repair carbon??

[jovana]

i have a dilema.i bought used bicycle(wilier escape with a cabon fork and spinergy wheel)and i love it a lot.my spinergy is broken inside the rim ring,and decided to buy hub,spokes and new rim to make a new wheel ,but also i was thinking of repairing the spinergy with epoxy and fiberglass.can anyone tell me is it good thing to do?i do not have much money and love cycling a lot so this option is goood for me but is it safe?

[Trek420]

I'm probably not the right one to know this but I do not think you can repair carbon fiber, not with epoxy and duct tape

There could be more damage than meets the eye, that is you "fix" what's visible and underlying structural damage that could fail. My bikes are steel but I have CF wheels on my road bike (Rolf). If I suspected any damage to them whether visible or I was in a crash I would take them to my shop and have them checked.

When in doubt throw the carbon out. My vote is you should shop for new wheels.

[DebW]

I know you can repair a fiberglass kayak that way and it would be as strong as ever, but a wheel takes lots of stress. I would discard the carbon wheel unless the factory it came from repairs it or recommends a repair method. Have fun building yourself a new wheel.

[jovana]

i think now i understand the risk of repairing...new wheel is only option for a good safe ride with no stress.thanks a lot!

[sarahlou]

Carbon can be repaired in theory but it has to be done by someone who knows what they're doing. Carbon gets a lot of it's strength from being a continuoes fiber so any breaks greatly reduce strength. To repair carbon you have to completely sand back area of repair and then clean it well (no dust whatsoever) and use an epoxy resin and more carbon fiber cloth. You also need to have consistant pressure during the curiong time (which can be hard to get on an odd-shaped object like a wheel). It is an itchy, sticky, messy job. To pay someone to repair it will cost quite a bit- you would be better off to start new- unfortunately. The area of repair is likely to be heavier than the rest of the wheel and it could make for a funny wheel rotation. Also you would never put fiberglass on a bike as it has way too much flex and not nearly the strength of carbon. I am a boatbuilder and have done a lot of carbon work and would not repair a wheel.