I don’t think I’ve had any real crashes—on my own, anyway. When I was a teenager I had a bike pretzeled by getting hit by a pickup truck. But I wouldn’t expect any bike to survive that; I’m just thankful I did.
And I’ve been generally lucky in the bikes I’ve owned. But now I’m in the market for a new bike, and planning to spend more than I have in the past, and would rather not rely on luck. Test riding, of course, and reading reviews, but not really finding the information I’m looking for.
I guess what I have in mind is resilience under normal use. When you buy a car that’s a big factor (for almost everyone), and it’s a prominent part of the available information and manufacturer reputation. But most bike reviews are all about “how does it ride when it’s brand new?” If you bought a car by that criterion alone (and had unlimited money), you’d end up with a Porsche, and have to accept that it would be fussy and in the shop a lot.
I once met a guy who claimed (I think he was kidding but I’m not sure) to have founded a Porsche owners emotional support group.
So another way to put the question would be: what bike do you get if you want a Toyota, not a Porsche?