Carbon Fiber: Off-Axis Fibers Reduce Structural Strength
The majority of fibers in a carbon tube are just along for the ride
A frame must withstand loading along nearly every axis. Pedaling induces torsional and bending stress in multiple planes through the bottom bracket. Add the bike chain, and stresses get much more complicated. No single fiber direction covers all of that.
Carbon framebuilders handle this complexity by stacking plies at several angles, like 0°, ±45°, and 90°. That covers stress in those directions, but only part of the fiber aligns with any single load. The rest is loaded off-axis.
"Couldn't have asked for anything to be more perfect! Fantastic first ride. One top 3 all-time women segment and another PR segment. I guess you can buy speed!" — Rebecca C.
