Originally Posted by JT354
Does light offroad riding do anything bad to your frame over time?
You probably cycle (as in stress/strain cycle) the frame more than you would normally but in general, I don't think it accelerates fatigue beyond the expected/pragmatic lifetime of the frame. Of course the lifetime of a frame is a subjective thing and not everyone agrees on what that should be. Hard ridden MTBs sometimes only last a season or two and they're designed for offroad punishment. Know your terrain, know your bike, know yourself and ride within the limits.