crazyed27

Well what is reasonable?


Low end

Mid range

Expensive



Give me your thoughts?

prathmann

Probably doesn't need to last longer than its owner. My newest bike is 16 years old, my oldest is 43. Not planning on getting rid of any of them in the foreseeable future.

crazyed27

Frame I see lasting a long time, especially if well taken care of...The components is my concern. Which ones gave you the most trouble? 43 year old bike...Wow built in 1966? older than me!!

prathmann

Bikes are made to a reasonably small set of standards so it's generally not too hard to replace components as they wear out or there's a desire to upgrade. Obviously some components are wear items that need periodic replacement: tires, chains, freewheels/cassettes. Rims also wear out if using rim brakes (I get about 50 kmiles per front rim, a few times that from the back), and chainrings also wear (about 100 kmiles). On the 43 year old bike the cranks have also been replaced but that was mainly due to an upgrade from the original cotter-pin secured steel ones to lighter aluminum ones. And the derailleurs have also been replaced a few times - either due to breakage or a desire to upgrade.

escii_35

My 275lb bro's downhill bike, 1 year or two. The dude is crazy

My daily rides parts list over 14 years.

3rd front wheel
4th rear wheel (three hubs)
1 handle bar
2nd front break
3rd rear break
2nd derailleur
way to many BB's, clusters and chains
some inner and middle rings
1 crank arm and later a new set
3rd saddle
2nd DT shifters

wahoonc

Low End Indefinitely, they will get ridden a few times, the person becomes disappointed and they will live out the remainder of their lives being sold off at garage sales.

Mid range Quite a while if taken care of and not abused.

Expensive Depends on the bike. I have seen a multi thousand dollar CF wonder bike only last half a race before the guy crunched it. Something like an Azor city bike can last for generations.

FWIW I have a variety of bikes, most would be considered mid range when they were new. Some have required more parts replacement than others due to the riding conditions, upgrades and type of bike. The longest lived with minimal parts replacement has been a 197? Raleigh Sports. It has been ridden thousands (15,000+) miles with little more than the occasional replacement chain, tires and brake blocks. We did have to replace the fork after my brother hit a parked car at speed. That bike is one of the ones heralded as "The All Steel Bicycle". As a general rule the less complicated the bike the longer it is going to last without having to replace components.

Aaron

Nermal

Crazyed, I am going to steal your sig line and use it on another forum. Thanks.

wahoonc

That can become a problem as the bike industry has followed other industries into the planned obsolescence spiral.

Aaron

Greyryder

According to some sources, the bike industry invented it.

Retro Grouch 

I've never owned a bike that didn't last longer than I wanted.

dcmurf

My oldest bike is a Nishiki I bought circa 1989. It has many hard miles on it. I have replaced the tires, pedals, chain, rear derailleur and freewheel. I am planning on tuning it up and taking it up to New Hampshire to serve as my "camp bike" for the coming year.

v70cat

I have a 1990's Nishiki and the only thing I replaced is the tires. It still rides great.
I get new bike about every ten years, I have Lemonds and a Cervelo each bike represented a large improvement in weight and ride quality.
I like my Cervelo best, I am riding more and hope that in ten years I can get a new bike that weighs half as much and rides better.

gsurko

They last until you just have to have another one.

Baboo

Two of my bikes are from the late 80's originally were7 speeds. Very few of the part on them are original both are now 9 speeds. The frames are still good and still being ridden . I have only ever purchased mid range bikes. Many of the differences between mid and expensive bikes are not about durability but weight savings.

Allen

Flying Merkel

My two bikes that I ride most often are a 1985 Univega Super Strada and a 1982-3? Schwinn Mirada. The Mirada is my project. It's subject to whatever bright idea that strikes. Over-modification will kill it.

jgedwa

Too many variables to give any sensible answer. Some tough old components and bikes seem to be destined to be ridden by huge cockroaches long after humans have all gone away. Some finicky things seem pretty disposable.

Some of the most expensive things are pretty robost. And some of the most expensive are the lightest and most fragile. Some cheapo stuff is over-built and will last forever. And some cheapo stuff is crap that does not work out of the box.

And then you have the variable of how they are used and stored. An X-mart bike left in the yard for a while is not long for this world. But its not uncommon for bikes to be bought on a whim or a hope and then hardly used and then hung in the garage. They last a long time that way.

But, setting aside the extremes of all these things, it seems like a bike and easily last as long as one wants it to.

j

StanSeven

18 year old steel Waterford rides same as new. Everything has been upgraded, 9 speed DA, Mavic Kysriums, saddle, CF fork, pedals, etc., but still seems like new. Components and parts wear out. You can either replace or upgrade. As long as you keep parts working, there's no real limit.

tatfiend 

Aluminum components do fatigue but it is a matter of miles ridden and rider strength rather than time. In the days of steel bike frames pro teams routinely replaced cranksets, stems and bars at least annually or after a crash to prevent fatigue failures. Remember though a professional rider is using the components in question much harder than your average rider.

I suspect that with CF bikes they are replaced after any accident which might have damaged the frame or fork whether damage is clearly visible or not. A bike is cheap compared to a professional rider's salary and/or medical costs due to a component, frame or fork failure.

crazyed27

LOL

I agree with your assessment.

crazyed27

Your welcome

crazyed27

Today I had to replace the whole bottom bracket, after about 3,000 miles. Keep in mind I ride in all conditions, rain, sleet, snow...ect. The mechanic pulled the old BB off the bike and the bearings just dropped everywhere, my BB was trashed.

Its good to know that people are getting 15,000+ miles with one bike. Hopefully i can say the same in like several years.

LarDasse74

The most important factor in a bicycle's lifespan is MAINTENANCE... a bike that gets ridden hard and put away wet will get rusty and have parts seizing before long, whereas the same bike ridden in fair weather and routinely cleaned and properly lubricated will last years and years and years.

Dolamite02

Not to mention the devastating PR a company would suffer for injuring a premier rider because their component failed.

wahoonc

Some bikes require more maintenance than others. My Raleigh Sports that I mentioned above was ridden in all types of weather, at home it was stored out of the weather under the stairs at the apartment, at work it was stored inside or parked on a rack near the door depending on which job I was at. Maintenance involved a shot of oil in the hubs every couple of weeks (if that) wiping down the whole bike with a lightly oiled rag, usually after hosing the muck off of it. Tires had to be aired up about once a week. Chain got oil when the hubs did if I felt it needed it. Parts like brake pads, tires and chains were replaced as needed.

The Raleigh was designed to be relatively low maintenance and durable. None of my derailleur bikes would survive that type of maintenance schedule.

Aaron

rumrunn6

bikes should last longer than us. but hat doesn't mean we can't have or use multiple bikes during our lives