Mine is a pretty early model - I bought it in '94. Ride quality has been good - feels very similar to my 700c road bikes but I have slightly wider tires on the BF. I use mine both for day trips and for loaded tours. Mine did develop a crack in the rear triangle years ago so my experience on durability is mixed. Warranty service was excellent. I called their 800 number on Thanksgiving afternoon expecting to leave a message but they had someone there to answer and I had my bike back with a new rear triangle about a week later (BF paid for FedEx shipping both ways and transferred components over).