Santa Cruz CF tests

Spotted this today:

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/243228/

Impressive to watch. Interesting to see Alu Alloy bend and hold on, not what I'd expected, guess my old Bullit really is a tough as it looks.

Though the CF does eventually break it's impressive. Durability and reliability is still my concern but that's a strong light thing while in good nick, for sure!

How would say a 456 or road bike from PLanet X for example fare?

I would imagine a 456 carbon would fair pretty well, not so sure about a crazy light road frame, road bikes don't need to absorb the same stresses as a mountain bike bouncing down a trail.

Yeah I reckon so too. Heard of too many road frames fracturing, as well as bars posts n stuff. Even if you build them tough they'll still be super light surely... Hmm

Every gram counts to some though :?

In a week or so I shall be ordering a 456 carbon (if there's any left in my size) and that weighs in at around the 1500g mark (3.28lb). So still pretty light given that its been designed and built to be thrown around a fair bit!

True.

Good luck with the 456 they are interesting looking beasts, sort of fit in to what I expected from 'the future'. Should be fun, Cake and eat it maybe... :idea: My Cotic Bfe is a bit of a tank, must be 30lbs!

I remember watching that video the difference is very clear, in the Lab that is.

I work with carbon fibre in the aircraft industry and surprisingly to some if the lay up of laminations is correct for the forces applied and possible outcomes then it is extremely strong whilst still very light.

Impact strength is also very good unless you have a pointed object which will pierce the carbon instead of hitting it.

Obviously strength is all subjective to how the carbon is formed (orientation of laminations, type of carbon used, overall thickness, number of laminations, type of resin).

It's a minefield compared to choosing a type/grade of metal as there are so many variables.

My friend works with CF in the automotive and powerboat and beyond industries, he said similar things about weave direction and who's making it. Lot of variables.

On the video, the crunching and popping on the vice was the most off putting as its gradually losing long term strength, but then that's a lot of crash force in fairness and it does bloody amazing. And the best bit is bouncing the weights dropped on it. Never expected it to be so springy! Wow. Did snap eventually but I think I would. This vid has defo made me more interested in this material, and SC.

Yea you'd be surprised how much crunching and creaking carbon will take before it shows a proper weakness.

We have a test facility that bends and twists various parts and if you saw some of the angles and forces applied without failure of the carbon it is honestly frightening! You hear them creak and what sounds like cracking but all maintain structural integrity (well unless there's a fault).

That's why all carbon bits should come with some form of warranty as it is very hard to know where all faults are. You could have a thousand frames and two could have small voids in the carbon (gaps with insufficient resin or areas where the carbon layers haven't bonded 100%).

The 456 comes with a 2 year warranty on manufacturing defects so for those two years I shall put the frame rigorously through its paces :twisted:

I may even do a bit of NDT (non destructive test to check for areas of debonding/voids)... Just because I can

Brilliant, that's really really interesting. I suppose it's like rope theory or hair theory. Lots of strength per strand, and even stronger with the strands altogether, and some flexibility by nature. Hmmm

Let us know how you get on.