philbob57

No photo, but I've owned only one bike at a time for most of my life, and I bought my current ride in 1981. It's very probably a 1973 MKM. (I owned a hi-ten Gitane from maybe '74-'99, but I rode it only from '74-'80 and then gave it to wife, then son, then co-op.)

rdg20

I'm still riding my 1974 Raleigh Sports I bought new in Feb 1975.

dweenk

My wife still rides her Fuji S-10-S that she bought the first year they were selling in the US ('71 I think). High tensile frame, claw derailleur mount, turkey wings, and steel rims. The only changes to it are new bar tape and saddle.

noglider 

Now we've gone over 40 years for continuous ownership.

latman

not 30 years yet , bought the frame only in 1989 and rebuilding it as per the 1989 Cannondale catalog R2000

rhm

I haven't posted this bike in this thread before, because it wasn't relevant. But now it is, so here's an update.

Trek 720 bought by me, new, as a bare frame, at a Northern Virginia bike shop in the spring of 1983. Earliest known photo, perhaps July 1983:


Set up with a Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub several years ago... first as a 'city bike' with upright handlebar; which I soon flipped upside down; and then with a twist grip shifter on a flat handlebar and drop bar extensions:


And then I got a J-Tek shifter for it:



After fresh (July 2015) powder coat and a combination of some of the same components, different old ones, and even new ones.

kickstart

I still have my 1984 Ross MTB.

badger_biker 

Technically it was a 30th birthday gift from the owner of a bike shop I was working at but I still have my 1984 Bridgestone 400. This is an older picture and it has undergone a number of changes and upgrades over the years.

It has taken me on loaded tours along the Oregon coast and from Glacier NP to Spokane and spent nearly a year with me in Washington DC. My old friend was getting ridden less and less so I recently added Origin 8 mustache bars for use as an urban bike and I'm finding it a more comfortable and relaxing and riding it more often.

robert schlatte

I purchased this Schwinn Voyageur 11.8 in the fall of 1980 when I started law school. The only original parts are the stem, seat post, rear caliper brake, and downtube shifters. It has a special place in my heart and I will never sell it. While I have several other bikes, I still ride it regularly for commuting and occasional weekend rides. I am considering a new paint job along with new decals to freshen it up.

gaucho777 

What a great shot!

John E

UO-8 -- bought as a bare frame and custom built for my wife in early 1974 when I worked at the P-N dealership. Now my commuter/beater.

Brooks Pro saddle -- bought nearly new from my boss at the Peugeot-Nishiki dealership in 1972, because he lost patience breaking it in.

No longer with us, due to frame failures -- the only other bikes I have bought new:

1962 Bianchi Corsa -- lasted 20 years

1971 American Eagle (Nishiki) Semi-Pro (Competition) -- lasted 20 years / 40k miles

SJX426 

Well not newly purchased but a year old when I bought this 1972 Motobecane Le Champion. Accident took it out in 2009. Yes there are issues with the brakes and tire color but that's the way is was.
[IMG]1973 Motobecane Le Champion 24", on Flickr[/IMG]

My wife still has her Raleigh GP bought new in 1974. Picture taken in 2009. Still have the paperwork:
[IMG]Raliegh DS , on Flickr[/IMG]

Now has Pasela's and Tektro brake levers. Plan on replacing the RD and FD with non-self destruct units (Suntour V Luxe II).

starbuck5250

I have bought exactly one bicycle for myself. The wife and kids are a different story, but I still have my 78 Peugeot Super Sport UO9. It's mostly original except for tires, tubes, cables, and handlebar tape. Sadly, the FD has a Delrin clamp, and that's cracked, so I'll need to put something modern on it. Apologies for the poor cell phone photo.

FBOATSB

1981 Continental purchased by me in 1981. It waited a long time to become my daily rider.

gaucho777 

Bump! I've been waiting to post in this thread. I'm the original owner of this '86 Look, which I know most of you have seen plenty of times. if I recall correctly, I bought it in January of '87, so I believe I've finally crossed the 30-year threshold.

Then:


Now:

thumpism 

How about frames? While working at a Seattle shop in the mid-'80s I bought a Paramount frameset and swapped over everything from my Trek 710 frameset, and also bought a Cimarron frameset (left over from a Mountain Klein build for a customer) and swapped over the parts from my hodgepodge A-D Inter 10 clunker.
Paramount profile.jpg

1_Cimarron profile.jpg

hobbs1951

Here's my Raleigh Corsa, first year for the Corsa and only this year in Oyster (white pearl). I bought this bicycle, built in the lightweight Unit at Nottingham in 1984.

Original paint, first generation Shimano 600EX SiS groupset fitted in 1986: Weinmann rims, 42 ring and cassette replaced with NoS items some years ago.

Jon.

N.B only non-original components are the Rolls saddle and Cinelli 1a stem and Giro handlebar (fitted shortly after purchase). Modern tyres of course !

calamarichris

Gah! Awesome!

My Masi GC and I just hit 29 years together in December. Have to find & scan some of the old film-pics. Just recently built it all up with NOS/NIB 6400 Tricolor Ultegra.

pcb 

Yay steel! I built this frameset in 1981 at a Proteus framebuilding class, in early Feb---so its 36th b'day is coming up. Reynolds 531, kinda crit-ish geometry. We didn't do any practice brazing on mock-up pieces before digging in, and it took me till the seat lug to really get the silver/brass flowing. With potentially cold-brazed head lugs, I don't ride it much at my present Clydesdale weight class, but when I was young and thin she was a sweet ride.

The seat cluster turned out OK, especially since I thought I'd probably wreck it with the dynafile. But you can see some blobs and inconsistencies on the lug shorelines, and at the plug/lug junctions. I barely had a week to build it, so there wasn't much time for riffling shorelines. Didn't have the technique to not be sloppy, didn't have the time to clean up my messes. There are some details that are plain embarrassing.

It was big fun, and left me with an earned appreciation of clean brazing and flowing lines. It's kinda weird that a swoopy DiNucci seat lug or a thinned Kvale head lug can make my knees wobble, but damn I love what the maestros do.

My shop employers paid for the class, I covered my room/board. Which meant winter camping in the nearest state park to College Park, cycling the 25mi round-trip every day, showering in the nearest trailer park pay shower, and lotsa Arby's Beef-&-Cheeses. I was mighty young back then.

Daveyk15

1986 Bob Griffin from local Bike Builder

jefnvk

I just hit 30 myself, 362 days ago, so no

Ask me again in 10 years. I still have my MTB bought new (for me for Christmas, by my parents) in 1997. Currently in the process of getting a complete overhaul, which should set it up for another 20 years worth of use!

GravelGuy

1974 Colnago Super, bought used in 1975, restored once years ago, but since I continue to ride it, it once again has sign of use. Has gone from Campy NR to now 9 speed DA. Still as sweet a ride as any bike I have owned. Someday, when I'm too old and beat up to ride it, I probably will restore it once again.

noglider 

@pcb, do you think you'll break the frame if you ride it?

Pogliaghi

I have a 1973 Carlton Professional I have had since March 1974.

Robert C

I still have my 84 Schwinn LeTour. The last I used it was when I was back finishing my MBA. That would have been on '09.