Carbon Fiber: Not strong enough

[sanjuro]

I crossed by this piece of news:

Boonen's €500,000 Bike

Tom Boonen will start the Tour of Belgium today with a new bike, labelled "Tom 01". American bicycle manufacturer, Specialized, has come good on its promise to build a special, one off, Tarmac mould for the 2005 World Champion, who began suffering from back pain when his Quick-Step team switched bikes this year. The custom made bike is 13mm longer in the top tube than their standard model, especially to fit Boonen.

The mould for the custom tarmac frame is rumoured to have cost around €500,000. "It is the idea that I will get five or six of these things," explained Boonen, who is happy with his new toy.

Boonen has been riding a custom built Aluminium steed since the Dwars door Vlaanderen, a race he won for the first time in his career this year.

Although I guess if you spend 500,000 pounds on a mold, you can make a strong enough frame.

The only other rider I have read that they break carbon fiber frames regularly is Magnus Backstedt, who weights 200lb.

Of course, these big boys have the power output of a small motobike.

[JRogers]

I crossed by this piece of news:



Although I guess if you spend 500,000 pounds on a mold, you can make a strong enough frame.

The only other rider I have read that they break carbon fiber frames regularly is Magnus Backstedt, who weights 200lb.

Of course, these big boys have the power output of a small motobike.

Ummm, more like "Carbon fiber: not custom enough" He was having back pain, not frame breakages.

[MtnbikeMike]

They made his top tube 13mm longer, not 13mm stronger. I think it's a sizing issue.

[DRB]

I crossed by this piece of news:



Although I guess if you spend 500,000 pounds on a mold, you can make a strong enough frame.

The only other rider I have read that they break carbon fiber frames regularly is Magnus Backstedt, who weights 200lb.

Of course, these big boys have the power output of a small motobike.


You drunk?

[blue]

I crossed by this piece of news:



Although I guess if you spend 500,000 pounds on a mold, you can make a strong enough frame.

The only other rider I have read that they break carbon fiber frames regularly is Magnus Backstedt, who weights 200lb.

Of course, these big boys have the power output of a small motobike.

Pls lurn to reed. And it's Euros.

[loco-gringo]

Uhm - some of you might not know, but he has broken several at the BB, as I understand.

[MtnbikeMike]

I've heard that too. Though the article made no mention of it.

[sanjuro]

Pls lurn to reed. And it's Euros.

I am an American. I have no idea what a Euro or a Pound is.

And about the 13mm longer top tube: why not throw on a 1cm longer stem? Or a 1.3cm longer stem?

[beaverbiker]

because it changes your center of gravity relative to the front hub differently than adding it to the top tube. and what's with all the tards that think because something broke, the material is not strong enough. its a design flaw, not a material flaw.

[opjones]

Damn, you roadies are anal

[MtnbikeMike]

Damn, you roadies are anal

No worse than DH'ers :monkeydance:

[schweino1]

im an american too and i can tell between pounds or euros.... im from mexico tough (which is part of america, as brasil is too or chile, or argentina, etc etc..)

are you an american from the United States?

[OGRipper]

because it changes your center of gravity relative to the front hub differently than adding it to the top tube.

Exactly. Plus he's a sprinter, so proper weight distribution out of the saddle is key. Too much stem and he's too far over the front wheel, which can be pretty sketchy.

[sanjuro]

I'm kidding about the pounds/euros, I didn't know what the Euro sign is.

About custom frame sizes, not that Boonen doesn't need a custom bike but entire USPS/Discovery rode stock carbon frames for the road.

[OGRipper]

About custom frame sizes, not that Boonen doesn't need a custom bike but entire USPS/Discovery rode stock carbon frames for the road.

Um yeah good point: It's often possible to pay anyone enough money to ride a stock bike, especially if you give them input in the stock geometry over a number of years or they are relatively unkown and need the cash or don't have the clout to demand something custom.

:busted:

[Zutroy]

I'm kidding about the pounds/euros, I didn't know what the Euro sign is.

About custom frame sizes, not that Boonen doesn't need a custom bike but entire USPS/Discovery rode stock carbon frames for the road.

