Unless you are going to show your bike at a Concour's Event, there is no reason why you couldnt put Non Original parts on a bike to get it going. So what if the parts are a Decade or so later model, no one is really going to care. Just ride the old baby.

I suspect it's a combination of the slack fork angle with rake and trail that cause the bike to wallow when turning. Like a chopper. It's all fine until I deviate from a straight line.

For the past several years, road bike brake and shifter cable has been unavailable in my area. Yesterday I found very little on Amazon.mx, except for galvanized. I may have to give it a go.

I need to ride it to own it, but they are just bikes. They are cool and all, but it’s more about people.

I'm riding my '58 Lenton Grand Prix on at least a monthly basis. And I see no reason to stop, as it's one of my more enjoyable bikes, probably comes in immediately after my Rossins. Other than the wheels its original, and the wheels are period correct.

+1. Nothing wrong with a wall hanger, if that's what you want. But that's not what I'd want.

If you want something simple, like a fixed gear bike, one from the 1890's should be just as ridable as a new one, though I would be concerned about wearing out irreplaceable parts.

With that in mind, I'd be curious: what's the oldest bike on which there are no irreplaceable parts? That is, no components that cannot be replaced with something that's still made?

As long as it is still in rideable shape, I say ride on. Once a year, once a month, weekly, daily - you own it? You decide. It can still be hung on the wall in between.

This is really questionable thinking to me.
You saw some incredibly expensive modern rims and decided that c&v is the way to go due to cost?
There are $70 modern rims that are extremely good. So for under $150 you have a set of welded rims that compared to 30+ year old rim designs are stronger, more comfortable, and easier to keep true due to design shape.

I could look up some prices of near NOS Campy CR or SR components and declare based on the cost that I will continue to ride and maintain my modern bikes due to...cost.


There is expensive product that's modern and also that's older. Similarly, there is affordable quality that's modern and also that's older.

Never! There are parts for anything and everything 'squirreled' away somewhere! I have a couple of C&V bicycle projects in the works. One is almost complete as far as obtaining parts goes and the other is in its early stages. It will have to have some 'custom' fabrication done until 'real' parts obtained.

lol!

My mother spent time in the hospital when I was in high school and her roommate was 87 years old. The woman was in for the third knee replacement because she was wearing out her knees riding her bike or trike.

The nursing home would routinely call her son because she'd take off on her trike after lunch and not be back until well after dark.

You can always find parts.

Not sure why it's funny since it's accurate, but you do you.

For me it about riding and having a frame I like. I find frames from 1980-1990 the most appealing.

Aside from the frame and an 8-sp drivetrain, anything else can be modern.

This thread sure generated lots of responses in a short time! Okay, I'll toss out one more.

I seem to wear out derailleur pulleys. Getting caught in the rain when commuting makes me wear out rims and brake pads.

I haven't worn out any bikes yet but my oldest is only 47 years old, that being a UO-8, my first derailleur bike. So far I haven't worn out yet but then I just started my second 71-year stint.

Oh, one more thing, I'm starting to wear out storage space.

Bury me with my Jack Taylor could be the title of a country song, I'm thinking. That or blues maybe?

Yeah, if you have money or a good machinist, you can be fearless!!

I break frames lately. I used to break a lot of spokes and crack rims until I started making my own wheels.

With a steel frame that isn’t completely rusted apart, you’re probably only limited by your desire to keep it original-ish.

I am not obsessive about about having period correct parts so I don't see a problem, and as I don't ride my 84 team miyata that while not original is close (friction etc) as much as I ride my 85 team Miyata (with modern 105 11 speed) I don't think I will wear it out.

I do think that at some point in the future if I have problems throwing a leg over the bike is an issue a custom mixte would be the answer to keep me riding

other wise I try to ride as part of life (commute, errrands) and treat long rids a bonus time

of course losing 50 pounds or so will help

My 1950 Raleigh Superbe will be 70 years old in January. For about 35+ years of that, it was alone in the dark covered in crap. It saw its first ride in glory and shine last summer, and I've been after it for rides ever since. The frame is fine. I'll keep an eye on it for the next few decades and see what happens. I anticipate buying more spare SA hubs for parts. Likely spare alloy wheels in the right size eventually too, and a magnet upgrade for the dynohub. As for the Peugeot and Voyageur, they're still rather new by comparison to some of the bikes posted upthread from the early 20th century. I expect the Voyageur to be around in 20 or 30 years as my touring partner. I'll likely have swapped my new wheelset from the Peugeot to another capable commuter before that given our winters and all. Steel is real.

I keep riding 1960s Legnano condorino