In 1975 the first CF tubed bike appears, the Exxon Graftek, It had steel lugs and was prone to breaking. This was followed in 1986 by Kestrel and Trek releasing full CF-framed bikes.

A modern, top end example of a carbon fibre bike is a Pinarello Dogma F8 which is riden by Team Sky and also therefore by Team Bradley Wiggins.  

Although Sheldon Brown and others are not very enthusiastic about CF, there's a large body of opinion that CF is the best material for racing and riding fast.

• Very high stiffness to weight ratio can lead to frames that are stiff but very light.
• CF has directional strength meaning that depending on the alignment of fibres it can be used to make frames that are stiff when transferring power but compliant when absorbing road vibrations.
• CF is able to form a wide range of shapes meaning aero profile tubes can be created more easily than with metals.
• CF doesn't wear in the same way that metals do, meaning that it can theoretically have an indefinite lifespan because it does not wear under regular forces. CF is not prone to corrosion even without coating/paint.
• Although the lay-up process takes a lot of time, it does not require high levels of skill. This means that less-skilled workers are able to produce CF frames.
• Perhaps some people like the look and status of a CF bike. I remember when I first got a CF bike how my non-cyclist friends would think it's some sort of spaceship and wanted to lift it up just to feel its weight.

• CF frames are expensive due the long time it takes to hand lay all the individual strips of CF.
• CF frames (or any parts) require more careful and qualified assembly. A special lubricant must be used to prevent parts from bonding together, and CF will not tolerate overtightening as well as metal.
• CF frames tend to become damaged easily. Because CF has directional strength it means that it is less resistant to forces that it is not designed to be exposed to, i.e. crashes. When forces are applied in a way that the CF fibres are not taking the strain themselves, then it is the polymer matrix that takes all the force and so is more easily broken.
• At the same time, the damage is often unnoticeable. Where a metal frame will have a visible dent or bend, a CF frame may look undamaged, but may in fact delaminate internally, leading to a sudden unexpected failure later.
• CF is not easily repairable; in fact many people would say it can't be repaired. In any case, if an expensive CF frame is broken you're probably not going to want to race on it again in case there is a risk of sudden failure of the repair job.
• CF bikes quickly lose their value. If you buy a CF bike it's probably because you want to race on it or at least ride fast, therefore you buy something that is at the forefront of technology for your price point. however because CF bike technology has been improving very quickly over the last two decades and is still improving now, it means your purchase will quickly be outdated by newer bikes.
• Many people who buy CF bikes will end up with a bike that far surpasses their ability. A learner driver won't go much faster in a Porsche 911 than in a Nissan Micra. People fall for the marketing claim of CF bikes as the only option for buying a good bike, or that it is the best way to get faster rather than training more and losing a few kilograms.

In 1975, the Exxon Graftek may have been the first carbon fiber bike, although it had steel lugs and was prone to breaking. This was followed in 1986 by Kestrel and Trek releasing full CF-framed bikes.

A modern, top end example of a carbon fibre bike is a Pinarello Dogma F8 which is riden by the former Team Sky (succeeded by Ineos Grenadiers) and also by Team Bradley Wiggins. 

Carbon fiber is generally considered the best frame material for performance bikes.

• Very high stiffness to weight ratio can lead to frames that are stiff but very light.
• CF has directional strength meaning that depending on the alignment of fibres it can be used to make frames that are stiff when transferring power but compliant when absorbing road vibrations. Metal tubes are isotropic, and they can only be tuned by varying the shape.
• CF is able to form a wide range of shapes meaning aero profile tubes can be created more easily than with metals.
• CF doesn't wear in the same way that metals do, meaning that it can theoretically have an indefinite lifespan because it does not wear under regular forces. CF is not prone to corrosion even without coating/paint.
• The costs have come down since the early days. CF does not require an advanced degree to lay up, although designing the bike and the layup schedule would probably need one.
• Perhaps some people like the look and status of a CF bike. I remember when I first got a CF bike how my non-cyclist friends would think it's some sort of spaceship and wanted to lift it up just to feel its weight.
• CF is surprisingly repairable, although competent repairers may not exist in every city. That said, many cracks can be fixed.

• The costs are still high. Aluminum is the major alternative at the entry level.
• CF is not as resistant to impact damage as metal. It can also sustain crush damage. Thus, you need to pay close attention to torque specs. CF frames can sustain damage not visible to the naked eye that later propagates into a larger fracture (usually called a delamination). Metal is commonly thought to give more warning before a failure.
• CF bikes quickly lose their value. If you buy a CF bike it's probably because you want to race on it or at least ride fast, therefore you buy something that is at the forefront of technology for your price point. however because CF bike technology has been improving very quickly over the last two decades and is still improving now, it means your purchase will quickly be outdated by newer bikes.
• Many people who buy CF bikes will end up with a bike that far surpasses their ability. A learner driver won't go much faster in a Porsche 911 than in a Nissan Micra. People fall for the marketing claim of CF bikes as the only option for buying a good bike, or that it is the best way to get faster rather than training more and losing a few kilograms.

#Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer

##Advantages

##Disadvantages

Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer

Advantages

Disadvantages

• Very high stiffness to weight ratio can lead to frames that are stiff but very light.
• CF has directional strength meaning that depending on the alignment of fibres it can be used to make frames that are stiff when transferring power but compliant when absorbing road vibrations.
• CF is able to form a wide range of shapes meaning aero profile tubes can be created more easily than with metals.
• CF doesn't wear in the same way that metals do, meaning that it can theoretically have an indefinite lifespan because it does not wear under regular forces.
• Although the lay-up process takes a lot of time, it does not require high levels of skill. This means that less-skilled workers are able to produce CF frames.
• Perhaps some people like the look and status of a CF bike. I remember when I first got a CF bike how my non-cyclist friends would think it's some sort of spaceship and wanted to lift it up just to feel its weight.

• CF frames are expensive due the long time it takes to hand lay all the individual strips of CF.
• CF frames tend to become damaged easily. Because CF has directional strength it means that it is less resistant to forces that it is not designed to be exposed to, i.e. crashes. When forces are applied in a way that the CF fibres are not taking the strain themselves, then it is the polymer matrix that takes all the force and so is more easily broken.
• CF is not easily repairable; in fact many people would say it can't be repaired. In any case, if an expensive CF frame is broken you're probably not going to want to race on it again in case there is a risk of sudden failure of the repair job.
• CF bikes quickly lose their value. If you buy a CF bike it's probably because you want to race on it or at least ride fast, therefore you buy something that is at the forefront of technology for your price point. however because CF bike technology has been improving very quickly over the last two decades and is still improving now, it means your purchase will quickly be outdated by newer bikes.
• Many people who buy CF bikes will end up with a bike that far surpasses their ability. A learner driver won't go much faster in a Porsche 911 than in a Nissan Micra. People fall for the marketing claim of CF bikes as the only option for buying a good bike, or that it is the best way to get faster rather than training more and losing a few kilograms.

• Very high stiffness to weight ratio can lead to frames that are stiff but very light.
• CF has directional strength meaning that depending on the alignment of fibres it can be used to make frames that are stiff when transferring power but compliant when absorbing road vibrations.
• CF is able to form a wide range of shapes meaning aero profile tubes can be created more easily than with metals.
• CF doesn't wear in the same way that metals do, meaning that it can theoretically have an indefinite lifespan because it does not wear under regular forces. CF is not prone to corrosion even without coating/paint.
• Although the lay-up process takes a lot of time, it does not require high levels of skill. This means that less-skilled workers are able to produce CF frames.
• Perhaps some people like the look and status of a CF bike. I remember when I first got a CF bike how my non-cyclist friends would think it's some sort of spaceship and wanted to lift it up just to feel its weight.

• CF frames are expensive due the long time it takes to hand lay all the individual strips of CF.
• CF frames (or any parts) require more careful and qualified assembly. A special lubricant must be used to prevent parts from bonding together, and CF will not tolerate overtightening as well as metal.
• CF frames tend to become damaged easily. Because CF has directional strength it means that it is less resistant to forces that it is not designed to be exposed to, i.e. crashes. When forces are applied in a way that the CF fibres are not taking the strain themselves, then it is the polymer matrix that takes all the force and so is more easily broken.
• At the same time, the damage is often unnoticeable. Where a metal frame will have a visible dent or bend, a CF frame may look undamaged, but may in fact delaminate internally, leading to a sudden unexpected failure later.
• CF is not easily repairable; in fact many people would say it can't be repaired. In any case, if an expensive CF frame is broken you're probably not going to want to race on it again in case there is a risk of sudden failure of the repair job.
• CF bikes quickly lose their value. If you buy a CF bike it's probably because you want to race on it or at least ride fast, therefore you buy something that is at the forefront of technology for your price point. however because CF bike technology has been improving very quickly over the last two decades and is still improving now, it means your purchase will quickly be outdated by newer bikes.
• Many people who buy CF bikes will end up with a bike that far surpasses their ability. A learner driver won't go much faster in a Porsche 911 than in a Nissan Micra. People fall for the marketing claim of CF bikes as the only option for buying a good bike, or that it is the best way to get faster rather than training more and losing a few kilograms.