Ever replace a bike due to mileage/use?
#1
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Ever replace a bike due to mileage/use?
Just curious how people here feel about deciding to replace / retire a bike based on miles and amount of usage.
I have a 2007 Specialized Tricross Comp that I bought used in 2009. Have put 24,000 miles on it (bought it with virtually no miles from the previous owner). The bike has carbon seat stays, and a carbon fork. Otherwise the frame is aluminum. Very few of the parts are original, and I've got the bike setup to where it works for me for road and gravel riding quite well.
I do a lot of backroad / country road riding, and have a tendency to bomb it down hills especially those I know well. There's hardly a ride where I don't hit 45+mph on a descent. I'm 210 pounds, and I have ridden this bike pretty hard. Never crashed it, no visible issues with the frame at all although I noticed some flaking of the clear coat on the seat stays last week and covered it with some clear nail polish.
So should I be concerned about fatigue of the frame or the fork, based on the amount and type of use this bike has seen?
I have a 2007 Specialized Tricross Comp that I bought used in 2009. Have put 24,000 miles on it (bought it with virtually no miles from the previous owner). The bike has carbon seat stays, and a carbon fork. Otherwise the frame is aluminum. Very few of the parts are original, and I've got the bike setup to where it works for me for road and gravel riding quite well.
I do a lot of backroad / country road riding, and have a tendency to bomb it down hills especially those I know well. There's hardly a ride where I don't hit 45+mph on a descent. I'm 210 pounds, and I have ridden this bike pretty hard. Never crashed it, no visible issues with the frame at all although I noticed some flaking of the clear coat on the seat stays last week and covered it with some clear nail polish.
So should I be concerned about fatigue of the frame or the fork, based on the amount and type of use this bike has seen?
#2
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Neither frame material will give you much warning before it gives up the ghost. So check it over periodically and maybe keep the bombing down gravel to only 40mph in case that happens to be when your frame cracks?
There are well used 30 year old carbon frames and aluminum frames that are even older. Age and use doesnt mean there is a predictable impending point at which damage will happen.
There are well used 30 year old carbon frames and aluminum frames that are even older. Age and use doesnt mean there is a predictable impending point at which damage will happen.
#3
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Neither frame material will give you much warning before it gives up the ghost. So check it over periodically and maybe keep the bombing down gravel to only 40mph in case that happens to be when your frame cracks?
There are well used 30 year old carbon frames and aluminum frames that are even older. Age and use doesnt mean there is a predictable impending point at which damage will happen.
There are well used 30 year old carbon frames and aluminum frames that are even older. Age and use doesnt mean there is a predictable impending point at which damage will happen.
#4
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I think there will be no difference between a catastrophic failure at 40 mph vs 45+. I guess the unpredictability is what concerns me. I get that a brand new frame and fork could break, but would like to understand the increase in probability based on the mileage and usage. That data probably doesn't exist (except proprietary product testing).
And yes- it makes sense that more use would increase probability of failure compared to a new frame.
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I swap up bikes when I get bored riding the same one but have never worried about fatigue of the components. It's a bicycle, not a plane...
#6
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Maybe a better question would be - how many people would have (more than mild) reservations about riding a 12 year old bike with 24,000 miles on it, regularly hitting 45+mph on descents?
#7
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Ever replace a bike due to mileage/use?
Yes. A ~1990 sport Peugeot I bought for $20 that had been hit hard by an SUV. (Trashed fork. Dented top tube. Both chainstays cracked and about to break. Rode it fix gear 8,000 miles but stayed out of the hills for fear of breaking it. Loved the ride so much I had a custom built so I could take that ride into the hills. When it arrived, the Peugeot was retired.
That is exactly why all my bikes (and forks) will be steel or titanium. Far less likelihood of the sudden failure common to both carbon fiber and aluminum. I've ridden several frames with multiple crashes on them for 20,000 miles or further.
And yes, I have had several steel frames break on me but those breaks have never been catastrophic. In fact, non were even ride enders (though I did drop out of a race for one of them. Rode easy back to the finish.)
