Carbon frame life

Carbon doesn’t fatigue like
Carbon doesn’t fatigue like metals so over the life span of two identical frames one made from carbon the other from steel the Carbon frame could technically go on forever where as the steel tubes will fail. Only problem with that is we don’t live in a test lab.

Personally I think the likely hood of a frame dieing from old age is tiny compared the the likely hood of a crash destroying a frame. Most mechanicals failures fall into 2 categories 1)bad design 2)pushing the mechanism beyond it’s design limits.

I’ve got a Van Nicholas
I’ve got a Van Nicholas Ventus, built with a Chorus/Athena mix, Zonda wheels and nice finishing kit. I love it, but there’s just one problem. I thought it would be my “best” bike and that I’d only ride it in nice weather, but I prefer it to my other bikes so much that it gets ridden in all weathers. However, it has no guard mounts and clearances are too tight for cruds, so I get covered in crap and have to clean the drive train every time it rains.

This is my build – https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1omgJJzU3ZiwAnFC3LApPimMck0uJ14WuBe8xS7SXAkY/edit#gid=0 – if I did it again, I’d go for something that can take guards. I’d probably stick with Van Nic, as the bike is a pleasure to ride and the frames tend to be cheaper than those of other, more prestigious brands.

I had the same decision to
I had the same decision to make roughly this time last year. I decided that Ti is the only *material* that I can guarantee will last for decades. Steel can rust if you don’t touch up chips, carbon can go snap in a crash, and the only frame I’ve ever had fail on me was made of aluminium (weld failure at DS chainstay/BB on a Felt FA).

Of course the quality of construction and the care with which you maintain your steed will affect the longevity of the frame, but when I considered salted roads and the odd spill (you’re bound to have one or two in the next 30 years!), I came up with Ti.

There’s no paint on mine, so no chips to touch up, and after a wash it always looks like it did the day I built the bike.

It really depends on the
It really depends on the frame construction and the forces it’s subjected to (from riding or crashing). There are a lot of 20 year old carbon bikes still on the road working fine and not falling apart, and carbon fiber is highly repairable. Of course newer carbon bikes are both better made (higher quality manufacturing) and much lighter than carbon bikes of 20 years ago. Some are incredibly light and my guess is they probably won’t last as well as a 1995 OCLV Trek if they get any significant abuse.

All things considered I think the Ti bike will last the best when subjected to rough duty: 20-30 years of bad roads, some salt water, and an occasional tumble on the pavement. But I wouldn’t want to dissuade anyone from carbon or steel bikes, which have many wonderful qualities and I love them all. Most people never break a frame, regardless of the material, even if they keep it for decades.