Though I am for the most part pretty fluid, I am by no means easy on any bike I ride. I really tweak them during accelerations and sprints, both uphill and down. I descend with reckless abandon, and regularly go off-road, and on cyclocross type terrain. I jump over things often, etc. But, when I build a bike, I make absolutely sure that it is mechanically, functionally and ergonomically excellent. Also, I ride light, and float over things as much as possible, so I rarely find that my bike get very beat up. I maintain them meticulously.
As for breakage, I've only broken a seat post, saddle (in a crash), chain, some spokes for the most part. Spokes only break when the wheel is poorly built.
...and for the record, I feel that equivalent quality new stuff just as strong, if not stronger, than the good old stuff.