Since I’m the one who brought it up, I’ll address it. I’m not saying that touring frames are prone to breaking. I really doubt that a touring frame is any more or any less delicate than any other frame. Touring frames are likely stronger than many road bikes but probably only slightly and certainly not by orders of magnitude (i.e. tens of times stronger). Frankly, I consider the fear of breaking a frame on tour to be an unreasonable fear. That’s part of the reason I call it a “myth”. It happens but it’s probably a 1 in a million chance. That doesn’t stop people from being unreasonable, however. There are very few reports of broken touring frames here on the Bike Forums.

A lot of the mythology of materials other than steel “asploding” also comes from people not understanding materials or just resistance to change. Aluminum bikes have been around for a very long time and they are extremely tough. Carbon fiber has been around for a little less time but the only thing that would “asplode” would be people’s heads if you suggest using it for touring.

As a person who has managed to break 4 frames (not touring bikes) by simply using them, I think I have a lot more experience with broken frames…and repairing them…than most. Based on my experiences, I should (and do) trust aluminum over steel. My first mountain bike (Miyata Ridge Runner) from 1984 broke a fork, broke at the brake bridges, broke at the driveside dropout, and finally cracked above the previously repaired brake bridge which is what killed the frame. That 4 breaks on one frame.

I broke a steel Specialized Rock Combo at the driveside dropout. The Rock Combo was an early attempt by Specialized to make a hybrid bike which I adapted to mountain biking. I was asking too much of the frame. I have also broken a Specialized Stumpjumper Pro M2 frame which had a production problem due to the frame being too brittle for what it was designed to do. The other aluminum bike I broke was a Nashbar Flashback which was too small, had a weak seat tube/seat stay junction, and I was trying use a seatpost with a huge set back.

The Ridge Runner and the Flashback were the two bikes I had repaired (the other two were warranteed). My interaction with the machinist I had repair both is what informs my attitude towards the “ease” of repair. He commented that the thinness of the tubing on the Ridge Runner surprised him. He said that it would be very easy to burn the metal during welding and that he almost did. He, like many welders, was much more used to working with thicker metal. Perhaps what saved my frame was the fact that he also worked on delicate scientific equipment and was used to using a very light hand during welding.

He also repaired the broken aluminum frame which I used for several years without issues even though it was not annealed.

I currently touring on aluminum and bikepack on titanium. I’m not worried about either one breaking nor am I worried that if either were to break that I couldn’t get them repaired to at least get me to the end of a tour. If the aluminum frame broke, I’d replace it at the end of a tour but if I were to ride on steel, I’d do the same. For the titanium, I have a guy in Boulder that does a great job.