6061-0 or 6061-T6

szotyori.adam

Hi!

I'm planning to buy a road bike. I'm wondering that a frame listed as 6061 road alloy is a 6061-0 or 6061-T6.
Somebody told me, that only mountain bike frames are made out of 6061-T6. However I know exception, like the BTWIN Triban 520. This explains why Decathlon gives a lifetime warranty, while others give only 1-2 year warranty? If yes, what is the lifespan of a 6061-0 alloy frame?

sungod

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19732274#p19732274]szotyori.adam[/url] wrote:

Hi!

I'm planning to buy a road bike. I'm wondering that a frame listed as 6061 road alloy is a 6061-0 or 6061-T6.
Somebody told me, that only mountain bike frames are made out of 6061-T6. However I know exception, like the BTWIN Triban 520. This explains why Decathlon gives a lifetime warranty, while others give only 1-2 year warranty? If yes, what is the lifespan of a 6061-0 alloy frame?

it's the same alloy, the different is the tempering

frame lifespan has more to do with design and construction than the starting material, if you weld t6 but fail to then retemper the weld area it will no longer be t6

if you ride it on the road and follow reasonable cleaning/maintenance practices it'll last a long time

frame longevity is not a factor in warranty term variation, wear and tear clauses etc. render most lifetime warranties meaningless

trailflow

Be aware 'lifetime' warranties are advertised to entice you to buy. In reality it means 5 years.

keef66

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19732337#p19732337]trailflow[/url] wrote:

Be aware 'lifetime' warranties are advertised to entice you to buy. In reality it means 5 years.

Different manufacturers offer different warranties. They also vary in how amenable they are to honouring them.

Fortunately I've never had to find out how my bikes fare in the warranty stakes...

szotyori.adam

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19732331#p19732331]sungod[/url] wrote:

frame lifespan has more to do with design and construction than the starting material, if you weld t6 but fail to then retemper the weld area it will no longer be t6

I know that fatigue cracks will occure in the weld heat affected zones. But the 6061-T6 has a fatigue strength 97 MPa, while the 6061-0 has only 62 MPa. It's 56% more!

sungod

yes, but who says their frame is made of 6061-0 with no post manufacture treatment?

Monty Dog

There's no way you could construct a strong-enough frame from 6061 without tempering (think Coke-can) - it was developed with specific properties gained through heat-soaking and tempering. The other factor is you need a heat-soak to stress-relieve the frame post-welding otherwise it would crack and fail prematurely.