Pivot Cycles extends warranty to 10 years on all new bikes

Esteban -Why? Seriously. Why? — My reality may be different than yours but we are both playing within the boundaries the bike industry has created.

I was primarily speaking of most carbon full suspension bikes not lasting ten years. However you brought aluminum Hardtails into this and actually proved my point further. Your 2006 hardtail frame did not last ten years, so even for alloy it’s not very realistic. It sucks that your frame broke, hopefully you didn’t get hurt. Yes, you can “expect” a frame to last but that doesn’t mean it will.

I’m surprised Trek had a direct replacement frame available to you. In my experience most brands only have the current model year available to offer as warranty replacements. Which often means that if the broken frame is several years old, your existing parts are probably not compatible with new “standards” on the replacement frame.

I think the 10 year or even lifetime warranty some brands offer is simply another advertising tool and less about how they perceive their products. It’s a roll of the dice for them. How many frames will actually get warrantied in that time verses how many additional models will be sold because they offered a longer warranty. Additionally, many people do not keep their bikes for ten years before selling them and the warranty only applies to the original owner.

In my opinion Pivot makes the highest quality frames in the industry. I would purchase one without any warranty but most consumers need the reassurance that a longer warranty provides. Which means Pivot, who arguably has the best frames available will now sell more products without really changing anything except offering a longer warranty. Good for them! Hopefully they continue chiseling away market share from the disposable bikes of the big 3.