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Frustrated with Steel Frames

5K views 47 replies 19 participants last post by  bugshield 
#1 ·
Just venting my frustrations here... after a long ride last weekend, I started to notice that the rear end of my rigid SS was feeling a bit soft, almost like something was loose. I stopped and checked all of the obvious stuff; thru-axle, wheel, etc. Everything was good so I kept riding, however the feeling didn't go away.

I finally got some time to go through the bike this weekend and found that it's broken at the welds on both sides where the rear end attaches to the seatpost. Same scenario I dealt with last year with another steel frame. Same welds, same type of crack.

I don't understand what is happening, I see guys on steel frames that they built in the 90s and still ride on a regular basis, yet I can't get a frame to last me more than one season. I am not a big dude, generally 175-180 geared up. I ride hard and our terrain here is very rough, but it's the same terrain that the guys on old steel frames ride and they don't seem to have issues.

I don't know what to do honestly. I can't imagine not having a rigid SS, it's what I put 80% of mileage in on. This is getting to be a massive pain though. Last year the frame I broke, the company gave me the runaround and wouldn't warranty it. Hopefully this one is different.
 
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#2 ·
Yes, lame but still repairable. If you had purchased alloy you'd be outta luck completely. If you are continuously having issues with the same company then I would suggest finding another or perhaps looking into a custom steel frame. The other potential issue is sizing, do you ride a smaller frame with an extended seatpost for your size?

Good luck with the warranty claim.
 
#4 ·
I didn't want to give a ton of details because this frame company has been great every time I have dealt with them up to this point, so I don't want to make it seem like I am coming on here to ***** about them. This was more about my luck with steel frames, not so much the quality of anyone's frame.

Seat post isn't extended too far, both frames fit me very well and they were from two completely different companies. I spend a good chunk of time up front making sure my bikes fit properly. There has to be some key factor to why they are all breaking in the same spot, I am just not really sure where to start. Like maybe this is just really common and the dudes who are riding their 90s steel frames just don't ride very hard or very often?
 
#5 ·
to clarify:
you broke two different brand of bikes, both at the seatstay weld?
I'm not pointing fingers, only commenting on the info given. Thats an unusual place to break a bike.

Steel bikes are generally very durable.

If I were in your shoes, I'd probably have a local guy reinforce the frame at that spot, re powder coat it and just recognize that you have a special...umm...style(?) that is rather hard on bikes.

I ride semi-regularly with a guy who can't seem to keep a drive-side chain stay attached to the BB shell to save his life. He's killed like 4 frames in the last 6 years. He ended up just getting it super-duper beefed up and by all reports has had no problems, and is happy with the results.
 
#7 ·
to clarify:
you broke two different brand of bikes, both at the seatstay weld?
I'm not pointing fingers, only commenting on the info given. Thats an unusual place to break a bike.

Steel bikes are generally very durable.

If I were in your shoes, I'd probably have a local guy reinforce the frame at that spot, re powder coat it and just recognize that you have a special...umm...style(?) that is rather hard on bikes.

I ride semi-regularly with a guy who can't seem to keep a drive-side chain stay attached to the BB shell to save his life. He's killed like 4 frames in the last 6 years. He ended up just getting it super-duper beefed up and by all reports has had no problems, and is happy with the results.
No offense taken here for pointing fingers. I am almost 100% sure it's either something goofy with my riding style, or the mixture of terrain and how hard I ride is causing the the rear end of these frames to flex way too much. I am not sure which one or how to correct either. I had thought about looking into a custom frame, but they are so pricey and it's hard to justify when I am 5'-9" 175lbs... basically every off the shelf frame is built around my body type.

As for which frames, again I don't want to start throwing names out and cause anyone reading this to think there is something wrong with the quality of the frames I am breaking. As I mentioned the first frame I broke the company gave me the runaround and ended up not working with me on a warranty. I have been more than happy to let people know my experience with them specifically... with this frame, I already got a response to ship it back and they would work on getting me back on the trail asap. Which is typical of my past experience with them.
 
