lifespan of an aluminium framed bike...

Highway_To_Hell

Read somewhere here about the life span of an aluminium frame being 5 yrs.

I didnt give this a thought until last night when I was decending the Wicklow Gap at 60+kmh and I thought what if...

I have a Speciallised Allez Comp, which I bought in December 2004, so it is now over 5 yrs old. In the 5 yrs the bike was laid up for about 2 years due to severe vertigo. I have only done a few thousand Km per year and the bike is well maintained and stored in my garage and cleraned regularly.

I have been thinking of upgrading to CF bike and keeping my Specialized bike as a winter training bike, but if there is a risk of frame failure I might buy a CF frame and transfer the Ultegra kit from my Specialised bike to a new frame. (but is worth kitting out a new frame with 5yr old Ultegra kit?

Options:
- Keep the bike, no fatigue issue to worry about and the distance I do each year doesn't warrant the expense of a new bike.
- Buy a new CF bike and keep the old bike as a hack/winter bike.
- Buy a CF frame and transfer the kit from my current bike.

any advice appreciated, (currently no budget at all, but should have around €2-3k towards the end of the year)

Thanks

ednwireland

i have an mtb bought in the mid 90's still going strong dont spesh have lifetime warranties ?

shouldnt be an issue i wouldnt have thought

kona

There are so many factors that can affect the life span of the frame. The specialized warranty would be a clue.

I wouldnt worry about it OP, they wouldnt pass the IS standard on frames if they just fail after 5 years. Look after the bike and it should last you decades, might loose its feel but it will still last.

tomasrojo

I had an inexpensive aluminium-framed hybrid (Raleigh Sport 50). The seat post developed a hairline crack after eight years. It had done about 55000 km at that stage.

That's my experience. Can't speak for aluminium frames in general.

seamus

The lifespan of a frame is all to do with use as opposed to years. Aluminium doesn't become more prone to breaking over time, instead it becomes more prone every time you subject it to serious stress.

Despite the fact that the bulk of your weight sits over the seat tube, it's the front end of the bike - bars and forks - which experience the highest stresses during acceleration and climbing.

Some people might not ever subject their frame to any serious stress and so it will outlive them. Others, such as TdF riders, will and they may only get 2-3 years out of a frame (though they change their bikes more often than their jocks anyway).

As a rough rule of thumb, I would replace an alu frame after you've 120,000km on it. I think this reflects the needs of different types of riders - someone who does insane mileage may have to replace after 6 years, whereas the rest of us (or those with more than one bike) will need new knees and hips before we need a new frame.

So if you're looking for a reason to get a new bike, you'll have to come up with something else

Lumen

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

Read somewhere here about the life span of an aluminium frame being 5 yrs.

That was probably Blorg taking the piss.

DirkVoodoo

Check the frame for cracks, no cracks and it's fine. It's not going to suddenly implode.

People make it sound like Carbon and Aluminium are ticking time bombs.

thebouldwhacker

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

I didnt give this a thought until last night when I was decending the Wicklow Gap at 60+kmh and I thought what if...

Thats just the dark side calling to you, next decent hit 70+kmh and that will reassure you....

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

That was probably Blorg taking the piss.

It was in response to someone saying that carbon fibre was not durable. The whole same argument occurred when aluminium frames first came on the market vs steel. Bicycle made of "X" material will fall apart after 5 years. Ridiculous.

Highway_To_Hell

thanks for the replies, next time going downhill I will endevour to break my max speed to date of 73.9kmh (on the N11 northbound heading towards Kilmacanogue) and will probably look at getting a CF framed bike towards the end of the year.

gman2k

I've a Trek bonded (tubes glued together) frame from mid 90s and it's going strong and, warrantied for life.

DualFrontDiscs

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

In the 5 yrs the bike was laid up for about 2 years due to severe vertigo.

Therein lies the answer.

AL frames shouldn't suffer mild vertigo until their 10-15 year and certainly not severe vertigo before 20 years of service.

DFD*

*DenyingFrameDeficiencies.

IM0

usually this is said in relation to the STIFFNESS life of the frame, fatague will cause that to happen, fatigue does not = failure, think of fatigue as use. Basically if you dont race or do as an amateur at any level in Ireland this a complete non issue. Your bike will last as long a it would if it was steel or most other materials, what really effects how long a bike will last is how many times it hits something solid at speed with a sudden stop, and how often you come down with upgradeitus [a terrible winter condition which can last for months until spring]

Highway_To_Hell

DualFrontDiscs wrote: »

Therein lies the answer.

AL frames shouldn't suffer mild vertigo until their 10-15 year and certainly not severe vertigo before 20 years of service.

DFD*

*DenyingFrameDeficiencies.

