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

Graham,

I’m near to you (over in Bromsgrove) and i have a Thudbuster in 27.2 (and various shims) that i’d be happy to let you test for a week or so?

I’m a shade over 100kg so the set up is pretty much correct for you without having to change the elastomers.

Email in profile if it’s of any interest. I’ll be over at the Wyre at some stage in the next week or so if you wanted to pick it up at the Duke William.

Thanks for the offer.
I’ve just been reading up on Thudbusters and they get a lot of good reviews on CRC and mtbr.
I like the way it pivots backwards rather than sliding down as well, it seems like a more natural movement.
What day and time are you thinking of coming over ?
I work shifts, so it might be easier if I nip out from work and meet you on your way through Kidderminster.

thudbusters are great piece of kit. i used them for years on 26er hardtails they help you ride seated over choppy ground and add a good deal comfort. i stopped using them when they changed they design to having more setback, it was too much for me (bear in mind they rock backwards too). also started riding 29ers about the same time and didn’t feel the need for one so much. however i am now thinking of putting the short travel thudbuster on my race hardtail. definitely worth a try.

I know very little bikes and why they break I’m afraid, but I do like my Pipedream Sirius (it’s got sliding dropouts). Pipedream currently do a ti. 29er and it looks like there’s the option of the same sliding dropouts as on the Sirius or an EBB. Some info. at http://www.pipedreamcycles.com/ti_29er_2010.html.

I went through a period of braking frames in the mid nineties – five frames in eighteen months IIRC.

What “kind-of” cured my problems was ending up with a bike/frame I didn’t particularly like which I bought as a stop gap (1995 Kona Explosif). I dented it after two weeks and hence could not sell it on and have been stuck with it ever since… I did break it eventually… and got it welded so that I can continue to try and break it properly and permanently… it’s my singlespeed now… the device of torture.

I can’t offer advice. I still break frames… found a crack on one of my frames on Friday… so that’s two in a year… so I’m on the lookout for something new as well.

Happy hunting.

Graham,

Probably looking at Thursday at the moment (weather permitting) at the Duke for 7pm (our usual start time). I drive there via Stourport from home though, not Kiddy.

Still dont think you’d break a Nicolai, especially if you tell them what and how you ride. Have you seen the gussetting.

1000Kcal an hour for 11 hours, christ! I work my as off at 90% HR for an hour and con only blow 700kcal!

If you can maintain that burn rate for that time, I’m expecting great things at Bristol and Mayhem. Think I might have to arrange a tow rope to deploy as you pas me 🙂

My current plan is to get the Gary Fisher Rig welded and ride it as a Rohloff at Bristol.
I took it in to a welder’s today and left it with them.
He started picking at what looked like either a paint chip or a crack on the seat stay and found this.

Bit of a fuzzy picture, I know, but the seat stay has got a hole in it.
My guess is that the seat stays are hydroformed out of plain gauge tubing, so where the tube diameter increases, the wall thickness must decrease.
He’s going to add some gussets to strengthen that whole area anyway.

Longer term, I’m thinking Nicolai Argon Rohloff with belt drive and sell the Lynskey frame when I get it back.

MTG – how tall are you? I’ll have my XL Swift at the BBF this weekend if you want a spin. I highly recommend it…

Regarding the breaking, I’ve broken a few frames around the seat/top tube weld too – typically when there’s a lot of post showing. Only solution I’ve found is to stick with steel (for the simple reason that I seem to kill them less often) or get ones with big seatpost diameters (though that doesn’t stop it happening in some cases).

6’1″, so an XL would be OK for a test ride, if a little large maybe long term.
Thanks for the offer, I’ll be arriving on Friday, so maybe we can meet up and swap bikes briefly. See what you think of a Rohloff.

The Lynskey uses a 31.6mm seat post and I did wonder if that was part of the problem. With people suggesting using a more flexi ti post, maybe a bigger stiff alu post puts more strain on the frame.

I also just had a look at Lynskey’s site and the new Ridgelines have got a 27.2 post and an “oversized head tube”, so it looks like if I get a replacement frame I’m going to need a new seat post and headset too. 🙄
Hopefully, the smaller seat post is because they are using thicker walled tubing with the same OD.

Longer term, I’m thinking Nicolai Argon Rohloff with belt drive and sell the Lynskey frame when I get it back

The thought of sitting down on a Nicolai Argon over rough stuff is making my arse hurt. You’re a brave man!

Well I’ll be at the LVIS tent all day (except the obvious) so feel free to drop round and ask.

Probably been suggested already but it really sounds like you might be better on a short travel full susser. Although it already sounds like your arse has taken more of a pounding than… some fictional school boy pre the cane being banned.

