Repairing Structural Carbon Fibre Question

[zx12argh]

No its not a motorbike but it has two wheels. My brother is one of those "fit" people and gets more kilometres on his pushy then I do a bike these days.

He's just had an offer from a mate to buy a carbon fibre racing frame however there is a small amount of damage. The last owner dropped the bike on a fence and there is now a patch about 5cm in circumference that would appear to be delaminated (his words). I'm guessing its gone that crazed opaque look. The resin and fibre is still in one piece and the owner has been ridding it this way for about 9 months.

My brother has been quoted about $340 to get it repaired and he can pickup the frame for about $200. Not bad considering a new one is over $2500.

So here's the questions to the resident glassing gurus. Does this sound like repairable damage? Is it worth repairing?

Can you recommend a carbon fibre specialist around Brissy to get it fixed as most bike shops are rip off merchants and all round dodgey brothers.

In recepit of this information I've made my brother promise not to ride in packs or up mountains in the middle of the road.

Cheers folks.

[Cruisecontrol]

Got a mate who is a mad keen mountain biker.
He had a set of CF bars that got a knock from a tree one day. I saw the bars and they had a slight scuff mark on em that I thought would just polish out. He binned them and said he wouldn't be caught dead using them again.

[zx12argh]

Yeah thats the problem with Carbon Fibre... Instant catastrophic failure.
The more I think about it the less I like the idea - but still if anyone can turn my thinking around...

[TurboKat]

Tell your Bro to stick a piece of 100 MPH tape over the damaged area Pete, I'd reckon you couldn't go wrong seeing as pushies don't get anywhere near that speed ;)
If he's still worried, tell him to use 2 bits.

[Benz]

Hmm.. CF...Carbon Fibre.....CF..Catastrophic Failure, coincidence????

[PIZZ]

Hi zx12r i have been racing pushys for years mate and had heeps of carbon frames.I had a fall in a race and cracked my frame it was a carbon/kevlar monocoque frame.The crack never got any worse after 3years of riding it but it may have cracked the carbon and not the kevlar i think it was a kevlar frame with a carbon overlay for added strength.Saying that when i could afford another frame i went and got a new one but i would happily still train on the cracked one for that price i would buy it for sure hope this helps.

[crazymofo]

when resin catalyses on to older resin, it sorta burns in to become one with the older part, so the repair would be to cut the delam part out all together, then lay new carbon into the frame.

cheers.joe.