Coopz
Likes Dirt
Weird question, I was speaking to a local bike mechanic on the weekend. He's been in the industry for over 20 years. Anyway he was talking about steel frame bikes making a big resurgence and I just said the 6 (decent) mtbs I've had in my life have all been alloy frames with no issues. He just smirked that most modern alloy bikes are good for 5 years then the frames start to fail. 'you look at them carefully and the cracks and fatigue start to appear at the 5 year mark'. I asked if carbon was better and he just said 'it lasts a few years longer but not much'. He also factored in if you weigh more than 80kg and like jumps/rough riding things fail a lot faster..
Made me wonder why most alloy frames have lifetime warranties yet the premium titanium and carbon mtbs only have 5 year warranties (some are better/worse and a few are lifetime) with the usual disclaimer that it only applies for the original owner. Do the companies just assume that people keep their bikes for a few years then sell them?
My hardtail Specialized Carve Pro is 9 years old and despite some fade in the decals, multiple chains, tyres, cranks and casettes later it still looks good.
Made me wonder why most alloy frames have lifetime warranties yet the premium titanium and carbon mtbs only have 5 year warranties (some are better/worse and a few are lifetime) with the usual disclaimer that it only applies for the original owner. Do the companies just assume that people keep their bikes for a few years then sell them?
My hardtail Specialized Carve Pro is 9 years old and despite some fade in the decals, multiple chains, tyres, cranks and casettes later it still looks good.