Old 07-24-22, 12:40 PM
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steelbikeguy
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Originally Posted by randyjawa
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Last for 100 years or more? I have owned over 500 vintage road bikes but not one was 100 years old. I have restored well over 50 of them, and believe me when I say, unless they are unused, they all suffer from environmental and use damage. Paint fades, chips and scratches, chrome plating does oxidize, even when a bike sits unused. And the older they are the more likely it is that they will be in poorer condition.....
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Any vintage bike that falls into Randy's hands will think it has arrived at the gates of heaven, at least based on the photos of his bikes!

The idea of lasting a long time is an interesting one. I got into this hobby back in the 70's and still own bikes from the 70's and 80's. This was an era of technology that wasn't changing too fast. 5 speed freewheels, eventually giving way to 6 speeds and then onto 7 and more. SunTour's slant parallelogram was a major change in performance, but didn't affect compatibility.
And of course, Campagnolo's stuff dominated the racing scene, and therefore dictated (to some degree) the stuff that us ordinary folks could get.
As a result, the parts of this era were produced in rather large quantities and many of us are happily still using it.

Weirdly, folks using later parts are quickly finding it hard to get spare consumables. A buddy with a lovely custom Serotta (sp?) was complaining that he couldn't find a replacement front derailleur for the Campy 10 speed system. After clarifying that he meant "10 speed cassette" and not a 5 speed freewheel (and I knew better), I was blissfully stunned that a special 10 speed front derailleur was needed. At least I knew enough to not bother to offer a spare SunTour Cyclone front derailleur.

Maybe the bigger issue is not to ask whether vintage is more durable than modern, but to ask what bikes will be able to get replacement parts longer. I suppose I'm still betting on the low tech of the 70's and 80's, but perhaps others are better informed?

Steve in Peoria

...and a quick shot of bike built for me by Gordon Borthwick back in 1990. It's got a bit over 60,000 miles on it now. Not bad.

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