#8 ·
Having two ss bikes a Santa Cruz Chameleon alloy and a Canfield Nimble 9 steal one thought would be get a Chameleon, honestly think you could throw it off a cliff and get up dust it off and ride it. That said the Nimble 9 rides far better and is just an amazing bike. I don't think I could ever break the frame but you seem to be hard ING bad fortune with frames. I weigh about 140 a little over 5'8".
 
#9 ·
Since I found these cracks on Saturday I have been looking very heavily at the Nimble9... thought about selling my full suspension, picking up a frame/fork and throwing all of the SS parts on it. Not 100% sold on the idea but it's very appealing.
 
#11 ·
I've felt the same as you sometimes about bike frames in general. Steel frames have been the exception for me. I AM a bigger guy, at ~220lbs and I tend to ride pretty hard, meaning I hang with most people going downhill regardless of how far ahead of me they get going up hill. I also tend to like gnarlier lines - fun stuff, you know. I've had all kinds of frame breaks on various bikes, but the separation you're talking about is a little strange - and being at/on a weld, it sounds like a manufacturing issue to me.

I'm going to repeat what was said earlier - a good local welder should be able to take care of you. And I'll back that up with what I was told by an outfit that does custom Ti frames when I was talking to them about a frame. After a lengthy discussion, where I told them it wasn't uncommon for me to break frames, and talking about what I was looking for, they referred me to some friends that make steel frames, and told me I'd be better off with just about ANY steel frame, simply due to the ease of fixing them.
 
#13 ·
I had the same thing happen. Never really figured out what caused the failure other than some people suggesting that sitting and pedaling through bumps may have taken a toll over time. (I'm 215 lbs geared up)

This was a Jamis Dragon (Reynolds 853). The second steel frame I broke in two weeks, a couple years ago. They ended up taking care of me, but it took a while.

Red Photograph Carmine Photography Close-up


I kind of doubt your sitting and pedaling through bumps with no suspension, at least not a lot. With two failures in the same spot like this though, it likely has something to do with your seatpost/saddle setup or your riding style, or both.

Offset seatpost with the saddle pushed back? Sitting and pedaling through bumps?

I've since had a custom frame built with a reinforced seattube. It's beefy and I'm quite certain I couldn't break it if I tried.
 
#18 ·
I had the same thing happen. Never really figured out what caused the failure other than some people suggesting that sitting and pedaling through bumps may have taken a toll over time. (I'm 215 lbs geared up)

This was a Jamis Dragon (Reynolds 853). The second steel frame I broke in two weeks, a couple years ago. They ended up taking care of me, but it took a while.

View attachment 1197210

I kind of doubt your sitting and pedaling through bumps with no suspension, at least not a lot. With two failures in the same spot like this though, it likely has something to do with your seatpost/saddle setup or your riding style, or both.

Offset seatpost with the saddle pushed back? Sitting and pedaling through bumps?

I've since had a custom frame built with a reinforced seattube. It's beefy and I'm quite certain I couldn't break it if I tried.
This is right where mine broke, but on the outsides. I don't ever sit and pedal through chunder, I am out of the saddle more often than not. The terrain around me is way too rocky to sit and pedal through most stuff.
 
#14 ·
Speaking of which, I have noticed that some manufacturers have recently started attaching the seat stays to the side of the seat tube, and/or the top tube like the new Surly Krampus.

Line Bicycle frame Iron Metal Bicycle accessory


I've seen this on a variety of steel frames lately. It must help distribute the forces better instead of being focused on the back of the seattube.
 
#15 ·
Speaking of which, I have noticed that some manufacturers have recently started attaching the seat stays to the side of the seat tube, and/or the top tube like the new Surly Krampus.

View attachment 1197211

I've seen this on a variety of steel frames lately. It must help distribute the forces better instead of being focused on the back of the seattube.
Maybe GT has been onto something the whole time, eh? I know they get a bad rap, but honestly, the only AL MTB frame I've ever owned that I didn't break was a 2000 Zaskar Race. But then, I've also never broken a frame at the seat stay/seat tube welds either. Honestly, based on what I know about welding and material strength, the sort of thing you posted a picture of should never happen. A break at a weld is indicative of something wrong.
 
#16 ·
^ are you saying I have a gift?