Ben
That is exactly why all my bikes (and forks) will be steel or titanium. Far less likelihood of the sudden failure common to both carbon fiber and aluminum. I've ridden several frames with multiple crashes on them for 20,000 miles or further.
And yes, I have had several steel frames break on me but those breaks have never been catastrophic. In fact, non were even ride enders (though I did drop out of a race for one of them. Rode easy back to the finish.)
Ben
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#9
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Does not apply to me. Miles don't compute on hardtails. They're ridden for fun, not to build endurance. I ever get rid of my aversion for wearing lycra and skinny tires maybe I'll change my mind. Money and actual wear and tear carries a greater weight than age. I retired my 2003 Trek 4900 because the cost of a having a whole new groupset installed was more than the cost of a new bike that had better brakes and suspension. I also discovered that they size was a bad fit for me too. I wish I could buy more cartilage too though, but apparently those upgrades are well out of my price range.
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To your initial question, I changed bikes last year at the 20,000 mile mark. Not necessarily because I thought my bike would fail, but I could see a need fairly soon to put some money into it, and I thought I "deserved" a new bike. I'm so glad I did. The new bike is so much better than anything my old bike could have been.
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I'm thinking about replacing one, the frame is approaching 50,000 miles. But more to the point, I can't figure out how to clean up the rust around the BB and keep it from coming back. I suppose I could strip it down, sand it, and have the frame powder coated and see how long it takes to rust out then...
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Aside from the obvious inspection for cracks; Corrosion in critical areas would be my factor as to when it's time.
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#14
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Replacing my Tricross, I'd probably get a gravel type bike and two wheelsets to easily swap tire sizes depending on my planned ride. More or less the same purpose as the Tricross - which would either sit in a corner or be repurposed in some way.
#15
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Hehe - this is opening my eyes. I'm already looking forward to my next N+1 and my new bike scarcely has 500 miles on it. I'm just looking forward to upgrading components. The honeymoon is just about over.
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My oldest bike is at 16 years and 40,000+ miles. Most of the components have been replaced at least once, some have been replaced multiple times. As long as you’re willing to replace worn bits and pieces, a bike does not really “wear out” until and unless the frame fails. And I do not share some people’s concerns about carbon fiber “wearing out.“ Very forceful impacts may cause problems, but normal riding will not.
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If there is a material that doesn’t give warning before failure, it is steel. Steel just snaps and is broken. Fracture propagate rapidly and there is seldom the creaking and groaning that preceded aluminum failure.
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#18
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My oldest bike is at 16 years and 40,000+ miles. Most of the components have been replaced at least once, some have been replaced multiple times. As long as you’re willing to replace worn bits and pieces, a bike does not really “wear out” until and unless the frame fails. And I do not share some people’s concerns about carbon fiber “wearing out.“ Very forceful impacts may cause problems, but normal riding will not.
#19
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This is a misconception that keeps getting spread around. Both frame materials give ample warning before failure. Most people just don’t know how to listen to the warnings. Neither material is going to just explode if it does fail.
If there is a material that doesn’t give warning before failure, it is steel. Steel just snaps and is broken. Fracture propagate rapidly and there is seldom the creaking and groaning that preceded aluminum failure.
If there is a material that doesn’t give warning before failure, it is steel. Steel just snaps and is broken. Fracture propagate rapidly and there is seldom the creaking and groaning that preceded aluminum failure.
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My oldest bike is at 16 years and 40,000+ miles. Most of the components have been replaced at least once, some have been replaced multiple times. As long as you’re willing to replace worn bits and pieces, a bike does not really “wear out” until and unless the frame fails.
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#22
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This is a misconception that keeps getting spread around. Both frame materials give ample warning before failure. Most people just don’t know how to listen to the warnings. Neither material is going to just explode if it does fail.
If there is a material that doesn’t give warning before failure, it is steel. Steel just snaps and is broken. Fracture propagate rapidly and there is seldom the creaking and groaning that preceded aluminum failure.
