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@BrickMan
^^^^ +1 on the UV & Moisture damage to composites.
In the UK we don't get as much UV as some other European (france/spain) countries or the States, but moisture we get lots of, even in soggy damp summer :/
I think the point DFP raised is very valid, carbons are for the top end lightweight/ race orientated end of the market (generally) and so are going to be developed to have every reasonable ounce of weight cut out of them, wheras a lot of aluminium because of the nature of the material (tubing & welding etc, hydroforming being only way of really manipulating tubes) its going to have excess material in certain places.
So its still not really comparing like with like, super light race carbons vs. average joe aluminium vs. regular steel tubes & weld just aren't that comparable.
I've snapped 2x steel hard tails before (DMR trailstars with too much fork under them :S) and when they went, I'd noticed handling had suddenly become like that of an american chopper bike, a fellow rider pointed at my gaping head/down tube and shouted to stop, as I stopped the action of the brakes (rear doing more work than front, and weight thrown to front of bike) ripped the frame apart in comic fashion.
I walked home. But at least it hadn't ended in hospital like it could have if the frame had gone in a more instant manor.