Mountain Biking - Durability, how much is too much?

I've had my trek 4500 for about a month now and I still find myself holding back alot off road because I don't want to break anything. I'd start riding harder, not shying away from rough roads and drops if I knew my frame and wheels could take it. I'd really like to hear from hardtail riders about what types of terrain you consider your limit and what kinds of hits your bikes take on a regular basis.
Thanks all :eek:

Isn't the whole point to go really hard so that you can get together with friends and say, "I went so hard down (INSERT NAME OF LOCAL HILL) the other day that my (INSERT NAME OF RELEVANT BICYCLE BIT) busted right off the bike."

Just ride. Don't worry about busting stuff. When you do, just get it repaired. No worries, just ride.

i have a hard tail and i can take bigger drops then a lot of the full suspension buffs around my town, its all in how you flex at the elbows and knees, dont worry about it, youll bee able to tell if a drop is good or bad just go with the flow.

Originally posted by MediaCreations
Isn't the whole point to go really hard so that you can get together with friends and say, "I went so hard down (INSERT NAME OF LOCAL HILL) the other day that my (INSERT NAME OF RELEVANT BICYCLE BIT) busted right off the bike."

my only problem with that is that the parts are so expensive.

i'm looking at the parts online and alot of them cost more than my whole bike!

For 6 years I road a Giant CFM which is a carbon frame. I would do drops up to 5' with it and also road it on extreamly rocky terrain. It held up to every thing I through at it. Granted, if you ride hard enough you will trash the rims and other components. You should not worry to much about breaking parts if you are going to use it for free riding, just expect that sooner or later the parts will go. How soon depends on what type of stunts you are attempting. As MC stated, breaking things makes for good conversation later on.
Slainte:beer:

At first your gonna break parts. The more you ride the smoother you become. The smoother you become the faster you get, and the less parts you toast. - Can't make an omlette without breaking a few eggs. - And scrambling the hell out of them until the yolks run.

Omlettes and toast, mmmmm.

I've just started riding and the first day things were pretty bumpy. After a few more days ive been catching on a bit, and with the catching on i broke some parts, breaking parts is all about learning. It helps you learn the limit to your bike and your equipment. I just toasted my rear derailer last week and next time ill know how to prevent it :). Mountain biking to me is more experimenting with what you can do and what you cant. With road biking you just kind of go along and ride but with mountain its more technical and you have to have a trial by fire sort of speak.

I purchased a bike with the intentions of breaking parts. There are some to keep in mind with any bike.

1 - bb - generally bikes come with low - mid range bb (bottom bracket). While this can last enough drops and pressure and you will damage it. This will likely take time to damage but one hit will make you realize it is dead.

2 - Rear hub - same deal. Most bikes come with a 32 spoke low - mid range hub. When this hub goes follow directions below

3 - rear rim - most rims put on bikes are actually cross country quality. THEY BREAK! When you get the chance upgrade the rim AND hub to a 36 hole variation with higher end parts (solid rims with quality hub). You will not regret this move.

4 - crank arms - I happened to get good ones on my bike but I have broken many of these in my day

5 - pedals - either the bearings or the pedal arm will brake. You can spend a tonne of money to replace but if you are doing off road and running into things (as beginners tend to do) you may want to hold off on AWESOME pedals for now

Those are the main areas of concern. Each have varrying price range but generally you get good notice as to when each is going. Just take you ride out and enjoy and be sure aftr every couple of rides to check your bike over for wear and tear.

Im having to go with Maelstrom on what will brake.

you will always have some thing that will break that just what it is to ride!
*pedals - when i first started i broke 3 pair!
*rear rim -bent a whole 4" (because i was dumb and tryed to climb a hill why to tall and the bike landed on the side of the rim but was coming un true before that)
*rear hub - I have no idea how long my hub would have lasted but now i have a XTR hubs so i don't care.
*bottom Bracket -it is still holdign on.

For what you can do with a hard-tail:
YOU CAN DO ALMOST ANY THING if you do it right. what i have learnd is let your body be a shock and not be tight when you ride. when i am tight that is when i will hurt my bike. Just try stuff out and see what you can handle, for a while i couldn't think of doing what my bike can do.

Thanks alot guys, that gives me some good ideas. I wasn't as worried about things breaking off as much as I was the frame breaking (one of my friends broke a chain stay clean through earlier this year). As long as it's something I can replace without practically buying a new bike, I'm not worried. I figure toasting my wheels or shifters would be the best excuse I can come up with to upgrade :p
Maelstrom said he's broken crank arms? Wow. If I did that, I'd probably be breaking alot of myself too!

Frames are probably the best thing to break if they are still under warranty actually. They'll ship you a brand new frame, most of the time a current frame so your actually getting a free upgrade.

I don't know about trek but my body would snap in two before my frame. The Kona Roast really is bombproof. As for the crank arms I have broken a few back on my old rigid frame. I am a heavy rider (6'5 250ish) and am slowly learning how to be a soft rider. Until then I will break many parts. :)

I have a 4500 as well (first bike). The way I see it; breaking things is just a good excuse to upgrade :)

if you land right and do it all right then this will absorb some of the shock that is put on your wheels and frame ive taken my bike off of som pretty nasty drops and soak em up fine and ricks right if u do break stuff then its a great way t to up grade and youll be fine just start tryin stuff and as you learn then go to bigger things
i have a iron horse sinister and it seems like i beat the crap outa it but nothings broken i have broke stuff before but its all good

I like to ride street and it just KILLS my back wheel.

180's
360's
and bunnyhoping up ledges aren't to good for rims...


any suggestions?