Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

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greenbikerider
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Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by greenbikerider »

I have a quick question: With a short off road ride once each week, plus a 10 mile commute everyday in all weathers, how long APPROX would an aluminum 7005 frame be expected to be roadworthy (assuming of course, no crashes or accidents)??

Can any frame experts give an approx 'lifetime' for aluminium? 10 years max? 20 years?

(I'm thinking about buying a well looked after frame that is now 10 years old)

GBR.
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Si
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by Si »

Can any frame experts give an approx 'lifetime' for aluminium? 10 years max? 20 years?


Afraid not as it's not just about the material but the way that it has been put together.

For instance I've had 7005 frames from a certain maker that often broke within the first year, whereas I've had 7005 frames from another that were going strong at least ten years after getting them.

And my Zaskar (which is 6061 I think) is coming up to its 20th birthday and has been ridden hard all of its life.
andy753
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by andy753 »

I agree with the other comments posted here - it depends on how well the frame is made. I remember having a Peugeot Comete Sprint from the 1988 range - the frame was literally glued together! http://www.cyclespeugeot.com/PDFs/1988UK.pdf I have had a cheap Ribble 7005 road frame that showed wear after five years but also Cannondale frames which are still going strong after 15 years. Manufacturing technique and brand quality are incredibly important I would argue.
drossall
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by drossall »

This kind of thread does make me worry. I've got a Specialized FSR MTB from about the year 2000, and a very nice Principia road bike from five or six years later. I like both, but they are lightly used because I more often ride steel frames and they are my token "new" technology. I have no need to update either, but then people come along and ask whether older alloy is safe.

Are we really in a world now where bikes must be replaced every few years, however much use they have had? Give me steel any day...
Bicycler
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by Bicycler »

drossall wrote:Are we really in a world now where bikes must be replaced every few years, however much use they have had?

No, but it might be worth considering for owners of heavily used old Alu bikes.
MikeDee
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by MikeDee »

If the frame is designed and built right with no stress risers, then practically a lifetime. The best ones are the ones that haven't changed design for a number of years so the bugs have been worked out.
gerrymcm
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by gerrymcm »

My LBS, when they existed, used to say that aluminium frames had a limited lifespan as alu didn't age well. It either softened or hardened, I can't remember which, and this change resulted in problems.
hamster
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by hamster »

Aluminium does indeed have a finite fatigue life, unlike steel. Of course any frame if underbuilt will crack and fail eventually, regardless of material. There are plenty of cracked steel frames which were built carelessly.
Later (say from 1999ish) Alu MTB frames are built very stiffly and so have very long fatigue lives. Early 90s frames tend to have cracks far more commonly.

I ride an aluminium MTB frame, I check it carefully around the head tube and BB each year when it gets an overhaul. Other than that, I don't worry about it at all.
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Lance Dopestrong
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by Lance Dopestrong »

Too open a question. 7005 is the raw material but there are quite literally thousands of combinations of butting, tube manipulation, heat treatment, methods of bonding or welding etc to give a sensible answer.
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MikeDee
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by MikeDee »

Does 7005 need heat treatment after welding?
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Lance Dopestrong
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Re: Expected 'lifetime' of a 7005 alum frame??

Post by Lance Dopestrong »

If you're heat treatment, yes. Even powder coating it requires the heat treatment be redone.
MIAS L5.1 instructor - advanded road and off road skills, FAST aid and casualty care, defensive tactics, SAR skills, nav, group riding, maintenance, ride and group leader qual'd.
Cytec 2 - exponent of hammer applied brute force.
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