Building bikes to last - feature for Cycle magazine

[rscrase]

Building bikes to last - feature for Cycle magazine

I’m writing an article for Cycle magazine about ‘Building Bikes to Last’ and would very much welcome your comments. Although the article is for the autumn my deadline is ideally the end of the month because we’re going cycling this summer!

So can you tell me your recommendations for long-lasting bike components and parts? Chains, tyres, handlebar grips, what do you find wears out - perhaps sooner than you expect - and what do you replace them with?

I’m really looking forward to your comments, many thanks, Richard

[slowster]

Brucey's 'Super Commuter' thread would make an article all on its own - viewtopic.php?t=70632.

[re_cycler]

What is the articles definition of last ?
Slow wearing components or a bike you can still maintain in 50 years time ?
It's that triggers broom thing again, which bit is the bike ?

[rscrase]

I think slow wearing components really. The article was triggered by our club doing up donated bikes for key workers during the pandemic on a tight budget and our finding bikes 'spoilt' by knackered bottom brackets for example.

[rscrase]

Brucey's 'Super Commuter' thread would make an article all on its own - viewtopic.php?t=70632.

Thanks, very good

[Barrowman]

Oil Bath Chaincase. /Shaft Drive/Gates Belt Drive
Fixed wheel
Solid Tyres

(I have a circa 1890 machine, fixed, hefty chain, cushion tyres (spongy but no inner tube) ).
You could ride it all day if you weren't in a rush to get anywhere and accepted you may have to walk up (and down some) significant hills due to lack of gearing .

[mig]

it's maintenance, rather than build, that largely effects longevity. cleaning especially.

[hoogerbooger]

viewtopic.php?p=1548512#p1548512

Another Brucey one on the hub that wouldn't die: AW

There's been many strings/ posts on the longevity and reliability of the original 'oil fired' AW compared to almost any other hub gear. Whilst it's not been made for a good while the number of still usable hubs available second hand and new spares make it still sensible to use if knocking up a local commuter.

.....This a good thread( cup of cocoa useful when you read this one)
viewtopic.php?p=1458869#p1458869

[rareposter]

What type of bike? Requirements are going to be very different across commuter or tourer or road bike or mountain bike...

What do you mean by "lasts" - something you can still get spares for in 15 years time or something that shouldn't need such spares in the first place?

Belt drive on a hub gear is the obvious one for longevity of drivetrain.

For me an absolute minimal maintenance, "do most things most of the time" bike would be a flat bar hybrid type bike with rigid forks, a belt drive hub gear and hydraulic disc brakes.
700c wheels (very common size so ease of spares).

That'd be as near to maintenance free as you could get I suspect.

[Nearholmer]

I think one with a bottom gear ratio that slowly, but automatically reduces over time, starting out at some really steep figure when the owner buys it aged 18yo, reaching c1:1 on a 700c-wheeled bike at about 60yo, and continuing to reduce, maybe to as low as 1:0.5 for centenarians.

This automatic feature would be coupled with others, which would progressively adjust posture from “head down, bum up”, to a near bolt-upright stance over the same time, the seat widening and acquiring springs in the process.

[PH]

Late last year I found my bike parked next too the Cannondale Hybrid I bought in 1999 and sold around 2006. Looked fine and well used, a different rack, mismatched wheels (Neither original) otherwise apart from the wearing components (Brake blocks, chain, cassette) I think it was pretty much as I sold it. It had picked up a few knocks, wasn't particularly clean, though seemed generally well cared for. It wasn't a hugely expensive bike to start with, about 50% more than the Halfords MTB it replaced (Though several times better) and about a third the price of the Thorn tourer that replaced it.
I agree with mig, bikes that are reasonably looked after last well enough. The question might be what makes bikes easier to look after. If there are issues with bikes needing restoration, it's likely because they've lacked that basic maintenance.
For us enthusiasts, how often do we wear a bike out? I never have, I've crashed two that required frame replacements, had one frame break, been through several sets of wheels, but otherwise I've never ridden a bike to the end of it's usable life.

[slowster]

bikes 'spoilt' by knackered bottom brackets for example.

Is that not an example of what others have posted re the importance of maintenance (and good assembly and set up)?

Shimano has discontinued its UN55 square taper bottom brackets and replaced them with inferior type cartridge bearing units similar to most other cheap brands. So in some cases it is more difficult to buy longer lasting components. The SKF cartridge bottom brackets are reckoned to be excellent and very long lasting, but are extremely expensive and seemingly only available in the UK to special order from Sven Cycles, the importer. Moreover, having mudguards with a good long/wide front mudflap to protect the BB bearings from road spray is probably more important for longevity than the make or model of BB.

I suspect that many of the bikes that don't last as long as they ought to, do so not because of inferior components, but because of poor assembly and maintenance: bottom bracket threads lacking grease or anti-seize on the threads, seat posts similarly lacking and seized, hub bearings corroded and/or worn due to lack of grease by the manufacturer and the owner failing to grease/occasionally re-grease the hubs themselves.

[Carlton green]

Building bikes to last - feature for Cycle magazine

I’m writing an article for Cycle magazine about ‘Building Bikes to Last’ and would very much welcome your comments. Although the article is for the autumn my deadline is ideally the end of the month because we’re going cycling this summer!

So can you tell me your recommendations for long-lasting bike components and parts? Chains, tyres, handlebar grips, what do you find wears out - perhaps sooner than you expect - and what do you replace them with?

I’m really looking forward to your comments, many thanks, Richard

I think that it might be worthwhile looking at some of cycletramps stable, they seem to have created with utility and longevity in mind.

For longevity steel is usually going to be better than alloy for nearly all the parts, alloy fatigues and it abrades whereas steel is more resistant than alloy. Certainly have a strong preference for steel handlebars because alloy ones have been known to suddenly fail due to fatigue - which can lead to a nasty accident.

Chains wear and so do sprockets, part of that is due to muck picked up from the road so fitting mudflaps seems worthwhile to me, there was a thread on them recently.

I’m a supporter of the three speed hub gear, they do have their limitations but with skilful use and set-up they can provide much utility and so over decades. Other hub gears are available but, in my mind at least, there are questions about reliability, repairability and spare parts supply.

Rear wheel hubs - or rather those with derailleurs - come with either freewheels or cassette’s; I have the former but think the latter hub type to be more durable.

Cycling is full of fads, stick to long establish technologies and the simplest examples of them.

Avoid anything sold as lightweight and instead look for substantial. The roadsters of yesteryear give some good pointers on durability.

That which is easy to clean and to service usually lasts longest. Always question what the spares supply and history is for any component part.

[rscrase]

I like the point about mudguard flaps, hadn’t thought of that.

[re_cycler]

Single speed with hub brakes, belt drive, mudguards and a yearly service