Life span of your Mtn. bike

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Stkx66, Sep 11, 2018.


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  1. stevers

    stevers Member

    Location:
    Irvine
    Name:
    Steve
    Current Bike:
    2018 Ibis Ripmo V1
    I bought and sold 6 bikes in under 2 years when I first started riding:
    Cannondale F5
    Felt FX1 Cyclocross
    Santa Cruz Superlight
    GT Zaskar
    Niner SIR
    Pedal Force MT

    Then stuck with a Yeti 575 and Orbea Alma 29er since 2010 until just this summer. Transitioned my FS to a Devinci Troy and my hardtail to a Nukeproof Scout. Hoping to keep those for another 6+ years. Never broke a frame, but destroyed one fork (damper exploded somehow). Not super strict on cleaning and lubing the bike, and I go through ~1 cassette and 2-3 chains/year. I only recently started this whole Strava thing, but it says I'm doing about 1,200 miles and 130,000ft climbing per year.

    My road bike from 2009 has about 16k miles total, and needed very little. In 9 years, I've gone through 3 sets of tires, 3 sets of cassettes, and 5 chains. Great to ride super smooth Irvine roads.
     
  2. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Interesting.

    If SC fails to care for you at some point, which brand(s) will you turn to?
     
    mountaingirl sara likes this.
  3. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan
    Bullshiit. I've never broke a bike.

    EDIT: If your'e a big guy with no skill and just smash into everything, then yes, but smaller guys can do the same. Ride light my friends!
     
  4. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    That's 'cause you're dainty and precise!
     
  5. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan
    Thank you Sir! :inlove:
     
  6. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Didn’t you crack your DHi?
     
  7. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    He's probably broken/cracked/bent/damaged several bikes that he's not disclosing.
     
  8. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan
    Wasn't really a DHi, it was a prototype Ruckus. But yes you are correct! The "cow bell" cracked. That was a weak point, a bunch of those cracked across all models of i-Drives.

    Neil actually cracked his here on this video.

     
  9. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan
    Nope, just the one J mentioned. And I actually had my buddy who was at GT, he built it, fix it. I still have it too... 8" travel triple chainring bike with a 65 deg HA.
     
  10. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    :cautious::cautious::cautious:
     
  11. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan
    I'm sure you have plenty of skill these days! :thumbsup:
     
  12. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    Just enough to keep from killing myself out there...
     
  13. Sidewalk

    Sidewalk iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    The road is where I call home
    Name:
    Josh
    Current Bike:
    N+1
    I don't know where the carbon is only good for 4 years thing comes from. Airplanes are made from carbon...they last DECADES. The roadie I bought from Jason is over 10 years old, still rolling strong.

    As for wear characteristics, I would put carbon as having BETTER longevity than aluminum. The only issue, and I mean only, is usually a carbon bike will fail catastrophically whereas aluminum bikes will crack and you can limp home. That said, I through my XC bike down a rocky trail so hard once that as I was laying in pain on the ground, all I could think about was how I just ruined my carbon frame, it was trash. When I inspected it, all I found was chips in the paint. That was about 2 years ago. I on the other hand couldn't use my upper back muscles for about a month; no bunny hops, manuals, wheelies, etc.
     
  14. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    I crashed hard enough on my carbon bike to break my leg.....not a scratch on the bike.
     
    bvader, Faust29, Danmtchl and 4 others like this.
  15. Derkderkall

    Derkderkall iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Monrovia
    Name:
    Derek Allison
    Current Bike:
    2020 Specialized Fuse 29
    I bought my rockhopper in 2012, still riding it..... will be for the foreseeable future. There's some scratches, a couple dings from laying it down on rocks that I did not in fact hop.... but for an entry level bike it has been one damn sturdy frame and kit. Especially considering it's supporting 200 lbs of rider.
     
