Do carbon bikes have a shelf life?

[HillSlugger]

Do carbon bikes have a shelf life? Do they simply get too old to ride? If yes, at what age might there start being a problem?

[Grog]

We've encountered that question recently as my husband's carbon bike from 2004 has hit somewhere around the 55,000 km mark (35,000 miles) and lots of components are having a hard time. He debated just getting new components for a while (wheels especially) and I asked my trusted mechanic about it.

If I remember correctly, in his (my trusted mechanic) opinion, as long as the frame has no cracks or other signs of damage, it's fine to ride forever.

Now that my dear husband is getting a Cervelo R3, his good ol' Trek will become his winter bike and I can foresee another 50,000 km before it's retired.

[Cataboo]

I think I've read 6-10 years...

But it depends. I'm not going to buy someone's 6-10 year old carbon bike. If it was my carbon bike that I had for 10 years and I knew how it was taken care of and stored - I'd be quite happy to ride it past 10 years.

If it's a carbon fiber mountain bike... I'd be skeptical.

UV does damage carbon fiber - and they put stuff in the coating to prevent that - but I still would want to know that a carbon fiber bike was stored indoors all the time and such like that.

[Zen]

I think someone wants a new bike...

[DebW]

From what I hear, carbon bikes haven't been around long enough to provide a definitive answer to this question. Some claim forever, some claim a quite finite life. Any small scratches damage carbon and I can't imagine the average bike going scratch-free for too terribly long.

[Eden]

From what I hear, carbon bikes haven't been around long enough to provide a definitive answer to this question. Some claim forever, some claim a quite finite life. Any small scratches damage carbon and I can't imagine the average bike going scratch-free for too terribly long.

Scratches in the clear coat or paint do no damage, only scratches that go so deep that they score the actual carbon can weaken it...

[HillSlugger]

I think someone wants a new bike...

Don't tell anyone but I have my eye on this:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/chuckp88/main/aegis_t2_pro?

[tride]

It has approx. 100,000 mi on it (I'm the third person to ride it as a training bike~~so they're not all miles put on by me *tho, I wish*). OH, it's a 1997 Mongoose RM1.0. Back before Mongoose sold out to Wal-Mart/K-Mart they actually made solid bikes. It still has some of the original Shimano 600 parts (brakes are it, I think) but most have been replaced as they wore out (it's still an 8spd. Ultegra set-up, tho). Makes a FANTASTIC training bike!

[HillSlugger]

I ended up buying the 2004 carbon tri bike I was drooling over. The previous owner was the original owner and the bike was very well cared for. I'm loving it so far but it's taking some time to get used to the new gearing: double and bar end shifters.

[cylegoddess]

My bike lives by the front door. husband was iffy about it.I ignored him. Only bad thing -- part pf the floor is unsealed concrete - and cycle fell and hurt her paint sniff.

[Aggie_Ama]

My bike lives by the front door. husband was iffy about it.I ignored him. Only bad thing -- part pf the floor is unsealed concrete - and cycle fell and hurt her paint sniff.

When my dear Maggie Bear was alive she ventured into the garage when my road bike lived there. She was blind and poor baby knocked over my bike, pinning herself between it and my car causing her quite a scare. I checked to make sure 1. my dog was okay (she was but terrified) 2. my bike was okay (it was). I never noticed my car got scratched! We moved the bikes indoors shortly after that. No bikes or dogs were harmed during her last two years.

[ZenSojourner]

I ended up buying the 2004 carbon tri bike I was drooling over. The previous owner was the original owner and the bike was very well cared for. I'm loving it so far but it's taking some time to get used to the new gearing: double and bar end shifters.

How are you finding the bar end shifters? I've always wondered what it might be like to use those.

[Eden]

How are you finding the bar end shifters? I've always wondered what it might be like to use those.

Bar end shifters on a TT bike aren't quite like having them on a road bike. On a TT bike they are mounted on the ends of the TT bars so that you aren't having to move from the aero position to shift. On a road bike they are on the ends of the drops.

[HillSlugger]

Bar end shifters on a TT bike aren't quite like having them on a road bike. On a TT bike they are mounted on the ends of the TT bars so that you aren't having to move from the aero position to shift. On a road bike they are on the ends of the drops.

Yes.

On my bike the shifter for the rear derailleur is indexed but the one for the front is friction. Not sure why this is.

I'm at the point where I still have to think about which direction the lever needs to go to make the shift.

The front derailleur is not adjusted quite right and I've dropped the chain off the outside more times than I care to remember.

I've got to become far more comfortable with all this before I use the bike in a race! But it's way fun to ride!

[kacie tri-ing]

I ended up buying the 2004 carbon tri bike I was drooling over. The previous owner was the original owner and the bike was very well cared for. I'm loving it so far but it's taking some time to get used to the new gearing: double and bar end shifters.

I didn't realize that you really JUST bought that bike! Have you posted pictures??

Edit: I just found them! SO cute! Did you keep that cool bartape??