manufacturers with the best reputation for both quality and service. Even then you might not be totally treated fairly, but its the best you can do. Stick within any weight and temp limits that might be on the frame. Heat is not a carbon fiber bikes best friend. Follow any other recommendations. If you are using carbon fiber, getting creative with the modifications is not usually a good idea. Lots of things can change stresses and the carbon fiber may or may not be able to take the mod with the lay up intended for other stresses.
 
#22 ·
And Rola owned a bike made by the company that is supposedly the industry leader in carbon bike frame manufacturing. I know a guy down here in South Florida that owns carbon bikes and he keeps them in the house, because he's worried that the garage is too hot. My wife wouldn't go for that. If I had to keep a bike in the house because I didn't have a garage, she'd be okay with that.

With a carbon frame bike I'd worry about every crack in the paint, as well as every ding from a piece of road gravel that gets kicked up. I'd worry about when I have it propped up against something and it falls. I'd worry if I fell, and if the chain gets derailed. And so on.
 
#23 ·
Garilia If it was really bad there may be no crack in the paint. It most likely would just break. I know of an airplane that has carbon fiber wings that back years ago had a temperature limit of 110 degrees. If it was hotter than that, you couldn't fly the airplane. Now the stresses are very different, but heat is no friend to carbon fiber.

Rola is the example of there can be no perfection in an imperfect world. Honestly he handled that with more class and grace than I think I could. Truth of the matter is his may have been the only bike in 3 months worth of production and maybe thousands of bikes made that had a problem. We are thankful his broke somewhere that no one was hurt.

Carbon fiber can make for a great bike, but ignoring that risk is like pretending a car will never pull out in front of you so no need to practice emergency stops. What is the key is making an informed decision. If you understand the risks and choose to ride carbon fiber great. I have a carbon fiber fork on my upright road bike and I don't worry about it in the least. Others would and thats ok. It falls to me within an acceptable level of risk, but other will have vastly different opinions and no one appointed me as the almighty. I think that's Hack's job with Sprocket Girl the goddess of all things cycling lets him do it. :)
 
#24 ·
I still believe my mayhem was was due to a broken derailuer hanger but I can't prove or disprove that now...Trek has the frame. If I had it to do over again I would have kept the bike/frame and gotten pictures and gotten others not involved to look at it first.

While Trek would not warranty the frame they made two offers( one on a frame and one one a complete bike which I opted for...) that I could not pass up; ironically the new bike I ordered was done through a warranty process and the LBS helped me out a little as well.

The drerailuer flailing around is what came up and around and smashed into the seat stay so it's not like the frame was faulty. It just got SWACKED by a metallic object and we know who wins that battle.

I couldn't help but laugh on my second ride on the new bike. Went out to the garage to pump up the tires ( I put my old Ksyrium Elite and Bontrager Race X lite tires) and loosened the presta valve and it launched into orbit somewhere so I got to change a tube on the back tire before I even left! Better than on the road...Sad part is I have brand new tires and tubes that came with the new bike.
 
#25 ·
Yeah, but bent derailer hangers happen, and the odds are that if a derailer hanger got bent on an aluminum, steel, or ti frame the frame would have been scratched, or it would have been a fairly simple repair. Now some carbon frames don't come with replaceable derailer hangers, but I guess if a bent one is going to tear up the chain stay or seat stay, replaceable is a moot point. If I got a carbon frame bike, I'd want a replaceable frame!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top