  16. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
    I'd definitely buy a carbon bike, the opportunity just hasn't presented itself. I almost bought an SB-66c when they were first being released, but got hosed by the shop and was lucky to just get my deposit back. I'm good with new bikes or frames every 3-4 years. The best way to upgrade is to know the guys that are buying new bikes every year :D
     
    Faust29, Danmtchl, herzalot and 3 others like this.
  17. Stkx66

    Stkx66 iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Southern California
    Name:
    Steve
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower 27+/ 29r
    I rode Palm Canyon Epic with my Arizona friends this past weekend. None of them had ridden PCE and I offered to host the ride. We stayed in end of season rental condo's in La Quinta rented 2 months ago. But this is not a ride report ( more or less ) . Last March my daughter Courtney and I did this ride with Crazy Bear shuttles. This time I rented a Uhaul trailer and Courtney shuttled us to the top of Ribbonwood and the 74. While my ride last March I was on my 29'r wheel combo I remember feeling beat up and I sunk into the sand by the palm trees and walked a good portion of that area. This time I put on my 27+ wheel set sporting 27.5 x 2.8 Maxxis DHF front and Recon 2.8 rear. Wow! I just love the forgiving ride down hill. I was able to power through sand I sank in previously with 29r wheels and was able to ride through sharp chunk easily. I talk about how much I love my Santa Cruz bike so the question is.. should I buy another frame while I can still get it? 29'r/ 27 + works for me. It's like have 2 bikes in 1. ** Side note: PCE in the riverbed is overgrown. The trial is not defined/ not groomed beginning of season- I got cut up from nasty razor like bushes. My legs look like I got in a fight with a weed whacker and lost. Leg protection would've fixed all that and of course trail maintenance. Also, it was 10 degrees to hot- 90/95 degrees. We skipped Hahn trail due to one in our group was overheated but we all completed the ride together.
     
  18. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    It sounds like you answered your own question there, Steve. :geek:
     
  19. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    I’ve broken a few bikes...‘06 sc heckler...cracked in 2009, got a half price crash replacement- sold that a year later
    Replaced with ‘10 banshee rune, cracked that a year later- got a warranty replacement - sold that immediately
    Replaced that with a used ‘07 sc bullit, also that year (2011) got a used sc butcher (great bike).
    In early 2012 the bullit cracked so I got a new 2011 transition blindside. Rode both these bikes (bs for park/dh, butcher for trail) for a while until the end of 2013 I saw the writing on the wall sold the butcher and went 650b: Rocky Mountain altitude. Rode that until I sold it mid-2018. Also in 2016 I realized I could 650b the blindside, that was a fun experiment. So had 2 bikes during that time, summer 2018 I sold the altitude as a complete and got my current and only bike: ‘18 banshee rune v2 as a frame only, put all the parts from the blindside on it and a new mrp ribbon, gonna keep this one for a long time. Still have the blindside frame as a backup. Have zero interest in a carbon frame, just can’t justify the extra expense.
     
  20. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
    Lol, looking back at this. Now have carbon bike.....aaaand bought it off of a friend upgrading for a steal haha :whistling:
     
  21. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    Mine will last forever. :thumbsup:
     
  22. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    They say the lifespan of a carbon mountain bike is 7 years. Mine is 5 years old so I need to unload it soon!!!
     
    mike, Luis, Redman and 2 others like this.
  23. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    Soooooo... What you're saying is ...... more or less ....
     
    mike and Old&InTheWay like this.
  24. fos'l

    fos'l Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Bob
    Current Bike:
    2005 Santa Cruz Superlight
    2005 Santa Cruz Superlight: ridden an average of at least twice a week; 1500+ rides 10-40 miles per; mileage probably 20,000+. Others; GT Zaskar, OS singlespeed, Kona Honzo and Niner One9 of indeterminate use. Just started riding a mid-80's Diamondback Axis rigid; magic carpet excursion in Mammoth last week.
     
    mike, Danmtchl, Redman and 5 others like this.
  25. Stkx66

    Stkx66 iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Southern California
    Name:
    Steve
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower 27+/ 29r
    Backcountry.com has a frame for sale 10% off list price. Mustard color or black. ( $ 2,700.00 ) The Path bike shop says 2019 SC's Hightower 29r will accommodate 27+ wheels but you might want to switch to a longer fork. ( 160mm ) I'd rather have the same flip chip frame. I'll keep looking.
     
    mtnbikej, mike and UPSed like this.
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?