My frame rips! I started out as a hardtail rider 20 plus years ago and it is still my favorite kind of frame to ride. Admittedly, now that I am older, it beats me up more, but I find no other frame type as satisfying to “feel” the trail.
My frame is going on three years now, probably somewhere between 4,000 to 5,000 miles on it. It is one of three frames I ride.I have been happy with it!
Now that I have seen the crack on yours, I will have to check over that area. I do run a 400mm x 30.9 seatpost that snugly fits. My first Walty frame (circa 2014) was speced for a 27.2 post, but like yours, I had to shim it. I was lucky to find an old Syncros 27.4 that fit perfectly