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Indestructible all rounder, assume weight isn’t a factor

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Indestructible all rounder, assume weight isn’t a factor

Old 01-12-20, 06:36 PM
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ndrose
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Indestructible all rounder, assume weight isn’t a factor

This is a little silly, but I do really wonder if there is any kind of consensus:

you walk into a bike shop and tell the salesman you’re looking for a reliable, touring-capable, do-anything bike.

”You’re in luck,” he says. “We’re running a special on the Magic Adventure Bike.”

”Never heard of it,” you say.

”It will take as much weight as you want it to carry, but it handles fine with no load. You can gravel grind, go anywhere. Best of all, it never needs maintenance, and the components will never break or wear out. There’s just one catch.”

”What’s that?”

”It weighs 40 pounds.”

You think it over a minute. “I’ll take it.”

”One other catch. We’re out of stock.”

”When will you get them in?”

”Never, because it doesn’t exist.”

Just as you are walking out in disgust, the salesman says, “Do you want to see the closest existing bike?”

”Sure, why not?”

What bike does he pull off the rack?
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Old 01-12-20, 06:57 PM
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Originally Posted by ndrose
Indestructible all rounder, assume weight isn’t a factor

This is a little silly, but I do really wonder if there is any kind of consensus:

you walk into a bike shop and tell the salesman you’re looking for a reliable, touring-capable, do-anything bike.

”You’re in luck,” he says. “We’re running a special on the Magic Adventure Bike.”

”Never heard of it,” you say.

”It will take as much weight as you want it to carry, but it handles fine with no load. You can gravel grind, go anywhere. Best of all, it never needs maintenance, and the components will never break or wear out. There’s just one catch.”

”What’s that?”

”It weighs 40 pounds.”

You think it over a minute. “I’ll take it.”

”One other catch. We’re out of stock.”

”When will you get them in?”

”Never, because it doesn’t exist.”

Just as you are walking out in disgust, the salesman says, “Do you want to see the closest existing bike?”

”Sure, why not?”

What bike does he pull off the rack?
Clue: nothing is indestructible. And what kind of rider needs an "indestructible" bike? Do you crash frequently? Probably the bike isn't your problem.

[Please use your own hand.]
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Old 01-12-20, 07:17 PM
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I know nothing is indestructible. That’s why I made the “it doesn’t exist” joke.

What I’m trying to get at is this: I’m not much of a “weight weenie” and would rather put my bike budget into durability and reliability, but it’s not always easy to tell how much of that is in the overall build quality.

I’ve seen a number of discussions on these forums about specific issues related to this question. E.g., about whether a wheel with a lower spoke count is just saving weight or is made with better materials; or whether more expensive group sets are stronger or just lighter (and maybe even less durable). But I hadn’t seen anything evaluating complete bikes, or particular manufacturers, as especially durable, even if at the expense of weight.
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Old 01-12-20, 07:26 PM
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Trek 520. (It's a no brainer).
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Old 01-12-20, 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by ramzilla
Trek 520. (It's a no brainer).
Interesting. I figured the answers would be mostly touring bikes (which are what I’m mostly looking at). Why the Trek in particular?
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Old 01-12-20, 07:46 PM
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Trek has been making the 520 for several decades and, it's not unusual to see 40 year old models with 100,000 miles on the clock still being used as daily riders.
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Old 01-12-20, 08:24 PM
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I don’t think I’ve had any real crashes—on my own, anyway. When I was a teenager I had a bike pretzeled by getting hit by a pickup truck. But I wouldn’t expect any bike to survive that; I’m just thankful I did.

And I’ve been generally lucky in the bikes I’ve owned. But now I’m in the market for a new bike, and planning to spend more than I have in the past, and would rather not rely on luck. Test riding, of course, and reading reviews, but not really finding the information I’m looking for.

I guess what I have in mind is resilience under normal use. When you buy a car that’s a big factor (for almost everyone), and it’s a prominent part of the available information and manufacturer reputation. But most bike reviews are all about “how does it ride when it’s brand new?” If you bought a car by that criterion alone (and had unlimited money), you’d end up with a Porsche, and have to accept that it would be fussy and in the shop a lot.

I once met a guy who claimed (I think he was kidding but I’m not sure) to have founded a Porsche owners emotional support group.