Yes they did, but the stock frames were adjusted to fit what they wanted. The 58cm trek was built with Lance in mind. You'll notice as soon as lance left the team trek moved the TT bike to a stepper seat angle, lance didn't like a forward position. It was easier back in the days of steel to make a bike for everyone that was an exact fit. Not so easy with carbon. That being said if you're big gun on the team has an issue with fitting your stock frames, it would be stupid to make him ride one if it was causing issues.

[loco-gringo]

I never said carbon was weak. I said he broke some frames.

I'd challenge that the Discovery squad is as impressive on stock frames, just as much so as a crew on customs.

[DRB]

I never said carbon was weak. I said he broke some frames.

I'd challenge that the Discovery squad is as impressive on stock frames, just as much so as a crew on customs.

Did you move to Santa Barbara?

[loco-gringo]

Did you move to Santa Barbara?

Reading that, it would appear so. Sorry.

They are just as impressive to me as they would be riding custom bikes. You knew that though.

[sanjuro]

Um yeah good point: It's often possible to pay anyone enough money to ride a stock bike, especially if you give them input in the stock geometry over a number of years or they are relatively unkown and need the cash or don't have the clout to demand something custom.

:busted:

Lance, Hincapie, Tyler, Landis? No clout there?

BTW, I think you make a carbon frame strong enough. Boonen was breaking Time frames until he rode his Paris Roubaix bike all the time.

[OGRipper]

Lance, Hincapie, Tyler, Landis? No clout there?

Dude, read it again and behold the power of "or." Lance worked pretty closely with Trek to dial in the geometry, and even if they also had input the other guys on the team will ride anything they are told to ride.

[sanjuro]

Pointing out when Boonen breaks frames is not exactly an indictment of the carbon fiber frame industry.

These frames are designed to be light and strong and when you have a genetic freak like Boonen pushing on one, who has more wattage than every person on this thread combined, I am not surprised they crack.

I know alu, ti, and steel frames crack as well when built too light. I just think it is funny to hear about carbon frames cracking.

[Kihaji]

The problem the freaks like Boonen have with Carbon is not that it breaks, but how it breaks. It's usually a catastrphic failure without any visible warning signs, wheras steel will bend and distort before it breaks.

[James]

He was having a lot of back pain with the new bike. These guys are super anal, and superstitious about their positioning, and other stuff.
Mario Cipollini was that way about his shoes, he used to take the sole from a rather cheaper Shimano shoe, and Specialized would pay a cobbler in Italy to stick a Specialized upper onto it.

It's pretty remarkable that Specialized stepped up with a new mold size. Of course, having him ride an alloy "Specialized" (which rumor has it was made by Pegoretti) wasn't good for business...

Speaking of the Lion King, Specialized used to wrap the BB area on his bike with some extra layers of carbon to stiffen it up for the sprints...

[OGRipper]

I have a hard time believing they spent 500,000 euro, but whatever it was I just hope they got it right.

I like to think Boonen has a sense of humor and screwed around with them. Imagine him getting back from his first ride and saying "I said 14mm dammit!"

:rofl:

[Zutroy]

500,000 euros is like 675,000 US. If they paid that for one mold they got screwed. I'm sure they've included a bunch of inflated R&D cost into the price, most company's like to blow up costs like that to make it seem "cooler" they did it.

[Angus]

Specialized has spent more money advertising the signing of the Quick Step squad than what it cost to build more molds don't be surprised if they didn't build several sizes of the Boonen mold mold and Specialized sells some of them after all we have a Mario WCS S-Works frame built up at our store (not for sale).

I will be a Specialized world event this summer and I will let Ya'll know if I seen anything cool like that....

[loco-gringo]

Specialized has spent more money advertising the signing of the Quick Step squad than what it cost to build more molds don't be surprised if they didn't build several sizes of the Boonen mold mold and Specialized sells some of them after all we have a Mario WCS S-Works frame built up at our store (not for sale).

I will be a Specialized world event this summer and I will let Ya'll know if I seen anything cool like that....

I couldn't go out there, and am even more sad, knowing I could've clowned with you and gotten some bad ass rides in. :(

[Angus]

I couldn't go out there, and am even more sad, knowing I could've clowned with you and gotten some bad ass rides in. :(

Too bad it could've been epic, I had a choice between Trek world in Wisconsin or the Specialized event in Utah I will make sure I post any cool findings...