With Lightweight Carbon Bikes Comes Serious Risk for Injuries to Body and Wallet, According to Experts
Modern technology has made bicycles, especially the kind found in races like the Tour de France, much lighter than they used to be. But these new lightweight frames constructed from carbon fiber composites are causing major problems for professional and amateur riders alike.
Carbon fiber became popular a few years ago after Greg LeMond, a three-time Tour de France winner, used this material for his bicycle's frame. The lightweight material contributes to the, strength, speed and aerodynamics of the bikes for their riders.
Yet the bikes' tough but featherweight construction comes with a serious hazard for riders: the carbon fiber tubing in the bicycles' frames (and, more recently, wheels) does not bend the way steel and aluminum tubes bend. Instead, the frames and wheels can shatter, ...









