Used bike, how old is too old?
#26
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Myself, I like the discs on my Endurace, but I also like being able to repair/adjust the rim brakes on my other bikes.
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There was a batch of Sears Ted Williams bicycles that were a real gem in the 70's. They were made in Austria and a few of them had frames made of Reynolds 531 steel and had Shimano group set. They were most likely relabeled Puch bicycles. Very Nice!!!
I manages to save one of thier Step Through's. Its one of the favorites in our Stable...
I manages to save one of thier Step Through's. Its one of the favorites in our Stable...
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so maybe this question isn’t so much about age in years, but rather what standards might be dead or dying that would be found on a 5 or 10 year old bike. Some more context here: I am actually looking for a mechanical drivetrain and rim brakes. I expect high quality (think 105 or better) replacements will still be available for the next 10 years or so for those parts.
Of course you'll still be able to buy rim brake replacement parts for many years, just like you can still buy 26" wheels and non-boost hubs, triple cranks, etc for MTB's, so this is where I might be misunderstanding your goal. You mention being frustrated that "the best parts" for MTB are no longer compatible with 26" wheels, non-boost hubs, etc. and I would definitely put rim brakes in this same category. The chances that the next generation of Ultegra includes a rim brake option seems extremely low to me. It's clear that wheel manufacturers like Zipp/Enve are no longer interested in developing rim brake options of their newest products, and so on.
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Slightly taller HT/stack and slightly shorter TT/reach is commonly available in rim. OP didn;t really make mention of multi-day, creditcard touring, or need for any racks, small or otherwise.
Doesn't necessarily need to be 'labeled' Endurance - lotsa marketing goes on to get us all to buy new stuff.
Although, for someone accustomed to the non-xc side of current Trail/enduro mtb frame dims/riding posture, the more upright posture of most 'endurance' might be an easier transition.
... no judgements, just what works for each individual rider. OP doesn;t really give us an idea of his own 'specs'....
so one can only assume anything from hardcore race to street hybrid or rackable gravel-ish...
I have some friends who wanted a 'performance' roadie and asked - I told them to consider 'Roubaix'. Both got one, 2014-15, were quite happy and both still riding the same bike...
105 bike (or similar) with good wheels and good tires hits a performance/price sweetspot. I see quite a few on CL ... in these parts. Getting a bike in the preferred size is what takes time on CL. as in a 2011-12 10 spd 105 tarmac comp with the orig wheels (Mavic budget) can usually be had for $1k or a little more - add $800 + for a set of nice wheels (I like HED...) plus some for nice tires and you're still well under $3k, with some great shoes available in the +- $150 ish ... Then you have the preferred 2 whl sets (regular/rain/train whls & high end wheelset)
lotsa ways to go ... just need patience in the 'previously cherished' market... LOL!
Ride On
Yuri
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The stuff which was 'junk', in the glory days of yore was serious junk, as a lot of today's stuff, except making it work reasonably was even harder, back then...
wheels being the most obvious perpetrators of the 'junk' lifestyle...
LOL!
Ride On
Yuri
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depends what one call's endurance. I consider the rim-brake Spec Roubaix as 'endurance' - plenty enough room for even 32mm tahrs... I imagine there are similar frames from other manus.
Slightly taller HT/stack and slightly shorter TT/reach is commonly available in rim. OP didn;t really make mention of multi-day, creditcard touring, or need for any racks, small or otherwise.
Doesn't necessarily need to be 'labeled' Endurance - lotsa marketing goes on to get us all to buy new stuff.
Although, for someone accustomed to the non-xc side of current Trail/enduro mtb frame dims/riding posture, the more upright posture of most 'endurance' might be an easier transition.
... no judgements, just what works for each individual rider. OP doesn;t really give us an idea of his own 'specs'....
so one can only assume anything from hardcore race to street hybrid or rackable gravel-ish...
I have some friends who wanted a 'performance' roadie and asked - I told them to consider 'Roubaix'. Both got one, 2014-15, were quite happy and both still riding the same bike...
