Just wondering… do I buy a full sus frame such as Titus, Orange 5, Santa Cruz LT or Yeti 575 etc? All great bikes, but how long can I expect them to last?
My 06 Stumpjumper FRS is practically worn out. Will spending well over a grand guarantee a longer life?

What the frame is worn out?? Or just the parts? Or the bushes/pivot bearings etc?

My 2 year old Ellsworth Moment is still looking like new, have changed the bearings a few times mind.

From what I’ve seen of SC they don’t look that great after a similar time. Yeti’s seem to last.

Just got a Titus El Guapo, looks like it should last, I’ll let you know in a couple of years.

I think the Anodized finishes help. But cleaning it after every ride helps.

Also have a hard tail for mid week local stuff, that looks like shit after 2 years, but never clean it and it cost a 80% less that the Ellsworth

shit I just bought an 09 stupmpy fsr… do they die that quickly?

my 07 stumpy still feels factory fresh and it gets a lot of hammer, frame will last with maintenance, but your heart will start to desire the latest must have

“My 06 Stumpjumper FRS is practically worn out. ”

as in it’s worn out ’cause you want a new bike’, or has something gone wrong 😉 It should last longer than two years riding.

I think I will always have stumpys 🙂 love my 09, and will buy the new model every 2 years 😀

Bearings wear out, frames don’t. You are allowed to change the bearings. If anything a full-sus should last longer than a hardtail as the peak loadings are less.

The main pivot has begun to ovalise and the thread in one of the rear drop out pivots has failed. As well, it’s the shock pivot every 3 months, all other pivots every 8 or 9 months. I just want to find a full sus thats a bit more durable.

Sounds like you need a single pivot MrFC, I got sick of replacing bushes and bearing on specialized frames and replaced with a simple single pivot.

Are you factoring crash damege from marauding sheep in the frame life equation 😉

sounds like sheep fatigue to me.

1997 I bought a new Marin B-17 with lifetime warranty, by two years ago I was getting pretty bored with it, it just refused to break with normal riding, and I’m not going to abuse it after such service. So I’d be happy to buy Marin again. Bought a s/h Turner 5spot from the classifieds here last autumn. Streets ahead in terms of servicability, grease ports where needed etc, and with most people being able to get powdercoating done for £40 or so, no reason why I shouldn’t keep this one for yonks either. Couldn’t be bothered changing bikes all the time.

think ewe might be right there MrNutt

the B17 wasn’t meant to used for normal riding, plenty broke when used for their intended purpose. 😛

I’ve cracked or dented all my full sus frames in 1-3 years 😥

out of interest, JNG, how often would you say you’ve changed your ellsworth bearings? you get replacements from freeborn?

“The main pivot has begun to ovalise and the thread in one of the rear drop out pivots has failed”

What about specializeds lifetime warranty?

If the main pivot is ovalising does that not indicate it has been run with the pivot loose?

I’ve not had a full sus that’s lasted more than a year without damage or failure of some form.

Well buying a frame all buy itself isn’t the best money wise.
Maybe you should put all the FS part on this lovely voodoo of yours, save a little bit more and try to buy a whole bike at the end sale.

As said earlier you might need a single pivot bike if you are going through pivot that fast.

Dont buy light FSers unless you are prepared to buy a new one soon.

Wonder what will happen with all this carbon coming onto the 2nd hand market soon. Will anyone buy it ?

As you know my Juliana is still going strong, I got it in March 2005 and till late 2007 it was my only bike (even now gets ridden far more than the voodoo), and got ridden 2 or 3 times a week for most of that time. I think I’ve replaced the bearings once (possibly twice).

I;ve had a five spot for coming up to 4.5 years. Replaced the Bushings twice and its still as sweet as the day I got it.

My prophet is 4 years old this august and it’s fine. Mind I clean and lube after every ride.

Turner 5 Spot. Can onlt comment on the non DW version, but the old shape will last for years. Not sure I’d want to pay nearly £1900 for one now though!

have had DH frames that have lasted over 10 years and regularly ride a 2002 Sesh SX for DH.
Solamanda – do you mean failed structurally or simply bushes/bearing slop, blown shocks, mech hangers, the odd dent etc.?

My 575 is nearly 3 years old. People still tell me it looks new..
It’s had one change of bearings, late last year.
I hope it lasts forever!

I would repeat this (assuming you the original owner):
james – Member
“The main pivot has begun to ovalise and the thread in one of the rear drop out pivots has failed”

What about specializeds lifetime warranty?

I’m still using my 04 Stumpy as my only bike, replaced the bearings with stainless ones first time round and only once since then. Keep hoping it breaks so that I can use the lifetime warranty…..

Of the 2 frames I’ve broken, one lasted 7 years & 30000+ miles & the other 18 months & 5-6000miles both in different places – different materials of different thicknesses & loadings have different fatigue lifes (read how long is a piece of string!)

