Carbon fiber is very much in the public consciousness at present. Who hasn’t heard of  the recent submersible catastrophe? I don’t mean to be insensitive by blogging about the material; but I can’t help thinking about it. After all, it’s what my road bike is made of!

Carbon fiber is one of four materials commonly used for bicycle frames. And yes, I’m aware that such frames can fail suddenly and drastically. That worries me sometimes.

I guess that a crash is the most likely cause of frame failure. As a non-racer, my risk of crashing is probably low. At the same time, my road bike is 10+ years old. Maybe ordinary wear and tear has taken its toll on the frame. But how do I tell?

I want to keep on using my road bike for as long as I can. After all this time, I’ve become very adjusted to it. On top of that, I don’t feel like shelling out several thousand dollars for a new one. There are cheaper models out there; but I need good quality for all the miles that I put in.

When the time comes that I must bid my current road bike adieu, and choose a new one, what type of frame material shall I look for?

Steel is susceptible to rust, so I don’t want a steel frame. Not in this humid climate! I wouldn’t be surprised if steel is also affected by salt in the atmosphere; and here we get ample salt haze from the Gulf.

Titanium has a reputation for being almost impossible to destroy; but it’s too expensive for my budget. Aluminum is lightweight; but would an aluminum road bike be lighter than my current one? Who knows, I might come right back to carbon fiber!