I've broken 4 frames in 13 months. Recommend me a 29er hardtail.

Agree on the new bike so close to the event, ha, although I will be building my Titus on the Thursday and racing on the Saturday with Mayhem a week later….all good fun..

Nicolai look up to job but look a tad harsh out back what with em hulking box sections !

Perhaps a short travel full sus or a flex tail like the old litespeed would be better for you if you dont want a thudbuster to save the frame ?

So many replies, I’ll try to respond to them all.

Thudbuster, yes, I’ve considered that, although I’d like to test one first.
Flex tail or soft tail, I think that might be the ideal solution for me. Again, I’d like to test ride one first.
Titanium seat post and saddle rails, sounds like they would help and worth looking in to.

Converting the Kona to Rohloff is the easiest, quickest and cheapest option. I like having a “race bike” and a “commute bike” though and I like having a spare bike to take to marathons. But then, it’s probably the best way to get a Rohloff sorted for Bristol with time to test ride and fettle.

geordiemick00, if I decide to go for a derailleur bike, I may be interested.

Rik, I’m not trying to stir up the trail centre versus bridleway debate again, not here anyway 😉
I do stand up while descending, what I meant was I tend to cover long distances on bridleways. While other people are sitting down to pedal up smooth fire roads or standing for technical descents, I’m sitting down to pedal across a bumpy flat field.

The 3rd frame I broke was a Gary Fisher Rig.
It was only 7 months old when I cracked it, but I’m not the original owner, so it’s not covered by warranty.
I’ve been told of a local aluminium welder who’s good on frame repairs.
I’ve been meaning to see about getting it repaired for a while. If I can get hold of him and if he can do it this week, that would be another quick easy option as I’ve run it with a Rohloff in the past.

Si, if I do end up going for a new frame, a Chumba is looking most likely.

I wasn’t meaning to be derogatory at all, but your not that heavy and your breaking frames in ‘easy’ terrain.

What would it be like if you rode week in week out in rocky terrain like the Peaks or Lakes etc.

But it does sound like you need a thudbuster or work on your technique.

don’t suppose you’re running them with longer fork than specified ?
(more stress on a slacker seat-tube ?)

TBH, I’d get something with a lifetime warranty

100mm or 80mm forks, as intended.

If I was riding somewhere steeper and rockier, I would stand up a lot more.
It’s probably the fact that it is rolling, grassy countryside round here that’s causing the problem.

Uplink, Lynskey have a lifetime warranty. I broke it in 11 months.
Gary Fisher have a lifetime warranty. I broke it in 7 months.

To be fair – rig frames were notorious for it ! I think i mist have the last purple 19 inch in existance thats no cracked 🙂

Uplink, Lynskey have a lifetime warranty. I broke it in 11 months.
Gary Fisher have a lifetime warranty. I broke it in 7 months.

for replacement purposes, not longevity

I meant something that you can claim on and get a new frame in a reasonable time, where it doesn’t have to be shipped to the other side of the world for repair

You didn’t have a warranty on the GF though

You need to change your technique or go for a short travel FS frame, you will just kill another hardtail.

Personally, I would dump the Rohloff and go geared, it will massively widen the choice of frames you have.

Considered a Salsa Spearfish?

I see what you mean, uplink.
Is there any frame and shop combination where you can just walk in and say “I broke my frame yesterday” and walk straight back out with a brand new replacement ?

Partyboy, I don’t see it as my responsibility to adapt my riding style to suit a weak frame.

I don’t see it as my responsibility to adapt my riding style to suit a weak frame

Well, expect more broken frames then 🙄

Lookin at the failure on your lynskey – where does the reaction force from the hoff go ?

Up the stay to about there im thinking – without seeing your set up mind just relating to my td1 set up

Doesnt look like the normal failure mode for a seat post/ rider weight related failure ….. Im jist guessing though i havnt done any maths though

Btw in non extreme mud and snow youll go much faster on gears – thats scientific 😉 i bought mine for the fit an forget ability but i do still prefer to race with deraileurs – they are nicer to ride no doubt about it !

How about a surly km – pretty burly?

Just a thought, but how central is your seat on the post, ie are you sat with your weight ‘behind’ the post?

Are you running layback or a straight post?

trail_rat – Member
To be fair – rig frames were notorious for it ! I think i mist have the last purple 19 inch in existance thats no cracked

Regarding the original purple Rig, mine is a 17.5 I’m 6’2″ and 115Kg and it’s still going, but I’m getting worried about it’s longevity!

Just get a Ventana now. You don’t really have to be over 40.
You’ll end up at the door of Riverside Cycles anyway cracking all these frames. It’s inevitable. It really is.
🙂

I have the no for a chap in B’ham who can repair Ti…

Given the options you have available to you, I’d buy a Chumba HX2 asap, get it built and ride it. Send your lynskey back and get the replacement (reminding them it might be wise to beef up the frame slightly!) back asap. Then you either sell the Chumba (and maybe lose 150 quid tops), or sell the lynskey as brand new (losing 200 quid or so over CRC’s price).

Most damage limiting option that still leaves you with 2 bikes to ride IMO.

Graham, just do what takisawa said………..ventana.

also……….hoe the **** do you break so many frames.
i have had more 29r bikes than anyone i know on here and i weigh 130kilo, and i have never damaged a frame.

learn to ride proper mate……………… 😆

Kingtut, I rode Wiggle 6 on a SS. I might yet buy a bigger sprocket and switch classes at Bristol. 😉

Partyboy, why is it so unreasonable to expect a mountain bike frame with a lifetime warranty to last more than a year ? Nobody stands up to pedal for a full three hour trailquest, let alone a 12 hour marathon.