So another way to put the question would be: what bike do you get if you want a Toyota, not a Porsche?
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Old 01-12-20, 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by ramzilla
Trek has been making the 520 for several decades and, it's not unusual to see 40 year old models with 100,000 miles on the clock still being used as daily riders.
Good point. I’ve seen a number of those people, often in pairs, both riding 520s, which is a fair testimonial. My wife loves her mid-90s Trek steel hybrid.
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Old 01-12-20, 08:39 PM
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520's a good suggestion.
Also consider a Surly Long Haul Trucker. I've seen them ugly and I've seen them abused, but I've never seen one that couldn't be ridden.
Neither are my cup of tea personally, but their reputations are well earned.
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Old 01-12-20, 08:43 PM
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I own a 2015 520 with over 10,000 miles and can attest to it's versatility and durability.
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Old 01-12-20, 09:21 PM
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The classic touring bikes of only a few years ago fit the bill better then any other style that I can think of. Lots of spokes, strong rims, mega low gearing, super stable, lot's of flexibility in how they are set up (narrower tires, narrower range gearing, ability to swap out wheels that are the most common available designs (135mm rear/100 ft w/ Q/R), easy to service cable rim brakes.

But this type of question is much like if you could only have one pair of shoes what would they be. Andy
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Old 01-12-20, 09:34 PM
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But this type of question is much like if you could only have one pair of shoes what would they be.
A good pair of mid cut all leather hiking boots, of course!
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Old 01-12-20, 09:44 PM
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Originally Posted by ndrose
A good pair of mid cut all leather hiking boots, of course!

Tell that to all the runners out there, or cyclists that like to be clipped in, or ladies who like to be fashionable or... Andy (trying to make the point that the question goes against the last 100 years of the bike industry's efforts and their customers wants.)
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Old 01-12-20, 10:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Andrew R Stewart
Tell that to all the runners out there, or cyclists that like to be clipped in, or ladies who like to be fashionable or... Andy (trying to make the point that the question goes against the last 100 years of the bike industry's efforts and their customers wants.)
That’s all true. And I admit, I have other shoes. But I wear the boots for a lot of different things—including winter cycling. I’m sure I’d be faster clipped in, but if I really wanted to be fast I’d get back in my car.

Everybody has their own reasons for and approach to cycling. For me it’s all about exercise and enjoyment, freedom and flexibility. The boots are a tad heavy to spin, but it’s all the more exercise, and they keep my feet warm. And if I’m cycling down a forest road and I see an interesting hiking trail, I can lock up the bike and stomp up the trail. I’m not the fastest guy out there, but I may be the happiest.
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Old 01-12-20, 10:34 PM
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It appears that your problem stems from a lack of preventative maintenance and a failure to realize that some things wear-out with use. Excess weight will not solve that.
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Old 01-13-20, 01:26 AM
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That Trek is sweet. So is this: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/awol-expert/p/129192
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Old 01-13-20, 08:11 AM
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+1 on the Trek 520 or Surly Long Haul Trucker of Disc Trucker for their versatility and durability. They will handicap you rather badly if you take them to the Saturday morning fast group road ride or single track MTB ride but otherwise they will do almost anything else.
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Old 01-13-20, 08:34 AM
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That Specialized does look like a beast, though probably outside my price range. I checked to see if there was a model a step or two down I might want to look at, but the AWOL seems to be AWOL from the main menu on their site. I wonder if it’s being discontinued?
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Old 01-13-20, 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by ramzilla
Trek has been making the 520 for several decades and, it's not unusual to see 40 year old models with 100,000 miles on the clock still being used as daily riders.
The frames are made in China now, not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, but we should be rational and look past the badge at what we're getting for our $$$ these days. Bicycle brands have never changed hands for more or meant less than in the last decade or so. What concerns me more than the Chinese frame is the junk BSO-style Chinese headset they come with these days. You used to get a decent Cane Creek. What are they thinking?
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Old 01-13-20, 08:48 AM
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Titanium...


But, in all honesty, anything will work. The bikes's I've had with the most mileage have been aluminum.
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Old 01-13-20, 08:51 AM
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sasa cutthroat:


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Old 01-13-20, 09:26 AM
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Internal gear hubs are a good example of adding weight to get closer to indestructible. If you bang your bike around in ways that might bend your derailleur hanger or cage, it’s worth considering.
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Old 01-13-20, 10:23 AM
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I think you need a Schwinn Varsity those were 40 pounds all steel.
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Old 01-13-20, 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr. 66
I think you need a Schwinn Varsity those were 40 pounds all steel.
More like all dwarf star. I'm pretty sure the Varsity...old ones from the 60s...were carved from WWII surplus battleship armor plating which may have had a higher density than "regular" steel. Cavendish's experiment would have been a lot easier with just a Varsity. They put a significant warp in space.
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Old 01-13-20, 10:45 AM
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The joke may be on you. When you wrote,

Originally Posted by ndrose
”One other catch. We’re out of stock.”
This pretty much defines the stock status of most touring bikes, at most bike shops, most of the year.

The good news is that those shops that will stock touring bikes should be getting them in sometime between now and March. So if you find one you like, buy it quick!

BTW, the Fuji Touring bike shares most of the advantages of the 520 and LHT, but I find it a bit lighter and more pleasant to ride for everything less than a 30 pound load.
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