Solamanda – do you mean failed structurally or simply bushes/bearing slop, blown shocks, mech hangers, the odd dent etc.?

I mean structurally, cracks appearing. First few years I started riding I had second hand frames so put it down to age. However I’ve broken a couple I’ve had since new, although some of those issues happened to other users of the same bike.

I ride ALOT more DH than average so my bikes really get used. I seem to break alot of bikes and not exactly sure why. I don’t break other kit, even when using light wheels. I don’t do ‘massive’ hucks or jumps and very rarely crash, (touch wood).

My current DH bike is on it’s second back end inside two years. However it has done in excess of 12 weeks alpine dh, (non-stop).

5 spot, 5 years and counting all good 😀

Marin Tara, still going after 4 years, alpine trips, Morocco every year, loads of flights. Used the lifetime warranty for the bearings, TFT did the shock bushes. Anything that wears can be or has been replaced. The frame is scratched and has a couple of dents but its still going strong (though I do fancy an E 120 frameset this year).

I’d want more than 2 years out of a Full sus frame to be honest!

My Foes Fly is a 2002 rear triangle and swing links with a 2004 front triangle. Some of this frame is 6 or 7 years old now and its been ridden week in week out for years. Ok it has some snmall dents marks wear etc, but functionality wise its fine (and once its been refurbed it should look like new)

As long as you regularly maintain the bushings / bearing etc so that no additional stresses are on the frame they should last a indefinitely.

If it is wearing on the frame / pivots ovalising etc, and its not due to worn bearings etc, then that suggests to me that the frame hasn’t been designed to cope with the stresses its having to deal with. That might suggest its poor design / construction or abuse (i.e too hard ridding for the intended use – DH on an XCer) If its design or Manufacturer it should be a return to specialised jobbie.

If i bought a frame and it lasted less the 2years it would be straight back to the makers!

solomanda – is this your Nicolai? (how are they with waranty?)
Depending on what tracks you ride, 12 weeks continuous alpine DHing is probably equivelent to 10 years UK weekend push-up DHing or about 3 full seasons UK racing. most regular UK DH racers replace their frames every 1-2 years but it does sound like you’ve been a little unlucky with your choice of frames. what were the others you broke?
One of my old DH bikes (bought in 2000) did about 60-70 UK races, plenty uplift days, used most weekends and 4 weeks in the Alps when I had it, the guy I sold it to is was just starting out but is now a top junior rider and did prob double the amount of races I did plus a few foreign races/DH holidays with it and now on it’s 3rd owner (at least) I still occasionally see it at the odd race/uplift day. ironically, I only bought it as a fill-in bike while I was waiting for a bike “deal” that fell through 😳
I do/did crash a lot but it’s mainly my bars, cranks, pedals and the odd saddle I break. the only place I consistently trash wheels at is Ft William and for that very reason I rarely ride there (twice a year)

Yes the Nicolai, the rear end had signs of cracking which after some effort, got them to replace it under warranty. They insisted it wasn’t cracked.

The second started to crack in the same place, 4 weeks into an alpine trip. It stayed in one piece for 6 more weeks of alpine riding, ended up with 4 small cracks in the back end. They designed and built a custom rear end to solve the issue, we’ll see how it fairs. From a small manufacturer the backup is good but you need to speak to them direct as the UK operation isn’t up to scratch. The 5 year warranty was the main reason I bought a Nicolai.

The others were an original Commencal supreme, (common swingarm pivot mount issue), second hand patriot (common shock mount issue) and a second hand stinky.

I’ve got a set of dh wheels as old as all those frames, still going strong.

My Stumpjumper is a 2001 so it’s about 7/8 yrs old depending on when it was bought I guess.
I have had the bearings replaced once (about 2 months ago), but apart from that it’s all systems go. One of the brake hose guides has worn and won’t hold the hose secure anymore and it’s got a fair few scrapes and scratches in it, but on the whole it feels fine to me.

I must ride like a real ninny. My main riding haunt is Thetford which is very flat, but it’s also very hard on components in a grindy paste kind of way.

2002 Turner. Admittedly a beefy one, but it’s had the crap ragged out of it and its fine. (and even if it wasn’t Turner CS would make it so, pronto)

2004 SWorks Enduro here. Has been pounded by my 16st bulk since late 04′.
Still on original bushes, had brain shock re-built a couple of years ago.
Still rides lovely. No play in bushes. Anodised finish looking ropey now though, thinking of a shiny new paint job this summer.

Looking at some of the latest offerings from Lapierre, Trek etc they certainly don’t look as substantial as frames did a couple of years ago.

I’d have to agree with the single pivot recommendations. My Heckler is 2yrs old now, over winter I did a bit of fettling, the only thing that required attention was the pivot bearings. They didn’t need replacement (good lord no, not at £2.50 each!!) just a good clean and repacking with grease. As a 17.5 stone lump i tend to buy burly and simple, thats the key to an easy life.