10 Year old(ish) CF MTB - would you?
10 Year old(ish) CF MTB - would you?
Author
Discussion

GnuBee

Original Poster:

1,337 posts

244 months

Sunday 9th September 2012
quotequote all
Hi, I have a Trek STP400 Pro which I built up around 10 years aggo. It's not been used during the intervening period. I've just got back into cycling but have gone down the road route but the urge to also return to the singletrack is causing me to look at MTBs again.

The question is this bike is an old CF frame, there is no damage to it and when I did use it I didn't give it a hard time and I did look after it. The only thing it needs is new front forks because the Pace ones on it are dead. So:

Would you
a) replace the Pace forks and just get out and ride it?
b) throw your hands up in the air, exclaiming the possibility of a CF enema, and rush off to eBay to search out a bargain?




Justin S

3,658 posts

290 months

Sunday 9th September 2012
quotequote all
Just lube it up and go and play. Pace forks are serviceable, so just go out now..............

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

227 months

Sunday 9th September 2012
quotequote all
Or C) start a what bike thread with a budget of a grand and end up spending 3 times that.

Joking apart, it should be fine. One question has it been left in direct sun? Some old types of CF have issues with UV degradation.

GnuBee

Original Poster:

1,337 posts

244 months

Sunday 9th September 2012
quotequote all
rhinochopig said:
Or C) start a what bike thread with a budget of a grand and end up spending 3 times that.

Joking apart, it should be fine. One question has it been left in direct sun? Some old types of CF have issues with UV degradation.
No way am I doing option C)!

No it's been kept either inside the house or in a garage.

BaronVonVaderham

2,322 posts

176 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
Keep it, service the Pace's and relish in your genuine retro coolness! Then hang on wall as an ornament and go buy another one. N+1 wink

jshell

12,056 posts

234 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
10 year old? I wouldn't risk in case there are problems, cracks or delamination that you can't see on the inside.

CF breaks with razor sharp edges.

otolith

68,786 posts

233 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
I've never broken a carbon fibre bike, but I've broken plenty of carbon fibre fishing rods, and I'd say it breaks with (sometimes) pointy splinters, not really razor sharp edges.

jshell

12,056 posts

234 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
otolith said:
I've never broken a carbon fibre bike, but I've broken plenty of carbon fibre fishing rods, and I'd say it breaks with (sometimes) pointy splinters, not really razor sharp edges.
Yay! The thought of some pointy piece of CF piercing my ring would make me throw an old, abused frame very, very far away.

otolith

68,786 posts

233 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
No, I wouldn't fancy being on one when it broke either. On the other hand, if I knew that it hadn't been impact damaged, I wouldn't worry about it breaking.

P-Jay

11,404 posts

220 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
Just ride the bh, it's not like alloy frames don't snap.

GnuBee

Original Poster:

1,337 posts

244 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
Going to give it a try - gave CRC some of my hard earned coinage and should have it back together shortly.

The frame appears to be in good condition, I've had it from new so I know it's not had a hard life.

It's not like I'm going to be jumping off stuff on it - it's an XC race bike so it's simply not going to get the kind of shock loads that a DH/freeride bike would get.

Of course this could be famous last words and the next post will be pictures of an unfortunate human/machine interface...

7Llewelyn

93 posts

233 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
jshell said:
10 year old? I wouldn't risk in case there are problems, cracks or delamination that you can't see on the inside.
Jeez you don't half read some rubbish on Pistonheads at times, I suppose I'd better stop driving my McLaren F1 as it's made of CF and over ten years old!!

The thread starter wrote that he'd always looked after his CF MTB (no crashes, misuse etc.) so I'm saying get out and ride it and enjoy having a bike that's a bit rare and nice to own.

red997

1,304 posts

238 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
love those Pace forks - not the lightest, but boy were they plush !