Originally Posted by
700wheel
Apply force to the pedals and it creates torque to the frame.
Applying force to the pedals (and to the handlebars) creates stress on the frame and on the components which results in strain on the frame and on the components. This is how power meters work, they use strain gauges.
The problems cited in this thread occur when stress surpasses the elastic limit of the material, the so-called yield point, when the material no longer behaves elastically, that is, no longer returns to its original state when stress is removed.
-ilan