Why we don't repair carbon rail saddles

Unfortunately, saddle rails made from solid carbon can't be successfully repaired. Here's why:

1. Solid Structure: The solid nature of these rails makes repairs challenging. During manufacturing, carbon fiber sheets are layered and placed into a mold to form the rails. The mold shapes the rails to specific dimensions and curvature.

2. Compression Molding: High pressure and heat are applied during the molding process. This causes the resin to harden and bond the carbon fibers together, creating a solid, strong structure. This curing process results in unidirectional, continuous fibers that are compression molded.

3. Bonding Issues: Once damaged, it's nearly impossible to bind the broken areas together to restore them to their original solid state. Simply wrapping carbon material around the damage won't hold under load.

4. Clamping Forces: Carbon rails are subject to clamping forces and compressional load over small areas. Clamping can cause micro-fractures in the resin, weakening the structure over time. Therefore, carbon rails have a limited lifespan.

   
   

In conclusion, it's generally best to replace damaged carbon rails to ensure safety and performance.