What about a nicolai 29er ht. I’ve got an xl on order yor welcome to try when I get it?

MrTall – Member
Must be down to your riding style, i’m heavier than you and have never broken a frame. I ride 29ers and historically most of my bikes have been ridden with a 400mm post at full extension with no problems.

Getting out of the saddle more over the bumpy stuff will take a lot of pressure of the area that you keep breaking frames in.

If I bought a quality frame such as a Lynskey I’d expect it to hold together. it is a mountain bike we’re talking about. Ti frames can crack, there plenty of examples out there.

If I were you I’d go custom steel….

Graham, I’ve just bought the Chumba as mentioned previously, but I’ve gone for the medium size in this frame as the Top tube is very long!

I’m 6’1″ too.

I’ve just collected the Gary Fisher from the welder’s.

Looks good to me for £30.
I’m now building it back up as a single speed.
The plan at the moment, although knowing me it could change at any minute, is to ride BBF single speed with lower gearing than I used at Wiggle 6. Then convert both the Kona and Gary Fisher to Rohloff for MM.

Mr Tall, thanks again for the offer. It’s all a bit hectic this week trying to get everything sorted for Bristol. I’ll meet up with you another week to borrow that seat post if that’s OK.

Clubber and KingTut, could I ask a favour of you ?
Will LVIS have some sort of independent trackside pit area ?
If so, could MuddyPuddle and myself tag on please ?
We’re not looking for any sort of assistance, it’s just that the solo pit area gets swamped with team riders waiting to change over so I have to barge my way through them to get to my kit, only to find that it’s been kicked out of the way and trampled.
We tagged on to another teams remote pit area last year, but I would rather be with people we know if we’re leaving tools and spares unattended during the race.

MTG – I don’t know exactly where we’ll have our tents/stuff set up yet but we have three soloists too for whom we’re going to try and set up close to the course so as long as we have space, that’s fine. Just come and find me on Saturday morning – I’ll be there by 7:30 – shouldn’t be too hard to spot but ask for Dylan if you need to.

That looks awesome. I have to say that all the alloy frames I have seen that have been repaired have gone on to crack further… but you’ll get some use out of it before it dies and that is all that matters. Hope the other frame gets sorted to your satisfaction.

Great, thanks. We don’t need much room,just enough for a couple of tote bins full of fig rolls and inner tubes.
It’s more the security aspect I’m thinking of. I don’t like leaving spare wheels lying around unless there’s someone I know to watch over them throughout the race. Having them trackside saves having to run back to the campsite if I need them.

Messiah, yes, I did wonder how permanent the repair might be.
Those braces will be transferring some of the load on to the seat stays, one of which was already cracked, you can see the repair on the right, so they could well crack again.
For £30 though, it’s got to be worth a chance.

MTG – no worries. Just email me in the future and i’ll bring it over on one of the Wyre ride nights.

Spare wheels, you say…

😉

I can just imagine being overtaken by a LVIS rider now and thinking “Hang on, I recognise those wheels…and that water bottle…”, then coming back at the end of a lap to find a load of empty fig roll wrappers and chocolate soya milk cartons.

Anyway, I had a bit of a creak at Erlestoke, which I put down to the cracked frame.
I just swapped all the bits from the Lynskey on to the newly welded Gary Fisher and found one chainring bolt missing and three loose. 😳

then coming back at the end of a lap to find a load of empty chocolate soya milk cartons.

i f—–g doubt it 😉

Soy stuff is ok so long as you disguise it sufficiently with something that’s actually nice like chocolate. A bit like vegetarian food and adding some meat to it 😉

I hope your repair lasts.

I think long term you are the ideal candidate for a custom steel frame. Show the builder the pics of your frame failures, and they can select a chunky 853 seat tube – many variants exist – for tandems and other heavy duty applications, add a brace or big fillet braze joints where it meets the top tube. Most importantly beefed up chainstays with a BRACE BOTH sides for disc and Rohloff torque plus general stength, and a Rohloff specific drop out to do away with the Speedbone. As already mentioned have a look at the Curtis T45 or Freeride frames as a starting point at least.

The frames you’ve busted so far haven’t enjoyed the best reputation for longevity!

The first frame I broke was a custom steel one. Due to a superinjunction, I can’t mention what make it was or how it broke.
Curtis does look good though, although it’s getting on for the price of a Nicolai.
I’m still undecided on whether to go for something mid range at a sensible price, like a Chumba, or something exotic like a Curtis or Nicolai.
If the 27.2 seat tube on the Lynskey means they have strengthened the frame in that area, then I might as well give it another chance.
I’ve also still got the Kona and repaired Gary Fisher, which can both be run as single speed or Rohloff, so I’ll stick with what I’ve got for now.
If there was something mid range, like a Big Unit, Rig or Chameleon with a Rohloff specific drop out, I’d be tempted.