Trail Rat, the reaction force goes through the Rohloff specific dropout.
Normally I would expect a crack to start at a weld. These two are odd in that they go across the welds and along the top tube. The Gary Fisher crack looks like it was caused by fore & aft flexing, the Lynskey cracks look like they were caused by sideways flexing.

Clink, Surley looks good, but Chumba is still my favourite.

takisawa2,it’s under warranty, so I’m not looking for independent repairers.

Mboy, that’s one solution, it’s just that having heard of other people breaking Lynskeys, and having heard of them going back to America for repair rather than just getting a new replacement off the shelf at CRC, I’d prefer a refund.

Ton, I don’t claim to be a particularly fast rider and I know there’s heavier riders than me out there, but I think it’s fair to say there’s few people who match me for speed, distance and weight.
According to my Garmin, which admittedly is probably not accurate, I was using 1000Kcal an hour for over 11 hours yesterday.
My suspicion is that bike manufacturers count on riders being either lightweight racing snakes doing high mileage, or chubby duffers doing one lap of a trail centre on Sundays.
Someone should employ me as a test rider to give their kit a proper hammering. 😀

that’s me told eh?

get a surly k monkey…………you will not break that.

Mboy, that’s one solution, it’s just that having heard of other people breaking Lynskeys, and having heard of them going back to America for repair rather than just getting a new replacement off the shelf at CRC, I’d prefer a refund.

I’d totally agree there, but looking at your frame and how it has gone, there’s no way they’ll repair that. They’ll send you a new frame. Repairs usually happen to peripheral damage (a gusset or a dropout perhaps) but yours looks too far in to repair.

I know several people now who wouldn’t touch Lynskey with a bargepole. One friend snapped his (2nd warranty replacement after 2 more broken frames) Lynskey built Cove Hummer in it’s first ride out… He’s 11 1/2 stone and it was an XC race!

I’ve broken 4 frames in 13 months

And you think thats solely down to weak frames and not the way you ride?

Someone should employ me as a test rider to give their kit a proper hammering

Get your riding CV out there, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by the sounds of things!

If you genuinely ride as much as you do, and break as much kit, you’ll eventually find someone to help you out no doubt as there’s always new companies starting out, looking for feedback and advice etc. You just need to find someone bringing a new 29er to the Market!

lol at kingtut

It’s a theory asked in the very first reply and answered soon after..

Well sometimes people post at more-or-less the same time. So don’t be an ars3 about it, eh?

The Chumba looks good IMO

chubby duffers doing one lap of a trail centre on Sundays.

*puts hand up

‘4 frames in 13 months’?
I mustn’t be trying hard enough obviously. I’ve been riding 21 years & I’ve probably been well overweight for most of that. Never broke a frame but admittedly only ride the Yorky Dales, North Yorky Moors, North Pennines, Scotland, Peaks, 3 Alps trips…
You really do need to adapt your riding style or expect more of the same.
Or ride a carthorse.

And you think thats solely down to weak frames and not the way you ride?

I think I’ve been unlucky in picking frames that I found out later had a reputation for breaking.

I’d go along with Graham there! Some of the frames he is mentioning are susceptible to having issues with cracking.

if you can find one a 2010 Rig is a tough build.

I weigh more than you and less than Ton and it seems to be a frame designed to correct the faults of the purple/black/white Rigs

The Chumba looks nice, based on your requirements it’s worth a punt

kona hoss……………….probably the strongest mtb frame ever.

and i had a chumba hx2 29r………..lovely build and ride….i just did not get on with it.

esselgruntfuttock, I don’t know what sort of riding you do, but from what I’ve seen of Alps riding, it’s chairlift up, followed by bouncing down over big rocks.
The bikes that are designed for that seem to cope with it very well.
What I’m having trouble with is not the sudden impact of a big jump, because I don’t do that sort of riding, but longer term fatigue cracks caused by constant flexing while pedalling, sitting down over moderately bumpy ground.

You sure your seat position isn’t too high, causing lateral sway at the bottom of the pedal stroke?

graham and at 22 stone, i have to sit down to ride for 90% of the time.

You really do need to adapt your riding style or expect more of the same.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect to be able to buy something strong enough for even the hardest of riders personally, the trade off is that the harder you ride the heavier the kit needs to be in general. You’d not expect to do massive drop offs on XC rims and get away with it, nor ride season after season on a lightweight alloy frame without it suffering fatigue.

I’d go along with Graham there! Some of the frames he is mentioning are susceptible to having issues with cracking.

There is definitely an element of that, but given most of the kind of riding you say you do, you’d think Titanium with it’s relatively high fatigue strength would be ideal. Maybe consider other Ti 29ers known to be a bit tougher/beefier?

I set my seat height by the old fashioned straight leg, heel on the pedal method. I seems about right and I’m not aware that I am rocking from side to side on the seat.
I use an inline seat post with the clamp near enough in the middle of the rails.

maybe give On One a call and see if they have any horizontal dropout Inbred 29ers lying around? Or put a wanted up. Steel frame so will be good in fatigue and easily repaired by any competent welder.

mboy, I think it’s largely down to frame design.
That Chumba has got a 2.5″ longer seat tube than the Lynskey for the same length top tube, and it’s triangulated.
It just looks a better design.