In the west I think you are right, there's a bit of keeping up with the jonses going on. Lots of new specializations happening too, suddenly it's not good enoug

In the west I think you are right, there's a bit of keeping up with the jonses going on. Lots of new specializations happening too, suddenly it's not good enough to have just a mountain bike, it has to fit the right specialization too. Downhill, enduro, trail, XC, gravel! I think we have finally ran out of sensibile suspension travel divisions to group bikes around, it might calm down now. I think the fatigue rate of an aluminum frame is overblown a bit. It is certainly a fact about aluminium, but does it actually occur over the lifetime and use of a typical frame? You can expect to use an AL frame for 10+ years, or tens of thousands of KMs, so it still has a longer shelf life than I think most cyclists have enthusiasm to ride. Consider that most AL frames are made of 2024 or 6061, the same stuff used on aircraft wings which have significant lifespans (30+ years). It depends on the grade and craftsmanship of course but I would not personally worry about the AL itself.