My current plan is to buy cheapish aluminium frames (I've never bought a complete bike), and replace if necessary. I scrounge around for bargains, such as trade-ins, or whatever. I don't see the point (unless you're rich ) of spending big $$$ on aluminium if the rider is over 80kg, and the bike is just gunna be raced, thrashed and mashed. These guys spending $3000+ on alu Italian imports is rediculous, unless they're only "Sunday" bikes. I busted a Specialized Allez Comp and a crap Evolution in under 2 years, but my cheap 2 Dedacciai 7003 Taiwanese frames I bought of Kennedy are still going good after 3 years. I'll be amazed if I ever get more than 4 years out of an alu frame -- I'm too much of a masher

When the subject on breaking alu comes up on other threads on this forum, we hear cries of "oh, it's a myth", and this is backed by plenty of proud alu owners, but this leads me to think that 90% of people on this forum never race and never get off the saddle to mash! If the subject of breaking alu is brought up at a club race-meet, it's a completely different situation; everybody has a story! If aluminium is mashed, it's highly likely to eventually break.