Theres been some interesting articles lately talking about the life span of mtn bikes today. Most of the articles written talk about 4-5 years is the average lifespan of today's bikes. It appears however that most of these bikes they are talking about are all aluminum frames. Maybe a stupid question but is there a specified "lifespan" of a Moots frame? I realize components on the frame wear out but the frame itself, unless it flies off my car doing 90 mph or if I wrap it around a tree, typically is there a lifespan on the Moots frames?
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mtnbiker5,
That's a great topic. For aluminum it makes pretty good sense that 4-5 years is about as much as you'll get out of the material. Aluminum fatigues at a much faster rate than titanium, but is a lot less expensive to build with, and in the end cheaper to purchase in a bike shop.
Steel has the the ability to last much longer than aluminum, but does lose strength and stiffness over a long period of time. It rides amazing on day one, but in year 5 and beyond it will not ride the same. We don't feel this so much, but it's happening...but it does degrade over the miles.
Titanium on the other hand has a very long fatigue life. Ride number one feels the same as year number 10, given the parts, wheels and fork are the same etc....
I've had and still have good customers on a Moots frame from over 10 years ago still riding and loving the fact they have been through groupo after groupo and the frame remains rock solid.
So life span of a Moots? I'd put it out there at more that 10 years.
Hopefully that helps.
Thanks,
Jon@Moots
Posted 2 years ago # -
This is one of the reasons I went with a Moots. As much as I love cycling and oogling new bikes, I just can't afford a new bike every year or so. My Moots lets me confidently ride year after year and with the sliding dropouts, gives me the freedom to make it into anything to suit my current riding desires by just swapping components. It goes from lite snow bike, to mountain bike, to cross bike, to gravel / dirt road explorer, to townie, to commuter, etc...
Along with the lifelong durability and the versatility you've got a company of committed and caring cyclists who really stand behind their no-nonsense builds. I'm actually looking forward to my bike reaching the 5, 10, 15, and 20 year anniversaries. I wonder what it'll look like at each milestone?
I'm saving up for a second frame as I've cooked up something special I want to do and only a certain Moots frame would really do it justice. The hardest part is waiting and saving. :-)
Posted 2 years ago # -
mtnbiker5
MemberI drive 90 so no one will steal my Moots! No seriously, thanks for the feedback. Yeah all the articles out there seem to be based off of aluminum frames. I think 20 yrs from now I would still not trade in my Moots. It would be like a Rolex, gets richer over time. I agree 110% with Johnny5, that was one of the main reasons I invested in a Moots. I got tired of having to buy another bike every 4-5 years. I just did the math and clearly by investing in this bike has/will actually save me over time. And of course who of us can argue!? Thanks everyone for replying. Keep it moving...
Posted 2 years ago # -
mtnbiker5: "I just did the math and clearly by investing in this bike has/will actually save me over time."
Isn't that usually the deal with high quality products? Thats why I love things like Moots, King, etc. Yes, they cost you more initially, but over the course of their lifespan, they save you money. We have become such a disposable society, we think that stuff should wear out and we need to replace it. I just had my 6 year old Cinco refurbished and it looks and rides like the day I bought it. I've had friends that have had 6+ lesser brands in the same time.
Posted 2 years ago # -
sbsbiker
MemberMtbiker5 I have a 1999 ybb that has thousands of hard racing miles on it and it was refurbished a couple of years ago and looks as good as my 2009 gristle. So ride it hard and put it away wet and the only thing that will wear on a ybb is the slider. My '99 has seen 5 grouppos, six wheelsets, four forks, and only one stem and seatpost (moots) in 11 years! I think the lifetime of a ti moots frame is limited to your lifetime, how many years do you think you can ride one? My bet is that the frame can outlast most humans.
Ps I have heard of guys loosing moots bikes off roof racks and the parts get trashed and the frame is fine.
Posted 2 years ago # -
tbill
MemberMaybe some folks' mtbs get hammered on enough that 10 years is its useful life, but I can't imagine my bikes "wearing out" in ten years. The bigger issue is probably the parts that are attached to them. In ten years maybe frames will all have forks with tapered 2" - 3" steerers, 90mm bottom brackets, disc brakes, etc. so finding replacement parts for those that break, have a shorter useful life, etc. could be a problem. Even today, the fact that Serotta is now making forks with 1" inch steerers should breath new life into an older Vamoots that might need a new fork but otherwise is going strong.
Posted 2 years ago # -
mtnbiker5
MemberNow you've sparked my interest even more. I have a Cinco that is approx 3 yrs old. Other than some of the decals being worn the bike still looks the same as when I took her out of the box. Never had any problems other than brake pads wearing (duh!), this whole refurbishing thing, you all recommend this? What do they do exactly? Hmmmm....almost spring time on the east coast so I dunno if I want to wait any longer.
Posted 2 years ago # -
mtnbiker5:this whole refurbishing thing, you all recommend this? What do they do exactly?
On a Cinco, they will disassemble the frame (you have to send them the frame only). They will media blast the front end and re-decal the bike. They do not do anything with the rear triangle as they didn't produce it (Ventana). At the same time I had them put new bearings in all the pivots, which was an additional cost. If your aluminum rear end is looking tired, I polished mine up with a bit of Mother's Mag Polish (available at any auto parts store). Shines everything right up.
The whole process took about 3 weeks, although the turn around time varies based on how much work there is to do at the factory and how deep the powder is on Mt. Werner...
Posted 2 years ago # -
kamkam
MemberDurability, probably my driving reason for going titanium in the first place. My old 531c steel frame as wonderful as it was developed a crack around the bottom bracket. Damn near broke my heart. I am from the abdoujaparov school of bike riding. If i stay on for the whole ride it is classed as a miracle.
However just going titanium in this day and age doesn't guarantee that durability. Build, weld quality and craftsmanship should all be considered.
After all there are factories in korea and china throwing out titanium frames for various manufacturers and whilst they are titanium the lifespan is only really comparable to top end aluminium frames I suppose this is the disadvantage of mass production. All in all they aren't actually bad frames, but why go titanium like this when you can have top end aluminium?
The real beauty of having a titanium frame made by specialists is the quality of the build, attention to detail and overall quality, which when all blended together should deliver that "frame for life"
The beauty of going titanium with moots is the wow factor and that aura that surrounds the name as well as being beautifully engineered machines. Rather like Ferrari in motor cars. But that is just my ego talking.
ime not fat ime a sprinterPosted 2 years ago #
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