Originally Posted by
Niles H.
I also have to wonder whether a frame built of hefty, thick aluminum tubing would ever really fail when used by a light and gentle rider. The frame would probably last for centuries if not millennia -- almost certainly so if the rider were gentle enough with it.
What about mountain bikes? It's pretty difficult to use it for its intended purpose without applying some rather significant stresses, and low-level loads multiple times a second (particularly for a hardtail). This is one of the many reasons I wonder why so few brands still build high-end steel hardtails (hopefully ordering a Jamis Dragon later this week).