On Aug 13, 5:05*pm, "Ted Mittelstaedt" wrote:
There is no reason that a correctly designed frame using a quality
composition would not hold up as well as an aluminum frame. *

I agree, the question, however, is "correctly designed". As an
observer of mountain bike fashions, I am now seeing carbon frames (esp
the 2009 model year) that are substantially lighter than years past.
Are these new very light carbon frames sacrificing durability?

I also wonder whether consumer perceptions about what constitutes
adequate durability have changed in the MTB market. Seems to me that
current consumer-level road frames are substantially more likely to be
destroyed in relatively minor crashes than 5-10 years ago, and road
bike buyers accept this tradeoff. Has the same thing happened for
MTBs?