Ekdog

I've had my Trek mountain bike for about 20 years, but this lady's been riding her bike for 67!

One bike good for a lifetime | Stuff.co.nz

B. Carfree

I had a Schwinn Super Sport for twenty-four years before I passed it along to a friend. It went from my go-to bike for everything including my first century rides to an around-town bike. My current around-town bikes are a 1974 Schwinn Hollywood that was purchased new for my mother and a 1984 Specialized Stump Jumper that I purchased new for her.

I also had a Trek 720 from 1982 to around 2006, at which time it was stolen by a bike shop while it was with them for warranty work. It had about a quarter-million miles on it at the time. I replaced it with a new old stock frame from the same year that someone in the Midwest had purchased but never built up. I almost lost that one to a bike shop bankruptcy, but the landlord saw the light when I informed him that keeping my bike would constitute theft, which his lawyer confirmed.

I'm going to have to take very good care of myself if I want to keep riding any of my bikes for 67 years. I think I'll go for a nice rainy day ride tomorrow (again).

Siu Blue Wind

She's so cute. Her heavy old single speed is "quick and easy". Bless her heart.

Roody

I usually keep a bike about four years, but it's already 20 years old by the time I get it. I could keep them longer if I put major work into them, but why bother?

Bandera

41 years so far.......

-Bandera

D1andonlyDman

I got my trek 510 in late 1979, and my Tommasini in early 1986. So that's 36 and 30 years, but there was about 23 years in there where I didn't ride. I got back on the bikes to get in shape about a 15 months ago after that long hiatus.

Mobile 155

I was thinking 14 years because of my old Varsity but I remembered I upgraded, if it could be considered an upgrade to a continental. So it was about 7 tears. I had my Viscount for about 6 years before taking a break from cycling when work and life got in the way. Once I got back into cycling the number of bikes went up and the time seemed to decrease. 1 year for my Giant Revive. 1 year for my Masi Cafe Solo. 1 year for my Lapierre X-lite, replaced under warranty, 2 Years for my Lapierre Sensium. It was totaled by a driver on a cell phone. 3 years for my Trek 800. Gave it to my nephew when he got into cycling after his wife did. I have had my 91 Klein Quantum for two years and completely replaced the drive train to SRAM. I built my Tarmac from the frame up three years ago. I have had my Haro FL Comp for a year. I am now looking either to build a fixie/SS or buy one already built from Pure. I also have a Strida on my list of N+1.

Booger1

I've had my Shogun touring bike since 1976......

fietsbob

I Still have the frame and fork, I Handmade in 1975, to build a Bike around, though the component mix and setup

for purpose has changed over the Years .. so another 4 decade one.

Ekdog

Wow! Looks brand new!

CliffordK

My old Colnago has been around the block a few times. Really my primary bike from 1982 to spring 2015. And it shows it. I've had a couple of MTBs or other bikes, but the old road bike was my main ride.



Bought used in 1982, so it probably dates back to around 1968 or 1969.

I'm not beyond doing a couple of upgrades here and there.

Bandera

Thanks, it's a 20-footer.
A good quality machine well maintained has an extremely long service life.
$$$$ well spent in the long run, and great fun to ride for the last many thousands of miles compared to a lesser machine.

The little old lady in your link thinks the same way about her Raleigh.

-Bandera

Roody

When I was a kid, in the late 50s and throughout the 60s, my uncle had a Raleigh 3-speed that he rode for many years. He called it an "English Racer."

This uncle wasn't carfree, but he was the only person I knew when I was a childd who rode his bike daily for transportation and commuting. He was a driver ed teacher.

Shimagnolo

The 1994 Cannondale M700 which I bought new is still with me.
However, this is the entire list of original parts:
- Frame
- Fork
- Handlebar

79pmooney

Exclusively or as a primary bike? I have had workhorse city/rain/winter bikes for 15 years and 20 years. (Over 20,000 miles each.) My '79 Peter Mooney is still going strong although it gets a lot less use now that I Have bikes specifically for most of the purposes it used to serve. (It was designed as a true all-arounder and it had toured, done fast group rides, some very long day rides, ridden in very hard rain including down Alba Road in Santa Cruz, been off road and seen some snow.) Ben

Bandera

Ms. Blackman w/ her rod-brake Raleigh is using a machine designed to last at least one lifetime in the old British Empire.
Hers is a single speed but here we imported the DL-1 Tourist model w/ the Sturmey Archer IGH that servicemen became familiar with during WWII when stationed in the UK.

Uncle knew his hardware.

-Bandera

Roody

Yes, my uncle was in southern England for much of the war. I never made the connection that that's where he probably got hip to Raleighs. There were always rumors that he had an English girlfriend, but his American wife was kind of scary, so it wasn't discussed openly. I wish I knew where he bought the Raleigh. Hell, I wish I had the Raleigh!

Bandera

Not everyone's aunt resembled Gilda the Good Witch, and that might explain the previously mentioned British girlfriend.......
IMHO one should have at least one British girlfriend/boyfriend before they die if so inclined, worked for me and it seems for your Uncle.

Go to the "For the love of English 3 speeds..." thread in BF's "Classic & Vintage" sub-forum for a very active discussion on just such machines w/o politics any extraneous BS intruding. Well worth owning one of these durable machines for urban travel and as a monument to the old boy. It might even p_ss off the ancient Aunt to arrive on one for a visit, effort well spent in acquiring a nice old DL-1 or Sports......unless one was is in the will.

-Bandera

andr0id

That's an awesome ride. I wish I had picked up a nice Raleigh in the day. I worked at a shop that sold them. I even had a Professional for a while, but it was too big for me and I sold it off.

Shimagnolo

I'll pass on the British BF, but I will happily entertain offers of a British GF.

Bandera

Fit Rule #1 :
Never buy a frameset that does not fit.

-Bandera

kickstart

Still have my Ross Mt. Whitney that I bought new in 1984. My brother still has an Atala, that I also rode back in the 80's, that he bought new in 1974.

B. Carfree

I know the feeling. My '82 Trek was actually a Nishiki that I simply replaced parts on as they broke. Obviously, the Nishiki frame failed. At the time of the theft of the Trek, the only original parts were the seat post and the handlebar stem.

Roody

It's the old philosophical teaser of continuing identity: eventually all the parts of the old bike will have worn out and been replaced. Why do we still see it is as the same bike, even though not a single part is original to the bike?

wolfchild

I've been a cyclist for only the past 9 years. My oldest bikes are a 2006-2008 models.