How much thrashing will an alooominum frame take?

stickygreen

Hi all,
How far will i be able to push my core 20 before it breaks.I did'nt think i would be pushing this hard already as it's my first bike since i was 13.Bridle paths have become boring and now i seem to be finding paths that don't exist and any excuse to jump off stuff and i just can't go fast enough over the rock's, root's and ruts.Is it a capable bike or will i need somthing tougher?

KnightofCydonia

depends on your weight & your technique. If You land perfectly, it might last a bit longer. If you're gungho who knows. Maybe time to get something like a kona hoss or orange crush?

stickygreen

I'm 14 and a bit stone i've only had the bike 3 weeks so technique is a bit sh*te but i try to land as gentley as possible i was told a alu frame wont hold up like a steel one will and as it cost so much i don't want to go cracking the frame.

Atz

It'll be fine if you're not too clumsy. Pick your lines well and you'll have it for years. Chances are that you're nowhere near its limits, particularly if most of your riding is bridle ways.

marinman1

you are probably more likely to break your wheels etc before the frame goes so you dont have much to worry about

Anonymous

stickygreen wrote:

I'm 14 and a bit stone i've only had the bike 3 weeks so technique is a bit sh*te but i try to land as gentley as possible i was told a alu frame wont hold up like a steel one will and as it cost so much i don't want to go cracking the frame.

I reckon the whole aluminium can;t handle abuse is bullcrap.
My current bike is now 11 years old, and has been abused and thrashed thoroughly, and it's holding up just fine.

Mountain bikes are tough old dogs, you know.

nicklouse

yeehaamcgee wrote:

stickygreen wrote:

I'm 14 and a bit stone i've only had the bike 3 weeks so technique is a bit sh*te but i try to land as gentley as possible i was told a alu frame wont hold up like a steel one will and as it cost so much i don't want to go cracking the frame.

I reckon the whole aluminium can;t handle abuse is bullcrap.
My current bike is now 11 years old, and has been abused and thrashed thoroughly, and it's holding up just fine.

Mountain bikes are tough old dogs, you know.

LÖL yes any frame will take what it is designed to take. (seen my Tank)

the OP is still learning.

stickygreen

cheers for the replys i know in the mtb world 550 quid on a bike ain't alot but i thought it would do the job nicely, i was'nt originally going to abuse it i was going to love it and care for it but thats no fun so abuse it is then.

Atz

My HT frame is from a £500 bike. There's not much else left of the original kit beyond that but the frame is fine.

keeko

Alloy doesn`t necessarily mean weak. Yeti ARC, GT Zaskar, Azonic, Cove Stiffee will take a severe beating to name a few. As mentioned the rest of your stuff will `die out` before your frame (unless you`re a serious hucker) :shock:

Anonymous

keeko wrote:

Alloy doesn`t necessarily mean weak. Yeti ARC, GT Zaskar, Azonic, Cove Stiffee will take a severe beating to name a few. As mentioned the rest of your stuff will `die out` before your frame (unless you`re a serious hucker) :shock:

YETI!!!!!

JayKingFunk

I have a GT Avalanche Expert frame which is alu and I use it for freeride stuff half of the time!

I do worry that the next big drop I land my kill it but I can't afford a decent full sus at the moment so I just ride it as I want to otherwise I would stop having fun!

Like what the others have said, its the other stuff that gone on mine, back wheel has had more spokes replaced and been straightened more times than I've had muddy bike rides in the rain!!

joshtp

Alu is tough stuff, (at least i hope so, or im in trouble!) it can take a bit of a hammering, and, so long as the frame is well designed it will be fine, esp as its so new, keep checking for signs of damage, and ask someone in the know if you are worried about anything. Im 14, 9 stone, and a bit of a mentalist as to what i call an " everyday" ride, and i still ride a XC HT, not overly decimilar to your core20, if not quite as well built probably!
youll be fine (disclaimer: if you die, or injure yourself, it wasnt me, ok !)

Anonymous

remember, fighter planes, motocross bikes and superbikes are made from the same stuff as your mountainbike!

nicklouse

yeehaamcgee wrote:

remember, fighter planes, motocross bikes and superbikes are made from the same stuff as your mountainbike!

but a Superbike on a Motocross course will not work.

It all comes back to using the frame for what it is ment to be used for.

In XC frame down a DH trail will not work at the speeds a DH bike will.

Yes an XC bike could be ridden down a (some) DH courses but slowly.

Anonymous

Ah, but a motcross bike wold work on a race track (badly though), and a fighter plane is faster than all of them put together, and gets shot at!

so my infallible logic wins again, neh neh neh neh neh

Just kidding!

What I mean, though, is that high-grade aluminium is very strong stuff, and is used in some incredibly tough and strong machines.

rhann

Land a plane on a bridlepath, and you wont have an undercarriage left, and chances are no wings.

Anonymous

Nah, fighter planes are like chuck norris, land it on a bridleway, and the bridlaway runs away scared

(Seriously, I DO know what you guys mean though)

turnercraig

Check out my cracked frame thread for how strong aluminium xc bikes are!

Possibly I was doing too many jumps on it, what's dissapointing is my carbon handlebars outlasted my aluminium frame!!!

Mickey Eye

turnercraig wrote:

Check out my cracked frame thread for how strong aluminium xc bikes are!

Possibly I was doing too many jumps on it, what's dissapointing is my carbon handlebars outlasted my aluminium frame!!!

But like any manufactured product anything can be made badly. Also yours was second hand wasn't it. While the paint may have been perfect who knows what the previous owner did to it.

turnercraig

I realise that on the whole aluminium bikes are extremely strong if used for what they were intended and that there can always be faults and badly produced frames.

I'm just gutted at what happened to mine!

delcol

rhann wrote:

Land a plane on a bridlepath, and you wont have an undercarriage left, and chances are no wings.

a harrier jet would they can lad and take off vertical. :roll: :roll: :roll:



sorry just had to get that one in

Northwind

yeehaamcgee wrote:

remember, fighter planes, motocross bikes and superbikes are made from the same stuff as your mountainbike!

Yeah, but so are coke cans And both the forth rail bridge and my Cotic are made of steel, are they both equally strong?

turnercraig

i wish my frame was made out of a coke can.

joshtp

Mickey Eye wrote:

turnercraig wrote:

Check out my cracked frame thread for how strong aluminium xc bikes are!

Possibly I was doing too many jumps on it, what's dissapointing is my carbon handlebars outlasted my aluminium frame!!!

But like any manufactured product anything can be made badly. Also yours was second hand wasn't it. While the paint may have been perfect who knows what the previous owner did to it.

and,um, while it's not always the case, good quality carbon fibre is alot stronger than alu, its not strong in some cases, and can be badly designed, but on the whole its sronger.