Carbon Fiber: What Does It Do For My Bike?

Carbon Fiber in ColorCarbon fiber is a material that is relatively new in the biking world but has been around since the 50s when it was first developed, in a weaker, low carbon version, by a guy named Roger Bacon in Cleveland, Ohio. It was further developed in Japan and Great Britain in the 60s, with Rolls-Royce taking the baton and leading with innovations in the development of jet engine parts. The material is basically a string of lined up carbon atoms. It sounds unimpressive but because of how these atoms are lined up, the strength of this material far surpasses, when properly treated, the strength of steel.   

The material has since made its rounds to other sports (Formula 1, surfing, pole vaulting, hockey, crew, etc…) and so the biking world was a natural place for the use of this material.

There are several different methods of making carbon fiber pieces, all of which leave you with an end product that is either stronger or stiffer, and most definitely, lighter.

Now, carbon fiber can be stiffer or stronger, but it can’t be both. It is definitely lighter and yeah, the price tag is high enough to make you look at your aluminum-frame bike and think it ain’t so bad. If speed is a factor (and you've got the coin), however, it is something you should consider. Depending on what part it is, the function of the carbon fiber piece is going to differ. 

A note: just because carbon fiber is strong or stiff DOES NOT mean that it is resistant to breaking. So don’t be throwing around your new carbon fiber cheese slicer because it is not indestructable. Also, if it is torqued incorrectly, it can place unnecessary pressure on your piece, causing it to break so make sure you’ve got a professional bike mechanic putting it all together.

I’ve included two videos. The first one is with Cervelo founder, Phil White, who explains the differences between different types of carbon fiber and where they can be used on a bike to maximize performance.

The second video is about Formula 1 race cars but the section on carbon fiber is interesting. It starts at 20:05 and ends at 24:15. But you might as well watch the whole thing because it is cool and geeky, in a gear head sort of way.