Let's say you are buying a brand new frame today. How long do you expect to be riding it?

how heavily or regularly will it be used?

I suspect the upgrade bug cuts a frame's life short more often than wear and tear does.

What kind of frame? People buy Waterfords and plan to ride them for the rest of their lives, but people buy the newest wizz-bang carbon fiber frame and typically plan to upgrade them in a few years.

Me personally, I buy a frame to last forever, but I'll always sell it before then.

fo-ev-er

at 140 pounds, and with an Al frame that can't rust, outside of being run over by a truck I would be disappointed if any amount of riding wore out my soloist.

Sorry. I was busy with the poll. I realize a lot of people own both types of bikes. I was more just trying to get a general sense of people's attitudes. I probably best fit in the 5-10 year category myself. I'll take longevity over saving a little weight or having the latest and greatest, but I also think that in 10 years I may want something different out of a bike.

i have an early 90s bontrager and a new cove.

steel hardtails.

can't kill them.

they outlive their components.

depends on what neiborhood you live in

My LeMond Zurich has 30,000 miles and 10 seasons on it. The lower quality is starting to reveal itself as rust. It's not worth hanging new stuff on that frame IMHO.

My Ti Seven will be in my hands in a week. I see no reason it won't last twice as long as the LeMond.

-murray

Even if I thrashed and mashed an aluminium frame, I'd like to think I'd be get more than 4 or 5 years out of it -- at least 3. And longer for other materials

Well you totally skipped the category I was going to select. When I bought Machak, in the back of my mind, I figured he might last 15 years. I hope for more, but recent developments lead me to believe it might be less.

my pinarello last for 16 years. the onlything that kept it from going longer was my indifference between 1995 and 2002.

my c'dale 2.8 is still going strong, 14.5 years later.

after a mere 2 years my tcr is doing just fine, thank you very much.

Know a guy who has over 50,000 miles on a Raleigh R700 frame, aluminum. What is to wear out with a frame? Crashing a frame is not wearing out a frame.

the flex you put on a frame can wear out joints. its all about riding style, unless you ride raleigh, which are invincilble. 2005 raleigh supercourse hoping to last me till 2015. not the lightest, but i love the paint, and the geometry fits me well.

That's not all that much ... I've been riding Machak for just under 5 years and have already logged over 35,000 miles (about 50,000 kms) on him.

Lucky guy - this Machak....


Seriously though unless you crash them, have them stolen from you, lose them in a divorce, taken from you by "act of god", ignore them until they are piles of dust, or they are simply cheap pieces of poo...then your frame will most likely last longer than you will...that is your desire to buy a new one.

If you're lucky you get to keep it and still ride it every now and then.

If not it goes on Craigslist, eBay, or end up being donated to someone who will repeat the cycle so to speak.