Ultimate reliable bike

[Claireysmurf]

I am astounded by the levels of maintenance some people give their bikes and personally I have no interest in doing anything to a bike at all.
I was looking at an offer by Evans cycles for the Trek Soho 2010 (belt drive, hub brakes, NEXUS hub gear IIRC) and that sounded great. However reviews online sound very mixed about its reliability.
I am forever getting oil on my legs from carrying my bike through the house and my levels of drivetrain dirt related anxiety are rising (1500+ miles and no attention at all...oops). The brakes on my bike (Dawes Clubman) are mediocre at best too.

Do you have any suggestions for an off the shelf bike that is durable and needs minimal servicing (I think this thread picks up on other recent ones by the way).

I am assuming 11 speed Alfine hubs have settled down now
Disc brakes - but hydraulic or cable?
Ideally belt drive
Puncture resistant
Dynamo buily in preferably
Tourer or Audax-ish

I favour bikes with a nippy feel, a gents frame (I am a big lass), low rolling resistance to the wheels/tyres. Is this an unreasonable request?

[LollyKat]

I've recently seen someone with the belt-drive Milk bike, built up for audax riding with drop bars, mudguards and carrier, and 28mm Gatorskins. Not cheap (prices here) but looks very promising.

[Claireysmurf]

That does look promising...maybe I need to look down the back of my sofa...

[LollyKat]

Indeed!

FYI that particular bike weighed about 12.5Kg - the rider said he noticed the extra 2Kg over his current audax bike on hills, though not much, and that otherwise it handled very well. He is planning a 600km DIY on it soon, through the Highlands, so we hope to hear more about it later. For even lower maintenance I would want to have a square-taper bottom bracket rather than the outboard bearings on it at the moment.

My husband is seriously interested, as he is an all-year-round commuter and his bikes take a terrible pasting. Time to start a piggy bank!

[julk]

I am on my second Thorn Rohloff bike.

I have to confess that I quite enjoy 'fettling' bikes, but have to make do with that on my sons' derailleur bikes now.

My Thorn bikes have been, and are, boringly reliable with extremely low maintenance.

[Elizabethsdad]

I have the Trek Soho 2010 and it has served me well. The critical thing with any bike fitted with the Gates belt drive is that it is set up properly in the first place. My other bike is a Carrera Subway 8 - Alfine disc brake version and on balance I currently prefer it to the Trek because I like the sharper more predictable braking it offers. the coaster brakes on the Trek have never let me down but i find I prefer the feel of the discs. I was considering a Milk bikes RDA and their recommended braking option was Avid BB7. I am currently thinking about getting new forks on the Trek to convert it to disc brake on the front and have the front wheel rebuilt with an electric assist motor to make my daily commute that bit easier.
So keep looking for bikes with the Alfine 8 - I read the tolerrences on the 11 speed require frequent adjustment - and disc brakes. If you don't go for belt drive get a Hebbie chainglider I fitted one to the Subway haven't taken it off yet to see what the chain is like because I haven't felt the need to.

[tyred]

Fact is, the most reliable bikes are vintage single and three speed roadsters with enclosed chain.

[Claireysmurf]

Fact is, the most reliable bikes are vintage single and three speed roadsters with enclosed chain.

Fact? Even if it is, I am looking for something with a decent level of performance that can be used for mor than commuting

[james01]

Fact is, the most reliable bikes are vintage single and three speed roadsters with enclosed chain.

The "ultimate reliable bike" would be a penny farthing with chainless direct drive through the front axle and solid tyres.

[tyred]

Fact is, the most reliable bikes are vintage single and three speed roadsters with enclosed chain.

Fact? Even if it is, I am looking for something with a decent level of performance that can be used for mor than commuting

They can be used for so much more than commuting. Have you ever rode one? (with appropriate gearing, many were too high geared from the factory)

[531colin]

Theres an interesting thread here http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=64432&hilit=alfine+11&start=15 detailing how easy these internal geared hubs are to live with compared to high-maintenance derrailler systems.

[Ayesha]

"Reliable bicycle".

Class 1 oxymoron.


The next thing we'll get is someone coming on here and saying...

"I want to go on a bicycle tour of Wales and I'd like to find someone to do all the cycling for me".

[Claireysmurf]

"Reliable bicycle".

Class 1 oxymoron.:

That is just rude
Why should that be an oxymoron? Why should bikes need such regular maintenance to keep them running sweetly? I want to ride a bike, feel fitter, get fresh air and exercise with no CO2 emissions other than my own. I am bored with having to tighten bits up on my bike, I am bored with punctures, I am fed up with oily legs from struggling through a narrow door to get my bike out
I don't want to have to know about the workings of my bike in minute detail. My 47 year old car takes less regular maintenance than my bike and I am less concerned about mechanical failures with it. We conceive humans through IVF now (since 1978), we put a man on the moon in 1969 and so are you realistically telling me that we should still approach bicycles with the same mindset we did a century ago?

[NUKe]

I don't think Claireysmurf title is quite correct. I belive she is asking for maintenance free. The simplicity of most bikes with basic maintenance means they are reliable. If you run a bike without any TLC things will inevitably break. Even hub gears will break if you don't look after them. If you don't like maintenance pay somebody else to do. It's not sin to have your local bike shop maintain it. And providing you use the independents, prices can be reasonable too.

OK you posted in te meantime
You could look at shaft drive or Belt drive for the oily leg problem.
if you torque up nuts and bolts they stay fixed use loctite or similar

[Claireysmurf]

I mean durable and reliable, less maintenance needed