The most invincible bike?

[shouldbeinbed]

I just thought I'd mention when Colin said reliability isn't an issue when choosing a bike. I thought to most it would be that's all.

You appeared to veer off your initial question and seemed to suddenly be conflating price with reliability, that is not strictly the case, a not or poorly maintained Pinarello will be worse to use than a well maintained Triban as time goes on & nobody is advocating Asda as a bike shop, chucking that in just seemed silly.

I meant that all reasonably decent bikes are reliable if looked after. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a reasonably decent bike.

A cheap, crappy bike will always be that, no matter what you do to it!

Quite agree, this is the sentiment I understood Colin's post to mean and agree very much with.

 

[Drago]

And of course 'quality' in the sense applied to consumer products means the items fitness and suitability for purpose, and not the perceived standard of finish. A hand polished custom sprayed frame on a £119 Apollo is a total irrelevance and will do zero to enhance the riding experience or longevity of the machine.

 

[ufkacbln]

Some years ago having broken various frames I bought a Thorn Nomad with Rohloff

It is unremarkable in looks, heavy, solid, predictable (loaded and unloaded) and boringly reliable

In other words the perfect bike for what I wanted!

 

[Hip Priest]

I see chavs on BSOs that have never been cleaned let alone maintained and look about 100 yards away from falling apart. I then realise that I saw them on it over a year ago and it's still going strong!

The chains and cassettes are always orange. Maybe that's the key? I need to get me some of those orange chains.

 

[Mrs M]

I had my Giant Hollywood from 1991 until 2010 when I gave her away (no room at the inn)
Only had new cables and a set of tyres, guy who picked her up for his wife was delighted.

 

[Turbo]

You appeared to veer off your initial question and seemed to suddenly be conflating price with reliability, that is not strictly the case, a not or poorly maintained Pinarello will be worse to use than a well maintained Triban as time goes on & nobody is advocating Asda as a bike shop, chucking that in just seemed silly.



Quite agree, this is the sentiment I understood Colin's post to mean and agree very much with.

It was simply a question, I was hoping to hear from some of the pre-2000 and vintage stuff still going with high mileage and minimum maintenance. It was really just about answering with the bike in question.

 

[ColinJ]

My Rock Lobster MTB has been going strong since 2001 and that has had a battering. It is currently waiting for a small part to be replaced in one hydraulic brake lever.

My Basso has been on the road since the early 2000s, as has my Cannondale. Both have had gearing upgrades, and the Basso needed a replacement front mech after about 10 years (mainly due to poor adjustment by me!), but apart from that, just the usual replacement tyres, tubes, cables, brake blocks and chains, plus lubing and adjustments now and then.

Oh, I did have to replace a couple of spokes in a wheel, but I got the wheels cheap from a mate when he replaced them after damaging the rear wheel (rear mech went into the spokes).

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i've had a carrera virtuoso since 2004, and all that's left of the original, bar the frame, is the headset cap…

 

[DCLane]

I forgot about my 'bad weather bike'; a 1986 Raleigh Team. Frame/forks/crankset/brakes all original.

Saddle's been replaced and I broke the rear derailleur. It also goes through wheels pretty regularly.

However, it takes the worst of the weather and keeps going.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Been through many owners since 1984, but my Fuji Touring Series IV was still all original when I got it. Worn to pieces, but all still original. I had to replace most of the components for safety's sake. But the frame still rides like a new bicycle. I used it with original components for most of this season, but when winter rolled around, I started getting about the job of renovating. I also have a 1970's Sekai 1000 I put a lot of miles on. I'm restoring that with an old Suntour Groupset from another, smaller wrecked Sekai from the same period. Original everything.