Originally Posted by royalflash
I keep reading that aluminium has no fatigue limit and that bicycle frames made from it will fail within quite short periods of time. Is this true or just a myth. I donīt seem to remember reading any posts where someone with a decent aluminium frame has actually reported a real-life case of frame failure due to metal fatigue.
Can anyone out there report real life cases of aluminium frame failures caused by metal fatigue. I donīt mean resulting from crash damage or botched welds. If so what were the circumstances - age of the bike etc.
I have a couple of aluminium frame bikes and it would be nice to have some evidence that frame replacement is necessary before I junk the frames in a couple of years.
I've never had a bike frame that didn't last longer than I wanted it to. I always develope a yen for something new long before the old one gives out. I kind of think that feeling is the real basis for the aluminum fatigue limit stories because, years ago, I used to hear similar tales of steel frames losing their rigidity after a couple of years.