105 bike (or similar) with good wheels and good tires hits a performance/price sweetspot. I see quite a few on CL ... in these parts. Getting a bike in the preferred size is what takes time on CL. as in a 2011-12 10 spd 105 tarmac comp with the orig wheels (Mavic budget) can usually be had for $1k or a little more - add $800 + for a set of nice wheels (I like HED...) plus some for nice tires and you're still well under $3k, with some great shoes available in the +- $150 ish ... Then you have the preferred 2 whl sets (regular/rain/train whls & high end wheelset)
lotsa ways to go ... just need patience in the 'previously cherished' market... LOL!
Ride On
Yuri
Slightly taller HT/stack and slightly shorter TT/reach is commonly available in rim. OP didn;t really make mention of multi-day, creditcard touring, or need for any racks, small or otherwise.
Doesn't necessarily need to be 'labeled' Endurance - lotsa marketing goes on to get us all to buy new stuff.
Although, for someone accustomed to the non-xc side of current Trail/enduro mtb frame dims/riding posture, the more upright posture of most 'endurance' might be an easier transition.
... no judgements, just what works for each individual rider. OP doesn;t really give us an idea of his own 'specs'....
so one can only assume anything from hardcore race to street hybrid or rackable gravel-ish...
I have some friends who wanted a 'performance' roadie and asked - I told them to consider 'Roubaix'. Both got one, 2014-15, were quite happy and both still riding the same bike...
105 bike (or similar) with good wheels and good tires hits a performance/price sweetspot. I see quite a few on CL ... in these parts. Getting a bike in the preferred size is what takes time on CL. as in a 2011-12 10 spd 105 tarmac comp with the orig wheels (Mavic budget) can usually be had for $1k or a little more - add $800 + for a set of nice wheels (I like HED...) plus some for nice tires and you're still well under $3k, with some great shoes available in the +- $150 ish ... Then you have the preferred 2 whl sets (regular/rain/train whls & high end wheelset)
lotsa ways to go ... just need patience in the 'previously cherished' market... LOL!
Ride On
Yuri
#32
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For someone looking to buy a quality, maintainable used road bike, how old is too old? I know this question won’t have an exact answer but I’d like some opinions. I have a mountain bike background and the standards have been changing so fast a bike more than about 5-7 years old is at risk of losing support. The best parts are no longer made for 26” wheels, non-boost hubs, straight steerers, quick release dropouts, and HG free hubs.
so maybe this question isn’t so much about age in years, but rather what standards might be dead or dying that would be found on a 5 or 10 year old bike. Some more context here: I am actually looking for a mechanical drivetrain and rim brakes. I expect high quality (think 105 or better) replacements will still be available for the next 10 years or so for those parts.
But Would older bikes typically limit me to under 28mm wide tires? Is there a year that carbon frames got drastically better and I should avoid something before that? What else should I look out for?
so maybe this question isn’t so much about age in years, but rather what standards might be dead or dying that would be found on a 5 or 10 year old bike. Some more context here: I am actually looking for a mechanical drivetrain and rim brakes. I expect high quality (think 105 or better) replacements will still be available for the next 10 years or so for those parts.
But Would older bikes typically limit me to under 28mm wide tires? Is there a year that carbon frames got drastically better and I should avoid something before that? What else should I look out for?
#33
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LOL! cyclists have always been impressed by 'lipstick'... tan side walls, blackout logos, neon, enduring chrome shall make a return... - I plead guilty... LOL!
Ride On
Yuri
EDIT: Just had a quick look at the Endurace CF -105 for $2599 - pretty nice looking bike... quick look at frame dims and they seem really close to my 05 Roubaix , except for one noticeable diff. - 142 mm rear. - is this 'Boost' brought to road? you can still squeeze 11 spd into 130... maybe to get the 33 mm tire space? (without curving the stays) ? nice lookin 'endurance' bike....
Last edited by cyclezen; 12-24-21 at 12:23 AM.
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#34
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Got it ! I guess I mis-read... LOL! thought you were commenting regarding the 'endurance' category ( which is whatever the manus want to put into it or it onto...)
