5 years for an alloy frame?

[Coopz]

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.

 

[frenchman]

if u want an alloy frame that’ll last, get a nicolai.

Do the companies just assume that people keep their bikes for a few years then sell them?

No, they know when they bring out a new colourway the endurbros will be on it like a beaver to wood. fuck me how many tossbags were wanking off whilst standing on an axle for the new Sram transmission
gotta keep up the influencing with fresh content and unboxing reels.

yewwwwwww

 

[Mr Crudley]

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..

The last line if the guts of it. All depends how it is used. For trail riding without big features then it should last a long time.
I have been riding my old junk for years on trails that are unlikely to break it that don't have big features. Being unfashionable will kill it first

 

[Coopz]

if u want an alloy frame that’ll last, get a nicolai.


No, they know when they bring out a new colourway the endurbros will be on it like a beaver to wood. fuck me how many tossbags were wanking off whilst standing on an axle for the new Sram transmission
gotta keep up the influencing with fresh content and unboxing reels.

yewwwwwww

A mate is one of those.. New Santa Cruz Nomad comes out, new colours, he sells his 2 year old Nomad to buy it. I say it's the same same bike, he's like 'nah they've upgraded the Sram 306 series brakes to the new 307 series and the stem has been completely redesigned' Def worth the $4000 change over price..

 

[Calvin27]

A mate is one of those.. New Santa Cruz Nomad comes out, new colours, he sells his 2 year old Nomad to buy it. I say it's the same same bike, he's like 'nah they've upgraded the Sram 306 series brakes to the new 307 series and the stem has been completely redesigned' Def worth the $4000 change over price..

I know one too, don't we all lol.

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.

As much as I despised Spesh for making that bike with QR axles back in the day, it was the right choice. These days it would almost be an orphan if it picked up the 142x12 dropouts. Bikes may last a lot longer than 5 years, but the standards look like they will eat into any durability argument quicker than you can spot a crack on a frame!

 

[Chriso_29er]

I'm more concerned about my hardtail which does big ks and more subject to fatigue cracking. Still seems fine so far after 7 years.

I'm only 75kg but my alloy trail bike gets given a much harder time running big ks on enduro style trails. Ok so far, turning 5 this year. But I think it suffers bigger hits more than fatigue inducing forces.

 

[Flow-Rider]

Lifetime warranty is a bit of a buzzword for marketing these days, there are always subclauses.

 

[slowmick]

I know one too, don't we all lol.



As much as I despised Spesh for making that bike with QR axles back in the day, it was the right choice. These days it would almost be an orphan if it picked up the 142x12 dropouts. Bikes may last a lot longer than 5 years, but the standards look like they will eat into any durability argument quicker than you can spot a crack on a frame!

I was in Queenstown at the start of 2020 and needed a 27.5/142mm rear wheel. The only option in the shop was one of the mechanics old wheels out the back. No wheels, no hubs.

 

[Ackland]

Surely it really depends on the Alloy and Model frame.

If only "cheap" bikes are being made from alloy, they probably use thin tubing for "weight saving" and/or recycled materials for upping their greenwashing credentials.

I'd wager that the higher end enduro alloy bikes are (largely) still as good or better than ever...

 

[Jpez]

My raw alloy frame does not have a gentle life and it’s about 5yr are old. I know theres no way to tell when it’s about to crack but it shows no signs of being about to explode. It’s built like a tank.
I did crack a swing arm but that was a design fault that was rectified
Any way here bike. Bike = good!

 

[Hal-9000]

Weird question, I was speaking to a local bike mechanic on the weekend. He's been in the industry for over 20 years.

What a surprise, a 'bike mechanic' that doesn't know what he's talking about!

Lifetime warranty is a bit of a buzzword for marketing these days, there are always subclauses.

View attachment 398670

To be fair, those exceptions listed below are fair enough and wouldn't stop a cracked frame getting warrantied after 5 years through normal offroad use.

 

[hellmansam]

But I think it suffers bigger hits more than fatigue inducing forces.

but shirley big hits ARE fatigue inducing

 

[steve jobs' pancreas]

the term "5 years" for a mountain bike means absolutely nothing

I doubt you can quantify frame fatigue, or risk of frame failure in any way that would mean anything to anyone in a practical sense

 

[Calvin27]

I'd wager that the higher end enduro alloy bikes are (largely) still as good or better than ever...

I'd go the other way. Cheaper bikes do not need to design to a weight limit so will have more material. I've seen plenty of higher end bikes with fatigue cracks, but less so of cheaper bikes? Maybe it's survivorship bias or that cheap bikes just get binned without thinking? Who knows.

but shirley big hits ARE fatigue inducing

Fatigue stress depends on both the cycles and stress range. S-n curves are an approximation on this phenomenon, but ultimately big hits and lots of little hits are going to fatigue the material. How much is one big hit vs many smaller hits is the question. Interestingly theoretically carbon and steel (including titanium) has an endurance limit. That is under a certain level of stress these things should last forever. Aluminium does not. That means even for the smallest stresses, if given enough cycles they will crack. The reality of course is that steels will crack at the welds which have different properties as well as concentrated stresses, and carbon will have voids and other imperfections that mean their life is in fact limited.

 

[Calvin27]

I doubt you can quantify frame fatigue, or risk of frame failure in any way that would mean anything to anyone in a practical sense

Thought experiment, but you could probably quantify it with a shockwiz to get an idea of power spectral density.

 

[Tubbsy]

the term "5 years" for a mountain bike means absolutely nothing

Exactly. Risible nonsense.

 

[Halo1]

How does this fit with frames that have a life time warranty?

Modern geo and suspension would have to be placing more stress on frames, now that bikes are more capable.

 

[jrewing]

Hope so, I get a discounted new model frame.

 

[caad9]

Cost of replacement would be the reason Alloy has lifetime warranties and high end carbon or Ti have 5 year.

 

[slowmick]

I have had my downhill bike for 7 years. I guess it has been out less than 10 times (having a child will do that). Seems not all 5 years are equal.