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Carbon road frame - life span?
Hi all. Have an old Planet X pro road frame. It's pretty old now (15 years+). Not had an easy life.
My question is how safe is the carbon frame after all these years? Does it degrade over time?
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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6 comments
CW asked some manufacturers this question. Short answer is safe.
Galvanic corrosion of aluminium fittings might be an issue, but you should be able to see that. UV degredation could be a problem if you have a raw frame and ride for Deliveroo in Dubai.
The fact you can still ride it after 15 years is probably the best evidence it is good. Any visible cracks in the carbon, or surface finish?
Thanks! No visible defects. Just concerened as I'm a heavy rider (weight wise) and the thought of a head tube or forks breaking under load give me nightmares.
Sell it or continue using it as an indoor trainer. When you say "Not had an easy life." even though you see no visibe damage underlying carbon fibers may be damaged/broke/shredded. It now depends how much you dislike road rash or worse.
Yes it's safe unless it's been damaged
Perfect! Thanks. That rests my mind. My take it off the Wahoo Kickr then
As it's been on a turbo, do a second check around the bottom bracket and chainstays. The twisting loads when the back wheel is fixed in place can cause cracks. 10 mins to drop the wheel out and look with a torch, could save you a lot of pain.