How Rugged is a Proflex/K2?

[willem]

A few current threads about 856's and Carbon mention things like "It's not a downhill bike." and "Be careful about jumping."

Well, has anyone REALLY "BUSTED" a Proflex frame? I know several of us have cracked seat tubes due to short post lengths. A few have cracked swingarms. I've heard of two cracked head tubes. Personally, I have had no luck breaking either one of my 856's - even downhilling in Colorado.

Let's hear about the snapped frames, separated BB, and crushed tubes. Are there any stories out there?

[Matno]

Never heard of an EVO frame breaking catastrophically, and I've been on this forum for about 7 years. (Yikes!) The occasional crack, but nothing that resulted in a frame separation during a ride. However, I could have missed something...

They did some pretty sick jumps on EVOs (20+ feet) in the movie Kranked II. (With the aluminum swingarm).

[Colin]

Quite right Willem!!

I've said "it's a XC bike not a DH'er" but also I said " ride it and try and break it" !!

I guess I mean it hasn't really got the travel that modern DH'ers have got but so what...! Who am I to dictate what to use the bike for!

My personal opinion is that there's little point in "looking after" a bike as it'll be worth very little in 10 years anyway. no matter how spotless it is. ( i.e. I mean maintain it, but don't be frightened to scratch it!)

I've seen a broken rear carbon swingarm on an 857, the bike was for sale on eBay and was a bargain if you knew that those "spare" 857 swingarms were going to come up about a year later for $9.95!

He landed on his side from a jump!

I've also seen a few bent struts on x56 and x57's for sale on eBay. I guess caused by the shock bottoming out in a jump and the undamped force bending the strut up and out.

I think most of the frame "breaks" seem to be fatigue cracks in the aluminium?

Never busted anything myself, but then again, I am a Woos!

Col.

[shovelon]

I have seen a few 856 frames crack at the swingarm mount where there is a hole that the derailleur cable goes through, but no catastrophic failures. There has also been a share of broken seat tubes, because the seatpost was too high in the tube.

Seen a couple of frames where the bottom headset seat diameter was cracked. And a couple with ovaled bottoms(including my 957).

All of these were readily fixed, and ended up stronger in the long run.

It is my belief that the alum and carbon bikes were very well engineered, putting mass where needed, and keeping the rest minimal. I still can't get over how utterly thin the strut tubes are, which is why they are bonded probably.