Do carbon bikes have a shelf life?

[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...

[Aggie_Ama]

When I bought my full carbon Cannondale the owner's manual said you have trade offs for lightness and they aren't as durable as their heavier bikes. I have never seen a true number put on it though. My baby lives inside.

[OakLeaf]

Ah, the owner's manual written by lawyers. Three hundred pages of dire warnings about not crashing the frickin' thing, with zero skills drills that might maybe help you avoid crashing, and next to zero technical information.

As far as inside vs. garage, I think metal frames are actually more vulnerable than carbon in the garage. Not sure how much carbon fiber can oxidize.

[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?