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Carbon fiber frames can be surprisingly fragile, especially when subjected to forces they weren't specifically designed to withstand, such as being crushed inwa
by beloch 10y ago
Carbon fiber frames can be surprisingly fragile, especially when subjected to forces they weren't specifically designed to withstand, such as being crushed inwards from the sides.
Vanmoof (the company in the article) seems to specialize in aluminum commuter bikes though, which should be reasonably robust. Aluminum is a wee bit brittle, but it's a lot more burly than carbon fiber. As such, I suspect the frames aren't the problem. It's probably what's bolted onto the frames. Shifters, pedals, fenders, etc. can all bend/break if a package is given "UPS special" treatment.
- btgeekboy 10y agoAll of this is me hypothesizing, so take it with a grain of salt: the widest part of the frame is probably the rear half. When mounted, a bike wheel helps keep the rear "fork" spread properly, but if you were to drop an aluminum frame without the wheel there, it would easily bend.
- jononor 10y agoStandard way of shipping bikes from manufacturer is with, and front wheel not mounted. Pic: https://securecart.net/merchant/387/images/site/bikebox.jpg https://securecart.net/merchant/387/images/site/bikebox.jpg There are plastic fork clips that are used for support when the wheel/axel is not in place.
- a3n 10y agoJust having the finish gouged through the cardboard is enough to count for damage that I wouldn't accept.