Are carbon frames fragile?

[Mr. Beanz]

Again:
Aluminum frame, 1st bike 13,000 miles snap!
Aluminum section of frame, 2nd bike 13,000 miles, snap!
Carbon Madone, 30,000 miles still going strong.
230 pound rider much harder on the carbon frame than I was on the aluminum.
Good enough for me and more than my money's worth.

I've met thousands of cycling forum members and a big percentage of them avoiding mount rides with 10k or 12 fk climbing, I would confidently say that I am much tougher on my bikes than 95% of them riding the mountains at 230 pounds and my carbon frame has been much more durable than the aluminum.

I hardly doubt any of yous are needing a carbon rocket to fly to the moon. 🥱

   

[Jesper]

(07-01-2026, 10:16 AM)rydabent Wrote:  

(06-22-2026, 10:27 PM)Jesper Wrote:  

(06-22-2026, 09:45 AM)ReapThaWhirlwind Wrote:  The best simple answer for this question is, yes.

The answer, as another stated, is no.

The author asked "Are they all that fragile?" No they are not. Is was not a specific question in comparison to any other material (unless I missed something).

If carbon fiber is so "simply" considered "fragile", than why is it used efficiently and successfully in various products (not just bike frames; aerospace, et al.) and at all levels of usage (from layman to professional)?

If carbon fiber was as bad as those in this thread make it sound then it would never have evolved into what is today or be used in such a vast manner.

Again CF is not the wonder material that some think it is. The CF tail broke off of 2 and maybe 3 French Airbus airplanes.

That was not due to the material used; but instead: poor engineering, poor application of materials used, and/or poor production. Aluminum parts are regularly falling off aircraft.

Again carbon fiber is fine for its PROPERLY DESIGNED USE when PROPERLY MANUFACTURED and applied TO PROPER USE AND CARE!

[rydabent]

Any CF bike that falls on something sharp will get a hole in it.