Surprisingly (to me) those two little cracks were enough to alloy the rear tire to hit the frame. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I checked the rear wheel, fine, checked the tire, fine. WTF? After the ride I dropped it at my LBS, they polished the dirt off the welds of the rear triangle and found it. I was pretty bummed. I still have it, may have it repaired at some point?
 
#19 ·
I will post these just since people are so curious, but I want to reiterate that this is NOT a testament to these companies quality or frame stability. Something is clearly going on with either the way I ride, my local terrain, or a nasty combo of the two.

The first was an OnOne Inbred. I caught this crack very early on, but the metal had fatigued enough that I felt a noticeable difference in the compliance of the rear end. OnOne refused to work with me and ultimately lost a customer... I believe they stopped making this frame anyways. These are harder to see because of the potato pic, but the paint and metal are clearly fatigued and stressed around both welds.

White Black Beige Tan Tints and shades


This recent one was a Jabberwocky. Definitely the best steel frame I have ever owned, but same scenario with the rear end. Felt a very noticeable difference in the rear end and then found these cracks. Vassago has been super awesome and asked me to ship the frame back so they could get me back on the trail asap. The exact opposite response I got from OnOne.

Green Yellow Photograph Line Teal


Green Teal Pipe Close-up Snapshot
 
#24 ·
Not surprising about OnOne, they took a while to respond to an issue I had with one of their frames but they did right in the end. The segmented rear of the inbred wasn't any stronger than the jabberwocky. Good luck with the claim for the jabber.

I've seen this issue occasionally across a number of frames, I remember there was an issue with the white Pugsleys similar to this. The rider may not be the cause, but the harder you ride the more likely an issue will develop if one is present. So... is it the steel, the weld, the welder or the design?
 
#25 ·
Yea OnOne is a nightmare to deal with. Luckily their frames are so cheap... I work at a shop but they still requested I take it to another shop and get buyoff that it was toast. Which I did, and had the shop manager at the other shop go through their ridiculous process for me. After all that time spent, they completely stopped responding. I sent 2 follow up emails with no response and finally said F-it.
 
#26 ·
I was having a similar issue and the solution for me was buying a higher quality frame with a more aggressive build.

I noticed that if your steel frame is so cheap that it's not worth paying a welder to fix then you will keep breaking it.

I broke 4 Soma Juice frames(I have pics to back this up) within a 2 year period and last summer I switched to a spot Rocker which has similar geo but burlier frame. Not a single issues since the switch. My theory is 90% of cheap steel frames are used as second bikes for smooth terrain and thats all they are designed to handle.

If you want a big brand bike look at bikes similar to Santa Cruz Chameleon, Niner SIR or Kona Honzo...itll cost more upfront but you get what you pay for
 
#27 ·
I expect every mtb component to ultimately fail, and am pleased when it doesn't.

If you want a light steel frame, then the old "light, cheap, strong, pick any two" rule applies.

I wonder if with the improvement of front suspension, the front end is writing cheques the rear hasn't yet been adapted for.
 
#29 ·
^^^^ This

Things will break over time regardless and mass produced frames may be more likely to do so.

The only frames I've cracked thus far were both (geared) Aluminum- one full suspension (after 7 years of primarily rocky/technical punishment ~4,000 miles) and one hard tail (after 5 years of riding everywhere except the roughest terrain punishment ~9,000 miles). I was happy to get as many miles out of both of those frames. The full suspension bike cracked where the front triangle meets the seat tube and the hard tail cracked same place as the OP's- at the back of the seat tube where it meets the rear triangle.

On the single speed front, I had a SIR 9 that never broke (unlike many others who snapped one side of the chain stays in the middle or rear, etc.) and have moved on to custom steel 29er frames from Chris King (Cielo) and Waltworks.
 
#31 ·
It seems to me that those connections just have a ton of forces applied to them, especially in real rocky terrain. They take a lot of vertical force when the rear wheel hits an object, which happens literally thousands of times every ride. There is also a lot of torsion being put on those welds when turning. The two triangles on your rear end are basically independent, so those welds almost get a rolling motion when you turn hard and your tire bites.

Honestly, I had a feeling that the rear end of the OnOne wasn't going to last long. It was a cheap frame and I rode it fixed gear, which puts a lot more forces on the rear end. Between pop skidding and braking via drivetrain that rear wheel is getting jerked around a lot more than a freewheeled bike.

The breaking makes sense to me when I really think about it, I just don't understand why other people don't have as many issues as I do. I am starting to really think that it's like someone mentioned above, that most steel frame hard tails are peoples second bikes and when they get on them, they ***** foot around because "hard tails hurt". I put in a few thousand miles a year easy, and most of them are on a steel frame SS. That may be my issue.
 
#32 ·
^makes sense. riding trails on a rigid bike is pretty hard on the bike and your body. my local trails are quite rocky and I don't make it easy for my bike. I have not broken a frame yet, but as I progress and gravitate toward gnarlier stuff, it could happen. I have to wonder if plus tires (pneumatic damping) and dropper posts (fewer hits with your butt on the seatpost) are going to make frames last longer. time will tell.

what's the cutoff for what's considered a "cheap" frame? I have to wonder if spending $1200 rather than $600 on a production frame will really make a difference in durability. my Jabber looks and feels like it would withstand being run over by a tank, but others have broken them.
 
#33 ·
That's the million dollar question in my opinion. I suppose if you had someone like Walt build you a frame, you could work them to reinforce the areas that you know will likely be a problem. Like I mentioned before, it's hard to sell myself on that being that my body type is the target market for basically every mtb frame in existence. The benefit to a custom frame aside from reinforcement would be that every reputable frame builder will fix your frame if you break it. Which is basically the same as the warranty process for a larger builder. You still have a pile of parts laying on your shop floor with nothing to ride regardless of if a dude is welding your rear end up in his garage or a bigger company is in the process of sending you a new frame.

It's the downtime that I don't like. I live in a place that has seasons and is clay based, so any time I miss out on riding is no bueno.
 
#35 ·
Not all frame failures are only due to being over stressed or under built. (from what I've read) often it is due to poor design or overheating a weld. It doesn't take much to cause a weak point. That's why I think you see the same bikes failing in the same spot, poor design. Or the odd crack that can happen anywhere in a heat affected zone. Both have happened to me.

I also get the feeling that many less expensive frames are slightly over built, and thus heavier, but not many people stress them to the point that they fail.

I think any small batch, hand made frame will likely be much better made and stronger. Lighter too.

(some of this may be a little speculative on my part, but as usual there's a lot of variables)
 
#43 ·
Looking at Steve's avatar, it does look like he runs a lot of exposed seat post, though it's kind of hard to see. Even if inserted past the minimum, I imagine these are 27.2 posts which are designed to flex and a long exposed post would move a good bit. So maybe too much movement? You don't downsize on frames by chance do you Steve? I know you said you mostly ride out of the saddle.
 
#45 ·
Hopefully this doesn't come across as being rude...

In my opinion you're not a clydesdale, but you're not a lightweight either. I am 150-155 lbs. and I believe the 20-30 lbs. extra you're carrying over me plus the terrain you ride which is no doubt tougher makes a difference. Over my 20 years of cycling I've found that for some reason I just don't break very many things on the bike vs. other heavier people. I've never broken a frame. I had the exact On One Inbred frame that you had (size large) and it felt indestructible to me. It was TOO much frame for me. I've ridden now 3 carboner frames, a couple of alloy frames, and a couple of steel frames, all single speed mountain bikes. I broke a pair of 15 year old Race Face alloy cranks last year. I broke a carbon fiber handlebar that I slammed into the ground. And I recently broke a carbon rim.

This is all to say that I think you probably tend to just put more forces on the bike than I do due to the weight difference and the terrain you ride, and that the frame's longevity is going to be negatively affected by this. I think if you find a trustworthy and reasonable frame builder as it sounds you have done with Vassago, just try to communicate your particular issue and try to get them to work with you. Usually the good ones can come up with a solution.
 
#46 ·
Nah brah, he is just too gnarly of a rider....obviously....he is just shredding to a level few of us can comprehend....even steel frames can't withstand the level of gnar this dude puts down...they just can't take it....definitely perhaps needs a sponsor so he at least can get them for free? Yep, that's it. OP needs to get an intern to follow him around with a video camera and drone, put that on YouTube, inspire millions and get free frames...problem solved!
 
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