LOL! cyclists have always been impressed by 'lipstick'... tan side walls, blackout logos, neon, enduring chrome shall make a return... - I plead guilty... LOL!
Ride On
Yuri
EDIT: Just had a quick look at the Endurace CF -105 for $2599 - pretty nice looking bike... quick look at frame dims and they seem really close to my 05 Roubaix , except for one noticeable diff. - 142 mm rear. - is this 'Boost' brought to road? you can still squeeze 11 spd into 130... maybe to get the 33 mm tire space? (without curving the stays) ? nice lookin 'endurance' bike....
LOL! cyclists have always been impressed by 'lipstick'... tan side walls, blackout logos, neon, enduring chrome shall make a return... - I plead guilty... LOL!
Ride On
Yuri
EDIT: Just had a quick look at the Endurace CF -105 for $2599 - pretty nice looking bike... quick look at frame dims and they seem really close to my 05 Roubaix , except for one noticeable diff. - 142 mm rear. - is this 'Boost' brought to road? you can still squeeze 11 spd into 130... maybe to get the 33 mm tire space? (without curving the stays) ? nice lookin 'endurance' bike....
You're right that 11 speeds takes up no more space than 10. It all fits in 130mm. But if you then also put the discs in there, and made room for the calipers to not hit the spokes, your spokes on both sides of the hub would be damn near vertical.
EDIT: I happen to have an Endurace CF SL 7.0, and it's a really nice bike. Highly recommended. Light, comfy, fast, handles well, etc.
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#35
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Wanting to pair a rim brake bike with carbon wheels in this day and age is an odd purchase criterion when you'd literally be wearing through a structural component of the wheels (and if you intend to buy the wheels used, they probably already are worn, woohoo). Besides the restriction on tire size that many have already pointed out, the choice also limits your inner tube options (no latex if you want to avoid the risk of a blowout from overheating) and tubeless (which works better at higher volume, lower pressure). I guess if you never plan to brake or are OK with treating your wheels as disposable, knock yourself out. Not exactly as "maintainable" as you seem to imagine pursuing deprecated bike tech to be, though.
Uhh, what? Literally any 700c disc brake wheelset with the right hub spacing for your gravel frame would fit, and there are an enormous amount of options for road wheelsets -- anything with internal rim width under 23mm which was nearly every road wheelset in existence until wider rims got popular in the last few years.
I'll probably run 25s but having the option for 28s would be nice as I don't think I would get a wheelset that could fit something that narrow for the gravel bike.
#36
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I do not see any rim brake versions of the Roubaix on the Specialized website. They're all disc.
Specialized does have rim brake versions of the Allez at the entry level end of the spectrum. It looks like all other Specialized drop bar bikes are road only.
Agree - the only rim brake drop bar bike from Canyon that I see on their website is the Ultimate CF SL 8. It also looks like it's currently unavailable for purchase (says coming soon, summer 2022).
In fact, that looks like the only rim brake bike in Canyon's entire catalogue.
Specialized does have rim brake versions of the Allez at the entry level end of the spectrum. It looks like all other Specialized drop bar bikes are road only.
In fact, that looks like the only rim brake bike in Canyon's entire catalogue.
#37
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For someone looking to buy a quality, maintainable used road bike, how old is too old? I know this question won’t have an exact answer but I’d like some opinions. I have a mountain bike background and the standards have been changing so fast a bike more than about 5-7 years old is at risk of losing support. The best parts are no longer made for 26” wheels, non-boost hubs, straight steerers, quick release dropouts, and HG free hubs.
so maybe this question isn’t so much about age in years, but rather what standards might be dead or dying that would be found on a 5 or 10 year old bike. Some more context here: I am actually looking for a mechanical drivetrain and rim brakes. I expect high quality (think 105 or better) replacements will still be available for the next 10 years or so for those parts.
But Would older bikes typically limit me to under 28mm wide tires? Is there a year that carbon frames got drastically better and I should avoid something before that? What else should I look out for?
so maybe this question isn’t so much about age in years, but rather what standards might be dead or dying that would be found on a 5 or 10 year old bike. Some more context here: I am actually looking for a mechanical drivetrain and rim brakes. I expect high quality (think 105 or better) replacements will still be available for the next 10 years or so for those parts.
