Just curious - you don't see many in the classifieds, and I'm not sure I'd trust something that could have been in a big stack with no visible signs of damage.
Whaddya think?
Never
Yes and have... no problems.
Would buy another 2nd hand roadbike.
would never buy a carbon off road bike anyway
Yes, no worries at all. Failure of carbon with no visible signs of damage is rather overhyped - every failure of a modern carbon frame I've heard of has involved visible damage (either direct impact, or very obvious major crash failure). Carbon off-road bikes are also rather more robust than people think - mine's shrugged off impacts with big lumps of rocks which have visibly bruised my toes when they've bounced off onto my feet.
i would not buy a second hand bike full stop.
IMO Carbon frames are really for people at competition level, ideally with sponsors. Carbon frames are a for people who really need that edge by shaving off those few extra grammes. For competitive road use and perhaps for simple hardtails only. Carbon is incredibly strong in some applications, but the engineering in certain bike frames is not always ideal. I don't see some carbon frames lasting and have seen plenty of indications of failures. Things like bonding failure to the aluminium parts of a frame.
Production carbon framed bikes are mainly aimed at people who have deep pockets. Quite overengineered for leisure riding, just a luxury product IMO.
Sorry to all you carbon fans, but I just don't see the point in shelling out loads extra for something that is not best suited to the task.
If I had inclination to spend this sort of money on a frame, i'd be looking at titanium.
Always, had four different ones now, never had any problems.
Saved a small fortune.
[i]IMO Carbon frames are really for people at competition level, ideally with sponsors.[/i].....
I'm sure people said exactly the same about aluminium bikes, and it's a predjudice, pure and simple. Carbon is just another frame material, one which can be brilliant, or run-of-the-mill, and I don't understand the seemingly irrational things people say about carbon.
I've broken, beyond repair, steel frames and alu frames, but never a carbon frame.
Grant Peterson of Rivendell fame tells an anecdote about a sword fight between a carbon tube and a steel tube; much to his disgust, the carbon tube came out best.
Carbon fibre is a good thing to build bikes out of, you don't have to like it, but equally, you don't have to be silly about it.
Second hand? Yes, no problem.
Spongebob - Member
A complete load of guff
aracer - Member
Spongebob - Member
A complete load of guff
agree'd there. carbon is stronger than most people think,
anything to damage a carbon frame will do similar to an alu frame.
I'm never going to race on the road, and I could shave a few grams off by getting fitter, but I like my carbon road bike because it's nice and it does seem a little less buzzy over a 23 mile commute. Am I a bike tart - probably, but what's wrong with liking nice things.
Would I buy one second hand - maybe, maybe not, but I'd say the same about aluminium. Steel I would feel happier with.
anything to damage a carbon frame will do similar to an alu frame.
More damage from what I've seen. Also more damage to the "lasts a lifetime" ti frame spongebob would have instead.
i did my dissertation on carbon tubes (ice hockey sticks to be exact)
a 200g 2m long tube wil took someting like my boydweight, repeatedly in three point bend tests.
And the whole "invisible damage" is a bit of a myth, as soon as delamination occurs the frame will lose just about all its stiffness and fail very quickly, prety much like a steel/Ti/alu frame cracking.