For all you carbon haters:

saintsfan342000

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297248,00.html

So now you can add "Your bike won't survive lightning strikes and will emit toxic fumes when it burns" to your anti-carbon bike arguments.

As an aside, I think that people should buy bikes made from whatever material they like best and can afford and I think it's ridiculous that there are anti-<insert material anme here> people, and I also think Dan Rather is a moronic tool.

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Simplicity and reserve will be practiced and petty effects and frippery avoided.

JohnO

If lightning strikes someone on a carbon frame, the result will be exactly the same as if they were riding an aluminum or steel frame. A dead rider.

The 787 story is a putup. They have one disgruntled, fired employee, and a host of 'experts', most of whom probably have ties to Airbus. Rather is washed up and is stretching for a bit of faded glory, not known for checking his facts before shouting. Fact is, carbon is not 'brittle', and aluminum will burn, fairly easily. If an airframe begins to burn in flight, that aircraft will break apart, regardless of what fumes are emitted. Aluminum has a finite fatigue life, carbon does not. End result of this 'story' - the 787 will be proven to be safe, and Rather has put the final nail in his own coffin. He should have retired gracefully, like Cronkite.

There are billions of dollars/euros at stake here. Airbus pretty much screwed the pooch with the A380, and they're now desperate to toss mud on their cheif competitor who has come out with the right product at the right time. That much money at stake buys a lot of 'experts' and innuendo.