How long does a carbon frame last?

[Foss62]

Most people agree that a steel frame is forever - as long as it receives a reasonable level of care. Aluminium frames do have a finite lifespan (unfortunately around ten years in the case of my lovely Dyna-Tech Tourlite, which was partially aluminium).
However I have seen a few comments suggesting that you should not expect a carbon fibre frame to last very long - slightly worrying as mine is now eight years old.
I have carbon fibre fishing rods that are more than 30 years old and still fine - and would expect that they undergo much more flexing than a bike frame ever would - so is there any truth in the stories about carbon’s lack of robustness for bikes?
Does anyone have a very old carbon frame still in regular use (I guess the very oldest could be about 30 years)?

[Robertb]

Take a look at some of the videos of frames being tested to destruction. It’s astonishing what they put up with. It’s hard to imagine they’d wear out or fatigue in normal use.

CF frames can be repaired too, though its specialist work and not cheap.

[v8notbrave]

??? My last steelie due to winter use and neglect got very rusty at the drop outs, so I found an old Aluminium frame on eBay and switched it out

So now I have 2 * 20 yr old aluminium frames and they're good as new, who said they are finite lifespan? (They have lovely shiny stainless steel drop outs)

Surely carbon is how it's maintained and the quality, cheap could theoretically delaminate with winter cold and salt but if you look after it then it should last for yonks (unless you crash it)

What's more important is the ride you want (comfort, weight etc) and the geo you want

(To add I have a 2008 TT carbon bike that's been lovingly looked after and the frame is as new)

[SkinnyPete]

v8notbrave said:

??? My last steelie due to winter use and neglect got very rusty at the drop outs, so I found an old Aluminium frame on eBay and switched it out

So now I have 2 * 20 yr old aluminium frames and they're good as new, who said they are finite lifespan? (They have lovely shiny stainless steel drop outs)

Surely carbon is how it's maintained and the quality, cheap could theoretically delaminate with winter cold and salt but if you look after it then it should last for yonks (unless you crash it)

What's more important is the ride you want (comfort, weight etc) and the geo you want

(To add I have a 2008 TT carbon bike that's been lovingly looked after and the frame is as new)

The manual for both my aluminium bikes say the frame life is finite.

[Gary C]

Trouble with CF is its related to stress and UV.

UV 'should' be limited by inhibitors in the gel (but best not to store it in sunlight), so the real limit is impacts and stresses. They build until it goes bang and fail.

and that's unquantifiable unfortunately

[Liamjrhodes]

All materials have a fatigue life and most manufacturers will have to put a very conservative lifespan on it to cover them selves if the worst does happen. But unless you are regularly stressing your frame close to its limit I doubt regular usage will cause enough to make it fail due to age. There are plenty of people riding round on old bike frames

[RustyNissanPrairie]

In terms of fatigue
Longest life - shortest life

CF
Steel
Aluminium

Failure mode
Catastrophic - non catastrophic
Steel
Aluminium
CF

My preference has always been steel frames for their ride quality. Aluminium depends on the design as to how it rides, same with CF. I have cracked a few aluminium frames back in the day (ex BMXer, downhiller, enduro)

[v8notbrave]

SkinnyPete said:

The manual for both my aluminium bikes say the frame life is finite.

Pete that's cover my ass US legislation, still mint after 2 decades here

[Harpoon]

I've got a Planet-X carbon road bike frame that is from 2008 or 2009. Lives on the turbo trainer these days and is probably a health hazard.

Strava says it has done just over 42,000km (combined outside and indoor) but I didn't start using it until January 2013 so the actual time / distance will be higher.

[Barchettaman]

The only things that kill carbon frames are crashes and massive UV exposure.

[outnumbered]

I've been riding my 26 year old aluminium road bike with a carbon fork this week. Along with my 11 year old fully carbon bike

I have also got a carbon road frame that broke after 10 years, but only because a bonded-in metal dropout fractured.

I know someone who had a bad crash on a road bike because the steel fork collapsed due to corrosion.

So it's not really that simple.

[SoliD]

Replaced my original Ridley Orion at 8 years old when the drop outs started causing issues with the wheel not sitting square in the frame, ridden in all weathers 6 or 7 days a week for the first 4 years of it's life! Replaced with a Felt FR5 which I crashed after having for less than a year and snapped, then an FR1 which was nicked after 3.5 years, and now on a giant TCR, hopefully I can make this last as long as my Ridley!

[gazza285]

My Cube Reaction is into its tenth year of XC racing, I've had a few big offs riding it, and still have no fear of it breaking.

I did break the steerer tube on my cyclocross bike, about three weeks after its third Three Peaks race, and I had had a massive crash coming down Whernside that year, I was glad it didn't let go coming down Pen-Y-Ghent lane.

[Giantt]

gazza285 said:

My Cube Reaction is into its tenth year of XC racing, I've had a few big offs riding it, and still have no fear of it breaking.

I did break the steerer tube on my cyclocross bike, about three weeks after its third Three Peaks race, and I had had a massive crash coming down Whernside that year, I was glad it didn't let go coming down Pen-Y-Ghent lane.

Old Belgian trick,hard wood brush shank cut and inserted in steerer fork tube,for when it used to break on cobbles,gave the chance to slow down

[Daveyraveygravey]

My carbon Giant Propel is now well into its 11th year and 47,000+ km

It was ridden year round for the first 9 years, I've got through 3 sets of wheels, two of those brilliant de-laminating Ultegra cranksets (now on 105 which supposedly doesn't have that issue) and several broken bones. Just come back from 3 weeks in Italy and I doubt any indoor trainer bike has been as covered in rider sweat as my outdoor only bike in those weeks! It's looking its age, but I still get a kick out of riding it (in the dry these days).

Might have to arrange an accident for it when I eventually want something new/different...

[gazza285]

Giantt said:

gazza285 said:

My Cube Reaction is into its tenth year of XC racing, I've had a few big offs riding it, and still have no fear of it breaking.

I did break the steerer tube on my cyclocross bike, about three weeks after its third Three Peaks race, and I had had a massive crash coming down Whernside that year, I was glad it didn't let go coming down Pen-Y-Ghent lane.

Old Belgian trick,hard wood brush shank cut and inserted in steerer fork tube,for when it used to break on cobbles,gave the chance to slow down

Old Huddersfield trick, epoxy in a bit of aluminium handlebar from just below the top to 75mm below the upper bearing race.

[thekingisdead]

Your Manual will say Alu has a finite life because it Alu does have a finite life. any repeated load cycle applied to Alu will eventually lead to failure.
It's inherent to the material.

[McMoose]

I had not even considered this. I have been riding my alu/carbon fork bike for 10 years now.

[mrtomsv]

My carbon road bikes that I needed when I was in my 20s never failed in a catastrophic sense, but I did feel when they were getting on for a decade old, that they no longer felt like they did when new. They seemed to have lost whatever stiffness and or compliance that had been engineered into them, and to me felt like a cheap piece of plastic that only served to keep the other components of the bike held together. Whether that was all in my head or actually due to the fatiguing of the material, I don't honestly know. Now that I'm in my 40s and don't care about having the latest and greatest things anymore, I'm very happy on my titanium frame that feels classic and timeless and brings riding pleasure in a different way to a fancy carbon frame.

So in answer to the original question of how long they last, I think they are very durable, but only have a relatively short life where they still deliver all of the benefits that have been designed into them when new.

[okgo]

It’ll be fine.