From Newsgroup: rec.bicycles.tech

Carbon fiber bikes are not repairable if you have any failures at high stress points. While you can plug miner holes and such, contrary to the carbon fiber repairman on his podcast, y0ou cannot rerpair major damage without seriously causing loss of strength.
Also the very act of flex which is now used by several manufacturers to lighten the ride of what would otherwise be too stiff a ride, will eventually cause cracking and failure of the reesibn that binds the carbon fiber together. Pointing out that Pro's ride bikes much harder than we do is not an excuse since they get a new bike whenever they need it. And photographers carefully do not photograph the catastrophic failures in the major races.
This isn't to say that a good carbon fiber bike won't last a very long time - the Trek OCLVs have been around a long time but they are not light and are tremedously overbuilt. But modern, superlight racing bikes are not lifetime two wheelers.
They are meant to be replaced every couple of years and the frameset should be scrapped if you ride it hard on bad roads. Passing it on is causing a possible death.
Nore is this to say that you cannot build dangerous metal bike. But in general a bsd metal bike makes itself obvious before the point of catastrphic failure.
So be vey skeptical of superlight carbon fiber bikes or even medium weight ones. They may last as long as you need them to and yet they may not.
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From Newsgroup: rec.bicycles.tech

On 1/3/2026 2:52 PM, cyclintom wrote:

Carbon fiber bikes are not repairable if you have any failures at high stress points. While you can plug miner holes and such, contrary to the carbon fiber repairman on his podcast, y0ou cannot rerpair major damage without seriously causing loss of strength.

Also the very act of flex which is now used by several manufacturers to lighten the ride of what would otherwise be too stiff a ride, will eventually cause cracking and failure of the reesibn that binds the carbon fiber together. Pointing out that Pro's ride bikes much harder than we do is not an excuse since they get a new bike whenever they need it. And photographers carefully do not photograph the catastrophic failures in the major races.

This isn't to say that a good carbon fiber bike won't last a very long time - the Trek OCLVs have been around a long time but they are not light and are tremedously overbuilt. But modern, superlight racing bikes are not lifetime two wheelers.

They are meant to be replaced every couple of years and the frameset should be scrapped if you ride it hard on bad roads. Passing it on is causing a possible death.

Nore is this to say that you cannot build dangerous metal bike. But in general a bsd metal bike makes itself obvious before the point of catastrphic failure.

So be vey skeptical of superlight carbon fiber bikes or even medium weight ones. They may last as long as you need them to and yet they may not.

It's often said (even here regularly years ago) that all
categorical statements are wrong including this sentence.

Carbon can be repaired sometimes and sometimes not. Just
like everything else.

Carbon is a material group which like the steels, aluminums,
titaniums (and even bamboo) has many variants, many
applications and various degrees of usefulness for one rider
or another.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
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From Newsgroup: rec.bicycles.tech

On Sat Jan 3 15:26:55 2026 AMuzi wrote:

On 1/3/2026 2:52 PM, cyclintom wrote:

Carbon fiber bikes are not repairable if you have any failures at high stress points. While you can plug miner holes and such, contrary to the carbon fiber repairman on his podcast, y0ou cannot rerpair major damage without seriously causing loss of strength.

Also the very act of flex which is now used by several manufacturers to lighten the ride of what would otherwise be too stiff a ride, will eventually cause cracking and failure of the reesibn that binds the carbon fiber together. Pointing out that Pro's ride bikes much harder than we do is not an excuse since they get a new bike whenever they need it. And photographers carefully do not photograph the catastrophic failures in the major races.

This isn't to say that a good carbon fiber bike won't last a very long time - the Trek OCLVs have been around a long time but they are not light and are tremedously overbuilt. But modern, superlight racing bikes are not lifetime two wheelers.

They are meant to be replaced every couple of years and the frameset should be scrapped if you ride it hard on bad roads. Passing it on is causing a possible death.

Nore is this to say that you cannot build dangerous metal bike. But in general a bsd metal bike makes itself obvious before the point of catastrphic failure.

So be vey skeptical of superlight carbon fiber bikes or even medium weight ones. They may last as long as you need them to and yet they may not.

It's often said (even here regularly years ago) that all
categorical statements are wrong including this sentence.

Carbon can be repaired sometimes and sometimes not. Just
like everything else.

Carbon is a material group which like the steels, aluminums,
titaniums (and even bamboo) has many variants, many
applications and various degrees of usefulness for one rider
or another.

We agree, but I think that it has to be underscored that carbon fiber is not a magical material and in most cases isn't even especially light.
While my injury was caused by a failoure of a carbon fiber fork, today's forks are greatly overbuilt and are as safe as metal. Certainly as safe as an aluminum fork.
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