If there is a material that doesn’t give warning before failure, it is steel. Steel just snaps and is broken. Fracture propagate rapidly and there is seldom the creaking and groaning that preceded aluminum failure.
This could get fun- we are talking materials an semantics...a two for Tuesday for ya!
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haha...I'm aware, and although I discreetly lust after many bikes I've learned that prefer riding to maintaining so I keep my bike count down on purpose (one "road", one MTB, one SS).
Replacing my Tricross, I'd probably get a gravel type bike and two wheelsets to easily swap tire sizes depending on my planned ride. More or less the same purpose as the Tricross - which would either sit in a corner or be repurposed in some way.
Replacing my Tricross, I'd probably get a gravel type bike and two wheelsets to easily swap tire sizes depending on my planned ride. More or less the same purpose as the Tricross - which would either sit in a corner or be repurposed in some way.
It still seems solid. If I were to replace it, it would be because of a) I finally had saved enough money and/or paid off my student loans, b) I want something with disc brakes, c) I'd like something with more tire clearance, and d) I'd like something with a little more stable geometry. I've found it to be a little sketchy on the descents.
But good lord has it been a solid dependable bike. Not bad for something I bought in something of an emergency situation.
Also, severely underrated frame. Kind of ahead of its time--with rack and fender mounts, clearance for wider tires (I've got 38s but I think you could squeeze 42s in there) and the third bottle cage mount. Most CX bikes at the time did not have those things.
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Honestly, with all of the kvetching on these forums about frames breaking, you would think that it’s a common experience. But I don’t think so. I personally know only one rider who has experienced this, and it was on a relatively new aluminum frame that obviously was not manufactured properly… And the crack developed slowly, gave plenty of warning, there was no catastrophic failure resulting in a crash. He just returned the bike and the manufacturer provided a new frame.
By the same token, I ran a bike rental program that included about 50 relatively low priced bikes with aluminum frames. Given the bikes’ MSRP, I would guess that each frame was manufactured at a cost well under $50. And the people to whom we rented them (for nine months at a time - a school year), beat the hell out of them. Never saw a single problem with any of the frames in six years.
By the same token, I ran a bike rental program that included about 50 relatively low priced bikes with aluminum frames. Given the bikes’ MSRP, I would guess that each frame was manufactured at a cost well under $50. And the people to whom we rented them (for nine months at a time - a school year), beat the hell out of them. Never saw a single problem with any of the frames in six years.
#25
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No idea but Tricross gang represent! I've got a 2008 (?) tricross expert that I bought as a frame in 2016 and built up with parts mostly cannibalized from a steel frame that I broke. According to Strava I've only got 12k miles on it. 800 of those miles came from four of my five Dirty Kanza 200 rides.
It still seems solid. If I were to replace it, it would be because of a) I finally had saved enough money and/or paid off my student loans, b) I want something with disc brakes, c) I'd like something with more tire clearance, and d) I'd like something with a little more stable geometry. I've found it to be a little sketchy on the descents.
But good lord has it been a solid dependable bike. Not bad for something I bought in something of an emergency situation.
Also, severely underrated frame. Kind of ahead of its time--with rack and fender mounts, clearance for wider tires (I've got 38s but I think you could squeeze 42s in there) and the third bottle cage mount. Most CX bikes at the time did not have those things.
It still seems solid. If I were to replace it, it would be because of a) I finally had saved enough money and/or paid off my student loans, b) I want something with disc brakes, c) I'd like something with more tire clearance, and d) I'd like something with a little more stable geometry. I've found it to be a little sketchy on the descents.
But good lord has it been a solid dependable bike. Not bad for something I bought in something of an emergency situation.
Also, severely underrated frame. Kind of ahead of its time--with rack and fender mounts, clearance for wider tires (I've got 38s but I think you could squeeze 42s in there) and the third bottle cage mount. Most CX bikes at the time did not have those things.
Disc brakes would be a great reason to upgrade - I ride a lot of hills, and sometimes in rain