I rode the Rig to work today and the repair is holding up so far.
I painted it while I was there as well. That’s advantage of owning a bus coloured bike. 😉

Jones Spaceframe – the stress from the seastays is transferred the the toptube lower down, the seatstays are also fixed to the headtube. The toptube is also triangulated, to the seatstays. Jeff offers a Rholhoff version (or used to) so I’d be happy that it would be strong enough. The frames are also designed to flex a little, in the seatpost area…….. it looks like your stressing your frames in this area, but the frame has nowhere to go – so it fails, the Jones is designed to flex here.

The Lynskey uses a 31.6mm seat post …..
…. the new Ridgelines have got a 27.2 post

It’s the combination of inner and outer diameter that will give you wall thickness. Nicolai use 34.9 OD tubing with 31.6 ID on most frames. On XL sizes, DH bikes and for particularly heavy riders (or people who break seat-tubes 🙂 ) we use 30.9 ID.

have you thought about using one of those bmx ‘double clamp’ seat clamps? Might spread the load over the tube to help. I guess it must be your riding style causing the breakages – what about adding a use or thudbuster post, to take the edge of the hits off the frame?

H

Thanks for the email following my request on the Nicolai site, Simon.
I’m packing for Bristol right now, so I haven’t got time to look into this properly.

It’s not so much the frame failures that bothers me as the waiting time getting a replacement.
The guy I bought the Rig off got it as a warranty replacement and Trek kept him waiting a few weeks.
I’m still waiting for CRC to get back to me. No doubt, when they do, there will be a few weeks wait while the frame goes back to Lynskey in America before I get sent a replacement.
If Nicolai, or any other manufacturer for that matter, could promise me a new frame on overnight delivery if I break one, that would clinch it for me.
If I bought a new car and it broke down, I would expect to get it towed to the dealer’s for free and have the use of a courtesy car while it was being fixed. Bike manufacturers don’t work that way though.

Regarding the Lynskey, I guessed they were keeping the same OD on the new frames and increasing the wall thickness by using a smaller ID to shift some of the strain from the frame to the seatpost.

I guessed they were keeping the same OD on the new frames and increasing the wall thickness by using a smaller ID to shift some of the strain from the frame to the seatpost.

I doubt it – 34.9OD to 27.2 ID would give you a wall thickness of nearly 4mm.

I use 2*10 on a 29er (on-one scandal).
28/42 & 12-36
All’s good so far! You do loose super low ratios & after perhaps 100 wet km’s in wales or somewhere steep they would be missed!

karma for illegally downloading music i think!! haha hope the next one snaps as well!

Well here’s pictures of my Chumba HX2, it’s been built up of oldish parts I had hanging around my garage, so isn’t that pristine for a new build.

Though I did wash the wheels for the first time in ages today!

You know you need one…

MTG, are you using shims on your frames/ seatposts? If so, this will be the reason the for frame(s) failing, im sure of it. They dont spread the load well and result in the seatpost moving about in the seatube alot more only being held in place by the seatclamp.
With regards to Ti frames, I reckon they are ok if you ride tow paths and smooth trails.
I have broken two TI frames in 12 months. Although they are guarenteed for life its a ball ache sending them back to be assessed and replaced.
So for a guy like yourself i would suggest getting a frame from either Specilized or Giant from you local Bike shop. There warrenty replacement is brilliant. :0)

If you’re going custom steel it might be worth having a chat with this guy 😉

Custom lushness[/url]

4mm does sound a bit thick for tube wall thickness.
They don’t quote the seat post clamp size and 34.9mm is the derailleur clamp though, so maybe the tube tapers to the top, or maybe they got fed up with replacing frames under warranty and went for overkill on the tube spec.

I’ve got two singlespeeds now, a Kona Big Unit and the repaired Gary Fisher Rig, both of which I can convert to Rohloff, so there’s no panic to buy a new frame.
I don’t trust the Rig not to crack again soon, I’m just hoping it last until I get my Lynskey back.
Assuming Lynskey have redesigned the seat tube and it comes back stronger than it went, I’ll give it another chance.

I see neither of the dealers on this thread have taken up my next day courtesy bike idea. I thought that would be a marketing ploy if they were sure I would never need it. 😉

Rents, no shims, all my frames have got the correct size seat post.

But from the pictures of the Bikefest, just really tiny frames with lots of seatpost sticking out!