Teambayern

I've been commuting daily for about 5 years on a Trek 7.2 fx, including in winters with snow melt and muck. During that time, I've had what I assume to be an ordinary amount of maintenance done: few new chains, regular tuneups, replaced rear cassette, replaced rear hub, saddle, front tire, brakes a few times ect. Now, I'm in need of another big tuneup, brakes, and I've been told by my LBS that my crank doesn't need replacing yet, but it's getting there.

My question is this: assuming you don't have the space to stockpile bikes, at what point do you decide to cut ties with your current commuter and get something new? How many years do you typically get out of it before doing so?

krobinson103

I ride my bikes until they are dead. For a cheap bike that started off too small for me anyway that takes 4-5 years. For a project bike? Until the frame becomes unusable. No idea how long that will take.

tdister

Not sure it really matters how many years other people get as the use in that time frame can vary so drastically.

Congrats on killing a crankset. Your maintenance sounds pretty normal for your usage. If I were in what little I know of your position, it would not be hard to justify a new bike. That goes double if you are changing the bike style up a bit/upgrading. I might not be so willing to sell my 5 year old 7.2 fx to go buy a 2013 7.2.

acidfast7

most of my colleagues here find that 10 years is a reasonable time at roughly 5000km/year (50000km). at that point, it's not economically viable to continue servicing the bike (wheelsets aren't so cheap.)

also, most ride Centurion trekking bikes.

wolfchild

I have 3 commuter bikes, I don't plan on replacing any of them unless the frame breaks. Servicing/replacing components is not a big deal. Chains and brake pads are the only components which I need to replace regularly.

tim24k

+1 I never sell. I still have and use my 1985 Brigdestone T700. I just rebuild as needed. I do add to the commuter fleet when I find one at a price I can't refuse.

tsl

There's seldom a reason to replace a crankset.

If your dealer means the bottom bracket, that's an easily and commonly replaceable part. If your dealer means chainrings, I wore out the middle chainring on my four-seasons commuter, and simply replaced the one chainring. I don't use the other two chainrings enough to warrant replacing them, and the crank arms and spider just plain don't wear.

In the larger question, I don't replace bikes, I replace components--even when that component is the frame. I just replaced the 13-year-old frame of my three-seasons commuter because of a head tube crack, probably due to stress from being hit by a car back in spring 2009. I bought a new frame and moved the old components over. I replaced brake pads and cables in the process, and I wanted different bars so I did that as long as everything was already apart and unwrapped, but everything else--including the chain--is from the old bike.

None of this, of course, addresses the issue of want. You may not NEED a new bike, but do you WANT a new bike? If yes, then get one. Otherwise, just replace worn parts and keep riding.

acidfast7

these are what most of my colleagues ride ... Centurion or similar trekking bike

they usually run around €500-600 and come with hydraulic rim brakes



it seems that when the wheelset needs to be changed (€200-€250 for a reasonable dynamo equipped 559 wheelset they usually donate the bike to someone else). according to them, the rim wear indicators wear out at roughly 30-50000km (which is usually 10 years or so of commuting). other than that, it's usually just chains and tubes only. maybe a second set of marathons at the end as well makes the 30000km mark kind of expensive (€250 wheelset + €80-100 in tires), which is more than half of a new bike.

RobertFrapples

I am the same way with bikes as my grandfather was with hatchets. He had one hatchet for 70 years. He replaced the head 4 times and the handle 23 times.

locolobo13 

Depends. If you want a new bike and can't store both, go for it. OTOH, I kept my Schwinn Varsity from the 70s until I couldn't replace the cups and cones for the cranks. I'm sure somebody sells them but couldn't find them around here. That's when I replaced it.

phillybill

I just get tired of things.... and do a new project every winter.....

Commodus

Never. Bearings get replaced, rims, brake pads, etc.

jrickards

LMAO

Unless I'm missing something, after one head and one handle change, it's no longer the same hatchet.

jrickards

I just replaced my commuter. The old one still exists (it's the one in the little profile picture) but it is 11yrs old, the rear shifter needs replacing, the chain needs replacing, the front rim is getting worn (I replaced the rear a couple of years ago). All of this can be fixed/replaced but I also wanted to replace the front forks (the suspension is getting soft and I wanted to go with no suspension) and get disc brakes so I decided to upgrade to a 29er (with a lockout on the front fork). In the end, the 29er has a frame of better dimensions for my body/riding style and is more comfortable.

ThermionicScott 

None of my bikes are as new as 5 years old... come to think of it, the youngest one is about 20 years old. I just replace parts as neessary.

HardyWeinberg

I have never done this, I have sold/traded bikes when I wanted a new one more than the old one to do the same thing.

fietsbob

N+1 adds to the rotation , and maintainence means you shed worn parts, not the whole bike.

caloso

I don't really have a commuter bike. I have bikes, all of which I ride to work, some more often than others, but none is specifically designated as a commute bike.

commo_soulja

Same frame and a few original parts but consumables (chain/chainrings/cassette/grips) get replaced as needed. Never really bought an outright commuter. My main and back-up are converted mountain bikes. Storage spaces limits the number of bikes I can have.

caloso

Exactly. I have an old Trek that the only things that haven't been replaced are the brake calipers and the frame itself.

spare_wheel

Even a particular bike designed for commuting only serves the needs of a cross-section of commuters. In fact, the people I know who have been commuting for a long time tend to ride some of the most idiosyncratic bikes.

spare_wheel

acidfast7, i would wear through that alex mtb rim in a few years. just sayin'

Leebo

I have 2 dedicated winter commuters. Make you current ride a winter commuter, get a new one and save it from the winter abuse.

tdister

I may be mistaken but I seem to remember the 7.2 model coming with a riveted crankset that can't have just a ring swap performed.

This combined with the Hi-ten steel fork, fairly cheap hubs (+ other components) and that the OP is obviously using the single bike regularly seems to make a great time to upgrade but probably not such a logical move to simply update with a similar new bike.

acidfast7

that's my point. at 5 years, it's not economical to repair a bike anymore. 60k/wk = 3000k/year x 5 years = 15000km. a good wheelset with dynamo is €200. a more expensive bike actually future-proofs you less than a cheaper bike.

over here we adopt new tech faster than you guys (e.g. hub dynamos and hydraulic rim brakes), so a cheaper bike makes more sense.