[Dax]

Ok...

So I ride a Rocky Mountian 2XS. Its a carbon fiber frame with an aluminium rear triangle. Its kinda like a carbon RM6. Anyways, I have been riding this for a year or so now. Nothing too huge (3' to flat is my max) and doing some mild urban type riding. Lately I have been riding more and more in the local skate park after work because its close to home and its fun. There are some nice table tops and ramps and it seems everytime I go there I find a new line or a new way to tranny from one stunt to another.

So I'm at the skate park yesterday and one of the guys who works at the LBS rides over on a nice little bike I think the frame said EVIL on it. So I'm impressed with what he can do so I start chatting with him. He says "carefull with that frame in the park, its gonna shatter on you"

Now if this was some random dude I probably wouldn't worry about it, but since he works at the LBS somehow my mind gives him more cred. Now I'm scared that I'm gonna eat a facefull of front tire if I ride in the skate park! I have seen the posts of carbon seatposts and bars breaking when used hard, but this frame is THICK CF.

Should I be worried about this bike? I REALY like this bike and have ridden many of my friends bikes and they all feel to heavy/stiff and just plane wrong to me, but I'm not willing to risk injury ridding this frame if its not up to the task. What should I do?

See pics:

 

[ranier]

My two cents...

Personnally, I think CF is a great material for bike frames, given it's intended use. Road bike is great -lightweight and strong. Hard tail XC - same. But full suspension with a 4+ inch double crown fork? No way. That thing would have to be made of solid CF before I'd throw a leg over it. The stresses on the frame: headset, suspension pivot/mounting points would have to be extremely well engineered.

BTW - is that a GPS on yer stem?

 

[SuperNewb]

As commo said it would have to be a well engineered piece of work to handle the stress the double clamp fork puts on it. But I think the rear suspension pivots and such can handle the stress being put out since RM did make the frame and such.

Being a smooth rider helps keep your parts going longer then say someone who crashes alot or is hard on landings.

 

[Boognish]

From what I understand, CF does very well with the stresses it was designed for, but not so well when it is subjected to stresses it was not designed for. Said another way - it should handle the 3 foot drop pretty well, but it probably won't handle an impact from a concrete ramp across the top tube so well. The layers that are used to make the frame can be compromised without any visual warning, although there is usually visual clues on both the outside (visible part) and the inside of the tubing.
If it was me, I'd keep a close eye on the frame near the steer tube and look for any visual signs of stress such as paint cracking before I'd start to worry. The pictures look pretty burly.
I've been riding a Kestrel CF hardtail for about 10 years now. I don't ride skate parks, but the bike's seen literally hundreds of 2-3 foot drops at varying speeds with a chinsy, old school 80mm Judy on the front. She's still hanging in there.

 

[frank daleview]

She's a thing of beauty, I wouldn't risk it to the frame--especially if you really like the ride- you won't be able to get anything even remotely like that now. You don't see too many (any?) park riders on CF frames and there is probably a reason for it.

 

[Dax]

yes thats a GPS in my custom made heatgun melted plastic holder

Apparently it came stock with a double crown fork, so I think it should handle it.

I have never had a hard object (rock, tree, streetlight) impact on the CF so there is no surface damage

And I check my bike everytime I wash it (usualy every 2 rides)

And I'm a prety smooth rider.

So I guess (hope) I will be ok.

 

[Dax]

More pics because I can: