Tall/heavy riders: How long do your frames last?

For those with a short attention span: Broke three frames in three years, all on the seattube. I think seattubes getting shorter puts a lot of stress on frames when taller riders ride long droppers.

Partly inspired by Mike Ferrentino's piece "We're Still Buying Rear Derailleurs", but mostly by my breaking the 3rd frame in not even three years: I'm aware that at 190cm/at least 90kg sans gear (6'2/200lbs for the metrically challenged), I'm bound to be harder on bikes than the rider your typical product manager has in mind.
However: I bought a carbon wondersled in spring 2019. Summer 2020, I discovered a crack in the seattube, maybe 5cm (2 inches for the...) below the toptube. Ok, stuff happens, warranty was quick and handled in an outstanding way (one week turnover, no charge for work, they even replaced some small parts and bearings for free). All was well.
Summer 2021, a crack again, same place. So the crack was not a QC issue but a design flaw. This was a problem, since the frame only had a three year warranty and the next crack wouldn't be covered anymore. I rode the new frame for a month and sold it. Again, the warranty was handled in an outstanding way. Frame was at my door in 3 days. Main triangle and rear triangle, since they didn't have the color of my old frame in stock anymore.
Since my experiences with carbon hadn't been all that great, I decided to buy an alloy frame. (Ok, it was cheaper as well.) Bought a much acclaimed and heavy AF frame from a "core" brand with a good reputation. Not even 6 months later, what do I discover? A crack in the seattube, just below where the toptube is welded to the frame.
Do other tall/heavy riders have the same problem? All the frames I've damaged (and there were quite a few before tho ones described above) but one broke from pedalling/climbing forces, not from descending (yes, I know what this says about my descending abilities, thanks). I'm kind of ok with a frame breaking after three or four years, but after a year or only six months? Could it be that, as stated above, the forces on the frame from longer and longer seatposts (and shorter and shorter seattubes) are too high when taller/heavier riders ride? Your experiences? Bikes were ridden maybe 2 or three ties a week, since I have a shorter trevel bike as well.
To get back to MIke Ferrentino: I desperately wanted a Nicolai G15 when I bought the bike in 2019, but couldn't afford it. I lusted after a G1 again when I bought the alloy frame last year, but again, it would have been financially irresponsible Also because I would have had to buy a new dropper, while the frame I bought had the same diameter as its predecessor. But it would probably have saved money if I would just have bought the Nicolai in 2019 anyway....
Depending on how long it's going to take for a new frame to arrive (the distributor is out of stock AFAIK, and there probably weren't that many XXL frames to begin with), I'm sorely tempted to just buy a Nicolai. There's a sale on frames right now....

you could always go the custom way and let nicolai reinforce your problem area

I don’t think there’s any question that bigger riders and those that go hard go through frames and parts quicker. It might be an option, if you go carbon again to talk to a guy like Rob Mulder at Roberts Composites about repairing and reinforcing such a frame.

I’ve always understood that there are a few places in the world where "standard" bikes don’t stand up. The North Shore is one such place. Most areas don’t see creaking forks at nearly the rate we do. I also figure the bean counters at any large manufacturer calculate that say 75% of their bikes get ridden 30 times a season by beginner intermediate riders that don’t stress the bike much. Then they replace that bike in three years because they perceive that it’s out of date. Only small percentage of bikes get ridden like they are advertised for. In other words, big riders going big in our neck of the woods will go through stuff. And manufacturers don’t really have that much to warranty. 

That’s how Banshee got their start. Those first Screams and Adrenaline (I think that’s what they were called) bikes were absolute tanks. Purposely way overbuilt to withstand the stupid freeriding at the time.

seat tubes/ chain stays/ frame snapped completely in half/ snapping square taper spindles, junior used to do that as a skinny 16 yr old 20 yrs ago and i broke a couple myself all were aluminium but nothing broken recently

In the last 3 yrs I've had 2 instances of my fox 36 and now 1 instance of my ZEB  creaking, drop the fork/ wipe off dirt & shit/ regrease with a little phil woods and the noise stopped until it happens again, seems to be dirt & shit

I'm 6'6" 235 ish with a pack. I generally don't break frames. After 2 seasons or so I tend to get squirrelly for a fresh bike with fresh parts from a concern about fatigue. I put a special kind of hurt on parts through consistent hard riding and a ton of leverage and strength so I prefer to retire them before they retire me. I'm strong but I tend to ride pretty agile and active, light on my feet; I don't ride like a sack of potatoes slowly leaning into all my gear especially for seated climbing. Despite that I think my parts get sad after a couple of years.

I broke an FS bike seat tube like 20 years ago. I have a 35.5" inseam and on my XL G1 (475mm seat tube) and 200mm Reverb I've not had any issues in two years, or the two years on a G16 or the two years on a very slack Wreckoning before that. Maybe the very steep 79' seat angle on the G1 helps? I'm pretty conscious not to lean into the saddles on seated climbing through dips. I haven't broken a saddle, post or frame in years. 

To your point I think it's important to consider that most bikes are optimized for a 5'8" 170lb dude with a flat brim cap. Bikes get scaled up or down from there to varying levels of compromise for the rider. XS and XXL people get it the hardest. XS people the bikes are too long, too tall, too stiff, can't run a short enough dropper or get suspension to work right. The opposite is true if you're tall, doubly so if you're heavy. 

At 6'2"/200 you're not that tall or that heavy. An XXL G1 would be way too big for you. I would think you're still within reasonable limits for most stock XLs. You just have to get something of suitable quality that meets your particular fit needs. Something Shore-approved.

Yup. 6'2 and currently 215lbs. I have had more than a few bikes snap around the Seat tube, chainstay and bottom bracket. If they are breaking near a weld I was always told it was an issue with overheating during production. I stopped buying overseas welded frames after that (mind you these were all from reputable brands and were covered by warranty). Haven't broken a carbon frame yet but my carbon bikes are one of a bunch that get ridden where as the bikes I was breaking were often my "main" bike.

6'4", 190lb naked...

I've broken several frames at the seatpost/top tube junction but not for a number of years now (touch wood...)

One frame in particular I went thru 3 frames but had superb warranty follow up (and it was a stupidly light alu xc frame which, frankly, I shouldn't have been riding on the Shore).

The other frame (different, local manufacturer) also had good warranty support but I was told the crack was caused by bad weld. That particular bike was that manufactures "xc" bike (though alu and ~30lb with XT level kit on it...).

My current bike was chosen for its life-time warranty and weighs around 34lb with GX level kit.

Moral of the story for me was "don't ride light weight xc bikes on the Shore" when you weigh ~200lb

I asked Red Shred which was the best mfger to need  warranty from and he said Brodie with no hesitation, he said even if i told them  my rider was being an idiot Brodie  would always give them something

6’, 210 lbs, allergic to airtime. Have broken 3x frames in the last 10 years. Two aluminum, one carbon. One chain stays failure, two at the top tube/seat tube area. 

I think you’re on par for frame breakage. 

But, as a follow up - in that time how many rear hubs have your roasted?!? And how many Maxxis are in your garage that don’t have a significant wobble?!

Posted by: mrbrett

But, as a follow up - in that time how many rear hubs have your roasted?!? And how many Maxxis are in your garage that don’t have a significant wobble?!

Good questions. Back in 2010 my rear wheel died. I was broke and replaced it with a good ole "trusty" deore rear hub. The freehub broke on the first ride 3 times in a row. I went and bought my first chris king rear hub that day. That hub is still going strong. I have never broken a hope or CK hub despite a less than ideal service schedule.

Maxxis rear tires are another issue though. wobbles - yes. Better since I started using cushcore though. I don't think I've developed a significant wobble while using cushcore.

Thanks for all the replies. Just to be clear: Unfortunately, there's this small puddle called the Atlantic between me and the Shore. So my climbs are probably not as steep as yours (unless you climb the Fromme access road), nor are my descents.
Looking back, I've broken 5 frames from 2000 until 2010 (two in the decade before) , three between 2010 and 2020, and three since. Had to replace a couple because of creaking BBs, but those weren't broken. No issues with seatposts or saddles since the 90s. Square taper spindles, don't get e started...
I stripped three freewheels in 2014, no issues with hubs since. Don't all tires start to wobble? But it's never been that bad for me.
And I think you'd be hard pressed to call an alloy Spire "lightweight XC"....
Oh well, seems like I'm not the only one....

Posted by: Sethimus

you could always go the custom way and let nicolai reinforce your problem area

This should literally the end of this thread. 

G1 or Saturn 16 if you must have bidon bolts.

Posted by: Bagheera

This was a problem, since the frame only had a three year warranty and the next crack wouldn't be covered anymore.

This dovetails on DrewM's belief that bicycle warranties should be transferable from original owner to new owner. Why does the 3 year warranty counter not refresh on each new replacement frame? If you break a frame 2 years into a 3 year coverage period, should your replacement frame be guaranteed good for only half of the remaining time that it took you to find a flaw in the original frame?

Posted by: UFO

Posted by: Bagheera

This was a problem, since the frame only had a three year warranty and the next crack wouldn't be covered anymore.

This dovetails on DrewM's belief that bicycle warranties should be transferable from original owner to new owner. Why does the 3 year warranty counter not refresh on each new replacement frame? If you break a frame 2 years into a 3 year coverage period, should your replacement frame be guaranteed good for only half of the remaining time that it took you to find a flaw in the original frame?

that’s the reason why there are strong customer protection laws in europe. 2 years mandatory warranty on a replaced product