Are carbon all mountain frames up to ebike use

JimmyBoy

Active member
Subscriber
Jun 7, 2019
56
30
UK
Advice please, I have a 2018 aluminium Canyon Spectral ON and was thinking of upgrading but the latest Spectral's are full carbon.
My Spectral has suffered unnumerable dings from flying stones, crashes and general trail use, will the carbon frame take the same abuse, I suspect not.
 

Bummers

Well-known member
Mar 12, 2022
584
539
UK
Almost all the top brands and their mid range to top spec ebikes are carbon and have been for some years now. If carbon fibre was an issue they just wouldn't be getting the sales they have.

I was the same when getting a new e-bike, wanted aluminium for piece of mind but you're very limited in choice. I ended up with carbon fibre and I just ride it and don't worry about it.
Insurance covers crash damage as well😁
 

Stihldog

Handheld Power Tool
Subscriber
Jun 10, 2020
3,492
4,870
Coquitlam, BC
I never put frame wrap on when I got the bike 4 years ago. Maybe I should have but the small scratches I see are to the paint only…and my shins.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,936
9,279
Lincolnshire, UK
Yep, carbon is OK. Thats what oceangate said.
Just don’t dive your bike past 13.000 foot.
I agree that the pressure is immense, but it is a known factor and predictable, as is fatigue life. So far so good. But it would appear that they did not take into account the "being soaked in sea water under pressure aspect" Over time, this may have caused delamination and or some physical weakening. I am not an expert, so I and the sources I have read may be completely wrong on this aspect.
 

JimmyBoy

Active member
Subscriber
Jun 7, 2019
56
30
UK
I don't do much underwater riding (actually I did once but that's another story). I frequently ride in North Wales UK where there are long sections of rock garden which give the bike a hammering. There are also lots of loose stones on the trails which fly up and knock lumps out of the paintwork.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,535
5,012
Weymouth
I have said this many times before!! If a bike frame maker a ctually specified what their "carbon" frame actually consisted of I might be happy to buy a bike with a carbon frame. Saying it is carbon is meaningless!! There is clearly a difference between brands probably mostly to do with who actually does the layup together with the modulus and mat type specified by the designer......and equally important quality control. I might be persuaded to trust a Specialized carbon frame but not some other brands which are considerably cheaper...probably for a reason!!
 

Nomad1

Member
Apr 2, 2023
242
80
03818
Advice please, I have a 2018 aluminium Canyon Spectral ON and was thinking of upgrading but the latest Spectral's are full carbon.
My Spectral has suffered unnumerable dings from flying stones, crashes and general trail use, will the carbon frame take the same abuse, I suspect not.
buy a carbon bike from someone who's frame is guaranteed
 

B1rdie

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Feb 14, 2019
894
1,096
Brazil
I don't do much underwater riding (actually I did once but that's another story). I frequently ride in North Wales UK where there are long sections of rock garden which give the bike a hammering. There are also lots of loose stones on the trails which fly up and knock lumps out of the paintwork.
Sorry to disturb the thread. I ride on similar terrain, and have a 2018 alloy spectralon. On a recent trip to the UK I bought a carbon cube 160 and am very happy with it. It has an alloy rear triangle and a thick ruber battery cover at the downtube, no signs of damage to the frame yet, and it has seen lots of fast rockgardens and gravel.
IMG_0205.jpeg
 

Stihldog

Handheld Power Tool
Subscriber
Jun 10, 2020
3,492
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Coquitlam, BC
Apparently Trek has a lifetime warranty on their carbon frames for manufacture defects and stuff. I’ve never personally needed it but a neighbor has successfully had his frame replaced. Took a few weeks though.

However, I can visualize the Titanic if I close my eyes for a moment while I’m going OTB. Takes practice though 😉.
 

rpurdie

Member
Jan 12, 2023
39
27
UK
Watch the Santa Cruz test video of a carbon vs alluminum frame on their test rigs. That convinced me their carbon frames are going to be fine. My Heckler frame is fine at 3 years old despite crashes, rocks bouncing off it and all sorts, I've no concerns about it failing and if it did, I suspect anything else could have too.
 

Canyon Shawn

Active member
Feb 4, 2023
292
190
Lake Sherwood, California
I have said this many times before!! If a bike frame maker a ctually specified what their "carbon" frame actually consisted of I might be happy to buy a bike with a carbon frame. Saying it is carbon is meaningless!! There is clearly a difference between brands probably mostly to do with who actually does the layup together with the modulus and mat type specified by the designer......and equally important quality control. I might be persuaded to trust a Specialized carbon frame but not some other brands which are considerably cheaper...probably for a reason!!
You could make the same argument for any material used to make a bicycle. I don’t care how good Specialized carbon is, Specialized, in my opinion is one of the scummiest companies on the planet. Oh by the way, all the large companies and even most small companies make carbon that is just as good. Prove me wrong!
 

Chairman

Active member
Feb 25, 2022
221
121
Nz
You could make the same argument for any material used to make a bicycle. I don’t care how good Specialized carbon is, Specialized, in my opinion is one of the scummiest companies on the planet. Oh by the way, all the large companies and even most small companies make carbon that is just as good. Prove me wrong!
Please elaborate on what makes Spez so scummy
 

Chairman

Active member
Feb 25, 2022
221
121
Nz
It’s all over the Internet. You’ll appreciate what you learn more, if you do your own research.
Thanks for tip but if you have already done the research and trust your sources I would be happy to hear what you have to say. If punters on here are in disagreement then I am sure they will let us know.
Cheers
 

Shorty4

Member
Nov 7, 2022
31
19
Australia
I've put 9,000kms on my 2018 Focus Jam Plus C carbon frame, while there have been quite a few track, gravel and bitumen road rides in that 9k most of it has been done in the dirt on single track, while I rarely get any air (I'm in my late 60's and 100kg) it has stood the test of time well and is still as nice to ride as when I got it.
 

volts

Active member
May 15, 2018
343
265
DK
Thanks for tip but if you have already done the research and trust your sources I would be happy to hear what you have to say. If punters on here are in disagreement then I am sure they will let us know.
Cheers
I find that "Do YoUr OwN rEaSeaRcH" is just used as a get out of jail free card when you don't want to get in to specifics because it's easy to call bullshit on those.
I'm not a Specialized fan and I dislike how they treat stores and their price structure (not the prices themselves, but the actual structure), but I don't think you can fault their manufacturing or warranties so on the consumer side I think they do very well except for the outrageous prices - but that's a direct consequence of having great warranty so again, I don't think you can really complain too much about it.
 
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Humanbeersponge

Active member
Feb 27, 2023
123
272
Teesside UK
Its all down to design, U tend to see lots of pictures of failures in Alloy frames around the welds either down to poor heat or fatigue around the welds. Carbon if done properly you shouldn't see fatigue failures that often. Hitting a tree in any material means your bikes fubar anyway.

Always look for lifetime frame warranties.
 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,185
4,907
Scotland
Easy to break a frame I did two alloy ones. one was going uphill. Could have been damaged before I don't inspect with a microscope. Back of weld.
 

JimmyBoy

Active member
Subscriber
Jun 7, 2019
56
30
UK
As I do all my own maintenance, what about the mounting points for head bearings, frame bearings and wheels?
 
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