But Would older bikes typically limit me to under 28mm wide tires? Is there a year that carbon frames got drastically better and I should avoid something before that? What else should I look out for?
For longer term replacement part availability, buy a bike with either the prior generation (5800, 6800, 9000) or the current generation (R7000, R8000, R9100) of 11 speed drivetrains. Components are cross-compatible between these two generations.
At the age of the bike you are looking at, it is generally the rim brakes (rather than seat stays or chain stays) which limit you to 28 mm tires.
#38
Banned
I had a road bike built in 1971 that was 100% fine for today. 10-speeds and downtube shifters and rims for sewup tires so only real issue would be replacing the rims with clincher type with a 23-25mm inner width. Any bike made in the last 20 years will have handlebar brake shift levers and a rear cassette with 6 or more cogs. Standard brakes but no real need for hydraulic brakes except possibly on a tandem bike. I have a 2001 Trek 5200 and all I would gain with a newer bike is the ability to run wider 700x28mm tires.
There is not a lot one can do with a carbon fiber frame today that was not being done 20 years ago, marketing hype aside, with road bike frames. With mountain bike the carbon fiber frames are still very much a work in progress.
There is not a lot one can do with a carbon fiber frame today that was not being done 20 years ago, marketing hype aside, with road bike frames. With mountain bike the carbon fiber frames are still very much a work in progress.
#39
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A road bike built in 1971 would fit rims with an inner width of 23 mm to 25 mm!?
#40
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The rims are 19mm inner width with tubular tires with their profile which is wider than that for 23mm clincher tires. Increasing the inner width by 3mm or 1/8 of an inch is not going to be a problem for a road bike frame, old or new.
What changed over time was the chainstay geometry to accommodate freewheels with more than 5 cogs. My 20 year old Trek 5200 has nine cogs and shifting incorporated into the brake levers so the only change since that time is the switch to hydraulic brakes which provide no performance gains with a single person road bike.
What changed over time was the chainstay geometry to accommodate freewheels with more than 5 cogs. My 20 year old Trek 5200 has nine cogs and shifting incorporated into the brake levers so the only change since that time is the switch to hydraulic brakes which provide no performance gains with a single person road bike.
#41
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The rim width would almost never be a problem in and of itself. Tires suitable for such wide rims might occasionally be a close call, but it really depends. A lot of road bikes from that era have fairly healthy clearances. On my '79 Fuji I'm currently using tires that measure 28mm underneath full-length fenders and everything fits just fine within the brake calipers.
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Older Parts
For someone looking to buy a quality, maintainable used road bike, how old is too old? I know this question won’t have an exact answer but I’d like some opinions. I have a mountain bike background and the standards have been changing so fast a bike more than about 5-7 years old is at risk of losing support. The best parts are no longer made for 26” wheels, non-boost hubs, straight steerers, quick release dropouts, and HG free hubs.
so maybe this question isn’t so much about age in years, but rather what standards might be dead or dying that would be found on a 5 or 10 year old bike. Some more context here: I am actually looking for a mechanical drivetrain and rim brakes. I expect high quality (think 105 or better) replacements will still be available for the next 10 years or so for those parts.
But Would older bikes typically limit me to under 28mm wide tires? Is there a year that carbon frames got drastically better and I should avoid something before that? What else should I look out for?
so maybe this question isn’t so much about age in years, but rather what standards might be dead or dying that would be found on a 5 or 10 year old bike. Some more context here: I am actually looking for a mechanical drivetrain and rim brakes. I expect high quality (think 105 or better) replacements will still be available for the next 10 years or so for those parts.
But Would older bikes typically limit me to under 28mm wide tires? Is there a year that carbon frames got drastically better and I should avoid something before that? What else should I look out for?
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#43
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I generally put my cutoff date at about 60 years old.
But, then again, I never have been a big fan of 3-speeds.
But, then again, I never have been a big fan of 3-speeds.
