Interesting – I'd have reckoned that without wetting the fibres, it would be a lot weaker/less stiff for the weight… Maybe it's just not practical on that scale?

I wonder how many people on this thread actually want one- i.e. I bet most of you do. I know I do. Its an exciting proposition.

Hora, what's this about the Ti456's noodliness- I've noticed you mention it a few times, but I've never felt the frame flexed anywhere it shouldn't?

carbon frames can be stronger than any metal, fact.. I have watched over 30 videos of carbon being hit and then being ridden after, do the same to any metal and it can fold at the dent / impact point, carbon can be repaired, a dented metal frame on the whole is trash after… Scott bikes designer did a Donwhill run and came off the bike, it bounced around 60ft down a hill, they retrieved it, big hole near the BB, he rode for the rest of the day with the hole and then patched it up that night…. now that is confidence in his design, apparently he said, its a hole, but due to the layering it is still as strong! I am confident with carbon (no I no longer have a carbon bike) but technology has moved on and they are now very strong, easy to repair and pretty crash resistant, and well made carbon does not explode and splinter like people think it does (note the well made point).

Interesting – I'd have reckoned that without wetting the fibres, it would be a lot weaker/less stiff for the weight… Maybe it's just not practical on that scale?

The fibers are wet and come out like a slurry/aerosol from a big (think firemans hose sized) pipe . Its a bit like using CSM but they lay up 60' boats in minutes/hours rather than days.

It results in a higher than ideal %age of resin so they don't have a very good strength to weight ratio.

actualy I take (some) of that back, its not bavaria, its someone else, although i do remember thinking "wow thats quick" and "I never want to crash one of those into somethignmore susbstancial than a toopick"

Hora, what's this about the Ti456's noodliness- I've noticed you mention it a few times, but I've never felt the frame flexed anywhere it shouldn't?

Maybe heavier riders. Ive noticed one other describe it the same. a sort of old steel roadbike sag- Put your foot on one pedal and you can clearly see lateral flex in the bb area. Thats probably why its such a good frame for riding down technical trails I guess. I prefer stiffer hardtails though.

Ah, right, you're not talking about typical woven cf but short fibre stuff, that makes sense then. I can see a lot of bike parts being made that way in the future – proper cf reinforced plastic – just pour into a mould! It's already being used on some components (Trek suspension rockers IIRC)

Was reading the build system for the Pinarello Dogma that they mould the frame around a styrene core then melt the core our.

Put your foot on one pedal and you can clearly see lateral flex in the bb area.

I challenge you to find a bike that's not true for – even really stiff track bikes 🙄

All frames flex if you do that. Well, unless you're going to build one so massively overbuilt that it weighs more than you do.

Clubber your right of course, but they kinda just do, I had a Tinbred (not 456) and now got a Scandal, the Scandal just goes faster when you pedal it and though yeah it flexes, it doesnt flex the same as the Tinbred. Them track bikes and TT bikes are really well built in those areas to stop just that, OK it might not be stopped but def reduced.

I'm not saying it's not flexy (though the one I tried seemed ok) but just that the foot on one pedal test is a load of B*****ks in deciding if a frame is flexy.

clubber I felt it- so I decided to see if the BB flexed and was surprised by how much.

Ja maybe, and to be honest I dont know how much is in my head that the scandal is faster, but it does seem to climb better, and the builds are close to identicle except the scandal has some heavier duty stuff on it…..

Was suprised to see the amount of flex in my Roberts around the bb.

So is the idea that carbon fibre bikes are not as bad for the environment as steel bikes widely held? Is it true?

So is the idea that carbon fibre bikes are not as bad for the environment as steel bikes widely held? Is it true?

In all honesty I suspect it's much of a muchness. I certainly doubt that you can ponce around smugly on either a carbon or steel bike and proclaim that you are greener to any significant degree than someone on the other because of it.

Anyone remember the Brant interview where he was on about carbon bikes being easy to make or something and its just a woman slapping stuff on a mold, no soul or passion going into carbon frames or some load of old twaddle. Bet on-one are doing carbon just cuz Ragley wont. Or Something.

I suspect the impact of either is negligable, there'll be a bigger impact shipping it 14,000miles in a hugely oversized cardboard box.

I'm sure if they put their collective minds to it they could fit twice as many frames in a container if they weren't individualy boxed.

what boils my piss is bamboo/coconut/virgins pubes being woven into the CF to give it some wonderfull properties and eco-mentalist appeal.

Too right. I much prefer the pixie dust added to 'real' steel frames and zingy Ti ones by bearded frame-building gurus who never make mistakes and provide a custom bike that handles like a pig 😉

I'm sure if they put their collective minds to it they could fit twice as many frames in a container if they weren't individualy boxed.

not quite twice as many but close. one of the many reasons they are individually done is its quicker and easier to send them out like that instead of having to buy a load of new boxes to put half the frames in. probably swings and roundabouts on the eco front

Anyone remember the Brant interview where he was on about carbon bikes being easy to make or something and its just a woman slapping stuff on a mold, no soul or passion going into carbon frames or some load of old twaddle.

Eh?! But Planet-X you know. Make carbon frames?

exactly 🙂

although my cannondale f500 is bringing me arround to believeing that flex is a bad thing that should be eliminated at all costs, that thing's a rocket ship!

Hammer test on a cannondale carbon frame

ballsof- that looks like shock absortion/shock displacement helps the carbon alot better?

Apparently CF is 95% recyclable.

I'm told.

Official STW FACT