I couldn't walk a straight line for 6 mts and then my legs wouldn't get me and the bike up anykind of a hill.

Gers_punto

i was reading up on this today in a boarman bike manual and there aluminum frames are guarennteed up to 15 years...... but they stress it could be deminished dependant on the use it gets

kona

Gers_punto wrote: »

i was reading up on this today in a boarman bike manual and there aluminum frames are guarennteed up to 15 years...... but they stress it could be deminished dependant on the use it gets

REALLY?

I read that it was considerably less...

xz

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

thanks for the replies, next time going downhill I will endevour to break my max speed to date of 73.9kmh (on the N11 northbound heading towards Kilmacanogue) and will probably look at getting a CF framed bike towards the end of the year.

Great stretch of road,that ,from the Glenview to the Bray turn off,did you manage to keep that speed up for that distance?

Gers_punto

kona wrote: »

REALLY?

I read that it was considerably less...

ya i can get a scan of the owner manual tomorrow

IM0

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

my max speed to date of 73.9kmh (on the N11 northbound heading towards Kilmacanogue)

time to check your wheel circumference me thinks
Im always training on that road its a 1-2% grade AKA flat uless you have a significant wind in one direction or the other.

to get to 74km/hr you would need a fast paceline of about 60km/hr, and 3-4 leadout men sprinting full gas taking it from 60-64_ 64-69_69-72 before you even put your nose into the wind at the front and put out 1000+ w, or you just had a 60km/hr southerly (very rare) and went for it full on in the 53-11 at over 120rpm...in the middle of winter, so pics or GTFO :P

Highway_To_Hell

me@ucd wrote: »

time to check your wheel circumference me thinks
Im always training on that road its a 1-2% grade AKA flat uless you have a significant wind in one direction or the other.

to get to 74km/hr you would need a fast paceline of about 60km/hr, and 3-4 leadout men sprinting full gas taking it from 60-64_ 64-69_69-72 before you even put your nose into the wind at the front and put out 1000+ w, or you just had a 60km/hr southerly (very rare) and went for it full on in the 53-11 at over 120rpm...in the middle of winter, so pics or GTFO :P

I took the speed from my Garmin data (it could be wrong as the fasted recorded speed is 1054079km/h) I know I have hit the high 60's low 70's along that stretch before. There is great road surface along there and plenty of room so there is tendency not to touch the breaks and with a tail wind you can pick up a lot of speed. but I wil bow to your greater experience and GTFO:)

kona

Gers_punto wrote: »

ya i can get a scan of the owner manual tomorrow

Ye that would be cool Im in disbelief at what I read so I would like to be put right

blorg

Got up to 64km/h on the flat yesterday with very very little effort (may even have been a slight incline.) Drafting, tailwind.

BostonB

blorg wrote: »

It was in response to someone saying that carbon fibre was not durable. The whole same argument occurred when aluminium frames first came on the market vs steel. Bicycle made of "X" material will fall apart after 5 years. Ridiculous.

That was me. I was thinking from the point of view of blowing the C2W on one really good bike that has to be a commuter and fitness bike as well. As its a one time offer really. There been a few people posting carbon bikes with damage etc. Usually from crashes. I was thinking about general abuse from commuting, in the bike rack, in the shed at home. I know one at work that commutes on a carbon race bike.

But its a non issue, as you've said.

blorg

I wasn't aiming it at you in particular as it is a common misconception floating around the net that carbon is fragile and has a shelf life.

I would not get a carbon bike specifically for commuting or utility use. I'd want rack and mudguards on a commuter/utility bike and you won't get these onto a carbon road bike safely. You are much better off getting the carbon bike for the weekend spins and something else (cheap) for utility cycling. There is also the theft risk of doing all your cycling on an expensive bike.

Having said that I do however often cycle my carbon or titanium race bikes into work with a backpack if I am racing or going for a spin after work.

A light carbon road bike is probably more fragile than a utility bike you can bash around. However I don't think a light carbon road bike is more fragile than a lightweight aluminium road bike, that is my point. A lightweight aluminium road bike is also more fragile than a utility bike you can bash around. I do have a carbon fork on my commuter tank (Specialized Tricross.)

Lumen

blorg wrote: »

I would not get a carbon bike specifically for commuting or utility use. I'd want rack and mudguards on a commuter/utility bike and you won't get these onto a carbon road bike safely.

Pearson Carbon Audax Pro

Cheap too.

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

Pearson Carbon Audax Pro

Cheap too.

I know you are being somewhat tongue and cheek but that bike is very much the exception; Pearson do a fair amount of oddball stuff like that including a £1,500 carbon road fixie (I will admit I was tempted.)

Even looking at the likes of that I would think most people might be better off looking at a cheaper bike for utility cycling and an actual road bike for the other stuff. Cheaper too in total.