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My youngest bike is coming up on 10 years old. The eldest is close to 35. I've had no problems getting parts and service through my LBS. If I had $3K to spend, I'd put half of that towards an older bike and put the rest into upgrading components. I think you can find a nice bike for $1500.
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Three Speed
[QUOTE=CliffordK;22353992]I generally put my cutoff date at about 60 years old.
But, then again, I never have been a big fan of 3-speeds.[/QUOTE My PX-10 is not a three speed and is still a joy to ride
But, then again, I never have been a big fan of 3-speeds.[/QUOTE My PX-10 is not a three speed and is still a joy to ride
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My newest bike is a 1982. I have no problem getting parts or running 25mm tires.most of my bikes are from the seventies and usually run 28mm or 1 1/8" . I do my own work most of the time but on the rare occasion i take it in there are two bike shops that work on classic bikes.
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Short answer is...it depends. To me, it's around 10 years. One thing is for sure though: I'd buy a meticulously maintained 5 year old bike over a beaten-up and neglected 2-3 year old bike for sure.
#48
Banned
With my new Trek 5200 I had for the first time a bike with the shifters incorporated into the brake levers and the first time I used them I found myself changing gears more often and this improved my overall riding experience. I would not go back to downtube shifters on a road bike. The additional 4 cogs at the rear where OK but no big performance gain nor were the aero rims. The carbon fiber frame was stiffer than the Reynolds 531 frames and no creaking noises when standing in the pedals which was also nice.
In the 1970's it was only the French and the Italians that were doing product design for bicycles and when Shimano entered the picture in 1965 it generated many innovations over time and to this day that have been most welcome and has enabled them to dominate the market.
In the 1970's it was only the French and the Italians that were doing product design for bicycles and when Shimano entered the picture in 1965 it generated many innovations over time and to this day that have been most welcome and has enabled them to dominate the market.
#49
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For someone looking to buy a quality, maintainable used road bike, how old is too old? I know this question won’t have an exact answer but I’d like some opinions. I have a mountain bike background and the standards have been changing so fast a bike more than about 5-7 years old is at risk of losing support. The best parts are no longer made for 26” wheels, non-boost hubs, straight steerers, quick release dropouts, and HG free hubs.
so maybe this question isn’t so much about age in years, but rather what standards might be dead or dying that would be found on a 5 or 10 year old bike. Some more context here: I am actually looking for a mechanical drivetrain and rim brakes. I expect high quality (think 105 or better) replacements will still be available for the next 10 years or so for those parts.
But Would older bikes typically limit me to under 28mm wide tires? Is there a year that carbon frames got drastically better and I should avoid something before that? What else should I look out for?
so maybe this question isn’t so much about age in years, but rather what standards might be dead or dying that would be found on a 5 or 10 year old bike. Some more context here: I am actually looking for a mechanical drivetrain and rim brakes. I expect high quality (think 105 or better) replacements will still be available for the next 10 years or so for those parts.
But Would older bikes typically limit me to under 28mm wide tires? Is there a year that carbon frames got drastically better and I should avoid something before that? What else should I look out for?
Over the past 6-8months, I have gone thru the learning curve of coming back into cycling... starting with mtb and then road. When I came back to this sport, I learned the same about mtb's... 26 inch is dying, rim brakes are dying, etc. On the road bike side of things... the biggest thing I have noticed is that roadbikes are moving to disc brakes and geometry has changed a little. I have seen plenty of really nice road bikes with 105 or better and rim brakes... for less than 1000 dollars. I actually bought 2 of them. With a budget of 3k... you should be able to buy a really nice used/new ride with 105 or better... or, buy multiple bikes. 1 for each niche or riding type. Forgive me, as I didnt see any mention of only buying 1 bike... or buying multiple.
not sure I helped any, just sharing my thoughts.
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#50
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I would avoid cottered cranks and steel rims.
5 1/4" floppy discs are obsolete technology. Rim brakes will be around as long as bicycles are.
5 1/4" floppy discs are obsolete technology. Rim brakes will be around as long as bicycles are.