acantor

There is something very satisfying about buying a piece of gear, and finding that you can depend on it year after year, tour after tour.

Similarly, it is frustrating to buy gear, and have it fail, break, or fall apart after two or three seasons.

What equipment have you purchased (or made) that has survived the rigours of touring year after year? When did you buy it, and how many tours or years has it lasted?

I propose that we omit frames and forks. Good frames and forks can last decades. I am more interested in hearing about the stuff that you carry on your bike or body while touring.

For me:

1. Cannondale rear panniers: purchased 1989. (17 years) (Has required minor repairs, but still going strong.)

2. Sugoi padded cycling shorts: purchased 1995. (11 years)

3. Non-brand name set of hex wrenches: purchased 1985. (21 years)

jwa

Svea 123 stove (now by Optimus) Purchased 1972, still working great. The Schwinn Varsity of camping stoves: neither light nor compact compared to current cannister stoves, but reliable & indestructible.

Cyclist0094

Vaude world tramp panniers 20 years old.
Zefal HP frame pumps, 3 that range between 8 and 20 years old
Brooks B-66 saddle, I bought it used in 1984.
Swiss army knife, 30 +years old

drcrash

Optimus 111B stove, 1974.

hoogie

ground effect double happy bike shorts ... bought in 1998, but worn out riding, touring and around town since then ...

nm+

And don't let them break. The new ones are made of cheese.
My Ortieb backrollers lasted 7 years or so (forgoit exactly when i got em). Developed a small hole, which with a water proof pannier sucks. Pedal wrench did it. Bough another pair ASAP .

Bekologist

SVEA 123..... the Optimus "climber" model...... a most excellent stove.

also, classic tents, how about The North Face Westwind tent...under six pounds (I know thats' heavy, but hey, you wanted classics- and good for us winter tourers) an Antarctic issued classic, still available in Britain....

or, the venerated and still available in the USA, and more suitable for bicycle touring, the Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight?


Wool socks.

Nigeyy

I wanted a tent that could fit into pannier bags -in 1995/96 I bought a 2 person 3 season freestanding Eureka Timberlite (I think it was that model). Not quite lightweight, but packable to about 15x6, it's easy to get into a pannier bag. Add to that it's lasted no problems and seems to be extremely well made with great ventilation, I'd rate that as a time proven piece of equipment. Not sold anymore, and it seems to be harder to find 2 person tents that pack down to that size.

ridelugs

home made waxed cotton panniers that tie onto nitto rear rack, fully waterproof, tuff as nails, and repairable... home made alloy toe clips, raced cross on em and rode mainy touring miles with them, mainly on dirt roads... allara toe straps...

jens5

Zefal XP frame pump. 18 years. still works great.

Anything from Phil Woods!

Svea 123 stove. So old, I don't even remember. Never breaks. Alway works.

Avocet "Touring Shoes" Mine are on they're last legs after 18 years. Constantly searching for another pair. Nothing like them.

Richard

onbike 1939

Two Rohan polycotten tops which have lasted over thirty years. I have used them for touring every year and they are as good as new. Wash and dry in 25 minutes and need no ironing.
Given that these are superb, it goes without saying that Rohan have stopped making them.

staehpj1

This thread made me kind of sad. This week I destroyed the Zefal HP that I had been using for maybe 20 years. Besides being a very reliable piece of equipment, it was one of the few things that I still had that my Dad bought for me. The pump slipped off of the frame and was run over

I also agree on the SVEA 123. I bought mine around 1976 at a flea market and it didn't look new then. It is still going strong.

cyccommute 

I've been thinking about this thread lately and I can't think of a single thing that I would use from 20 years ago. I'll never get nostalgic about old panniers and the way that they would take a flying dismount when you hit a bump or pothole and whose waterproofness only guarenteed that you would have more water on the inside than the outside of the bag (kinda GoreTex in reverse). Thin aluminum pans and hours scrubbing them to removed burned on food from bad stoves? Bah! Wool shorts with leather chamios that need two full days in desert sun to dry and then need to be treated with sticky glop? Eww! Steel bikes that shimmy more than a hoochy coochy dance at the county fair when the speed get higher than 25mph? I'd rather live dangerously in other ways. Tents that weigh 7, 8, 9 or even 10 pounds? And leak? Thank's I'll pass. Raincoats that are wetter on the inside than the outside? I've never like saunas anyway

Give me new stuff (to a point. No need in being silly about it ) I just went through a purge of my old gear in the last couple of years and couldn't be happier.

BigBlueToe

My Coleman 442 stove has worked perfectly with no maintenance for 15 years, on countless meals. I also have a Svea 123, but the Coleman works on unleaded gas. I wouldn't consider any other kind of fuel for bike touring in America.

ridelugs

so you think that friction shifting, 110 bcds, wide range slant paralellogram rear mechs, microadjustable seatposts, down sleeping bags, modern touring geometery, are all things from 20 years ago you dont want to use?

wahoonc

I had to finally retire my Eureka Timberline this year. I bought that tent in 1979? It has averaged a weekend of use every month since then..works out to something like 1000 nights of camping They still make the Timberline 4 Guess I may have to buy a replacement. I have a couple of stoves I have used over the years, the old Optimus, Svea 123 are two of my favorites. I have Nalgene bottles that are going on 12 years old. MSR Dromedary bags ditto. I have a Blackburn lowrider rack that is still going strong after 15 years. I am sure there is more equipment...I never throw things out

Aaron

cyccommute 

Haven't used friction (or needed it, including mountain biking) for at least 15 years. Wouldn't want to go back. Who needs the chatter when you can have nice crisp shifts that are just a click away.

Why use 110 BCD cranks when 94/58mm BCD combined with an 11-34 will give you a good high gear and a lower gear then is possible with a 24 tooth on the 110mm BCD.

I use a modern wide range rear derailer and never said I didn't.

Same with microadjust seatpost although the new RaceFace Deus and Evolve XC post may make microadjusts a thing of the past. They put regular single bolt or duel bolt systems to shame.

Down bags: never could afford one nor wanted one. Why use a bag that doesn't insulate when wet?

Touring geometry for most production bikes made now are much better than they were 20 years ago, although things haven't changed that much.

There's lots of other stuff that I don't get nostaglic about like cloth tape, steel shell saddles, center pull brakes (not cantis, those are just fine ), quill stems, cup and spindle bottom brackets, heavy nylon tents, foam pads, toe clips, soft shoes, etc. I have a mild case of the Retrogrouch but I keep it under control by the regular application of new technologies

ridelugs

110 bcds are superior because the let you run bigger rings, for less wear on the chain and rings, and if you need something lower than a 13-30 with a 26 up front... you are either overpacking or climbing walls.
i'm not saying where i live has monster hills, but it does have numerous multi mile multi thousand foot climbs, and i get by with that, no problems, for fully loaded touring, ie tent and all. centerpull brakes are mechanically superior to cantis... down doesnt wet out nearly as easily as is purported, do ducklings drown? quill stems are brilliance itself, headset spacers look like crap.

Mooo

So... I'm guessing you never used Eclipse Transcontinentals. Mmmmm.

mtnroads

Yeah, quality is great isn't it?

Optimus 00 kerosene stove - beautiful and heavy, has worked great since mid-70's.
Walrus Rocket tent - made in Berkeley, 4lbs, 2 min setup, lasted almost 20 years.
Case XX fixed blade w/ stag handle - carried by my dad in New Guinea in 70's, now by me.

LWaB

Carradice Nelson Longflap saddlebag '87
2 x HPX 17 & 20 years old

Shifty

1984 Specialized Expedition touring bike, strong comfortable steel bike.

North Face Blue Kazoo goose down sleeping bag, bought in 1983, still does the job and is light as a ....feather!

I also still use my old Svea 123 stove, but not as much as a newer MSR Whisperlite.

Bekologist

ah, the 80's specialized expedition...had one of those once.....


their 21st century Specialized 'Expedition', is not at all what the name implies, and is a sorry excuse of a bike, compared to the incredibly well outfitted 80's Expeditions....


Specialized would be WELL SERVED to bring that bike frame back into their product linuep, they are missing the utility/transportation/touring bikes in their makeup....the 'tricross' is so NOT it.....

Shifty

I agree, they would do well to bring the Expedition back.

paul2

I just finished my latest tour, and these were the items that I had with me that had accompanied me on my very first tour 11 years ago: Serratus panniers (from and rear), therma-rest, MSR pot set, Nikon FG, chain tool, tire levers, cable lock, hair brush.