STW being the sort of self help group for serial bike buyers that it is (or seems to be), I was wondering how many miles do you typically get out of your 'go to' bike before ditching it?
Let's forget road bikes here, MTB only.
The bike I opt to ride over and above all others is my Swift. So far I guess, it has done about 7,000 miles - mainly but not exclusively off road. It still feels as good as the day I got it though it is a little (lot) scruffier as the paint has dulled, been scratched, chipped etc.
Apart from replacing consumables, it is in the same format that I had from the start (once I had found the setup that worked).
I sometimes get a desire to move it on but I keep coming back to the fact that I love it so it is staying.
😆 this term 'ditching it' ermmm what does it mean?
Filing it in the 'pre loved' forum! 🙂
Sometimes it could mean involuntarily riding into a damp trench but not this time.
Got to be in the region of 13.5k miles based on about 60 mile per week x 12 months x 5 years = 15,600 then less hols etc...
Only original items are - Frame, Headset, BB, Brakes, Rear Shifter, most of the rear shock & Stem
I don't do it based on arbitrary thresholds of distance? 😕
I always used to swap MTBs every year as I was lucky enough to get a really good deal on them and could recoup that second hand, so probably 1000 miles or so. Then new bikes shot up in price and second hand values didn't, so I stopped doing that, had my last one for 3 years, so probably 3000 miles or so, then it broke, now have another one which I'll keep until I feel like changing it/it breaks.
I generally get a year out of mine... well.. 8 months to a year... I then get bored and have the 8 month itch...
I've had the Meta 9 months now, it's had the itch and almost been swapped... if it makes a year i'll be impressed lol
My Covert is coming up for 5 months and 1k miles, and I still consider it as my new bike, so hopefully it'll have alot more to give!
I never ever sell bikes just by new ones.
About 14,000km by my best guess but I didn't really log rides until I started using Strava.
edit: Including maintenance costs I reckon it's cost me about 3.5p per km...
My boardman pro HT 2010 has 9000+ strava miles on it + a year I didn't record any , had a new set of rlt reba's and a hope hoop rear , and the usual chain rings etc , take it up n down the likes of buckden pike / scarhouse / gunnerside etc etc no probs. Solid comfy bike considering its from Halfords .
My bikes tend to end up like Triggers broom.. although the frame usually stays the same.
My bikes have been repaired and then as they get older just get used a bit less. So my Fuquay, assuming ca 1500 miles a year for the first decade then degrading down to around about 200 per year must have done around 17,000. Although it has been through a few incarnations; from 27 speed to single speed and currently 3 speed.
The Blur around 7000 on the same frame, shocks, headset, stem.
No idea on distance. Maybe 4 years before It's time for a change.
this term 'ditching it' ermmm what does it mean?
controlled landing onto water, I think? 🙂
My go to bike isn't really a go to bike these days but still gets used a fair amount.
its 11 years old, so a conservative estimate would be about 40,000 miles.
Still love riding it. Just treated it to some new wheels. Only things original are frame, headset and seat post.
My HT - which I used pretty heavily until maybe 4-6 years ago - is 1998 - so 10 years good usage, doesn't bear thinking about! Original - frame (!), cranks..
@DaRC L you have a Fuquay?
He built me a TT bike many years ago. A work of art, went like the wind but had all the turning capabilities of a container boat. This is what he warned me about to be fair.
At the time he asked whether I didn't want a MTB instead as he preferred making them but at the time I had my early Spesh Hard Rock and thought it was pretty radical so I didn't 'need' one. Foolish youth!
My SS road bike (my default commute bike & winter training bike) rolled round to 65,000 miles the other day.
It's a first generation Specialized Langster (what year is that? 2004?)
Anyway, it's had a computer on it since day 1.
Original frame, fork, bars, stem and (believe it or not), chainset & chainring. Everything else has been changed at least once; it's on it's third set of rims.
Still going strong, still a fantastic bike, I've even done a few road races on it. Riding home from work on it in about an hour! 🙂
Don't count mls/
My Bontrager was retired after 16yrs!
My Kona Dawg is of 2005 vintage.
Blue Pig is a 2010 mk1 model
Kona may be retired/donated to son/grandson in favour of a new fs that I sat on this morning 😆
My SS road bike (my default commute bike & winter training bike) rolled round to 65,000 miles the other day.
I reckon my Madone has done about 40,000 miles, that's on original frame/fork/(King) headset/(USE!) seatpost/cranks and chainrings/brakes. Not too bad! Certainly not the case for any MTB I've owned 😳
@slowjo yes the Fuquay is on it's 2nd (or is it 3rd) paint job from Dave Yates. I did like Greg, seemed to tell it how it is, which is why I chose him as a frame builder. You still got the TT bike?
I haven't dug it out for a race in a couple of years but have almost finised my bike-cave (for winter turbo training) and am thinking about getting fit enough to race it again next summer at the BigDogBash.
I reckon I'm different to most of you lot. I'm on my third mountain bike, and I started in 1991. This year I've done 5000km. In the last three I've done 25000km (thanks Strava). I cycled more when I was younger. No real mileage record from then though.
1991 Clockwork - still have. Main bike until 1999. Mountain biked lots in this time frame, scant road cycling...but I only had this bike, fitted slicks when required. Lets be modest and say 7000km x 8 = 56000km.
Replaced with a 1999 Gringo. Just retired with a damaged head tube, ovalised at lower headset cup. I'm saying 20000km on this one. Didn't get on with it as much, still used the Clockwork, bought a tourer before it retired. Mind you retirement was as a drop bar winter bike where it did 3000km over the last two years.
2009 (?) Orange R8 replaced the Gringo. 5000km so far. Because I'm doing more and more road cycling.....15000km on the Kaffenback tourer in the last two and a bit years, again as per Strava. Had the K'back for a decade so I reckon its mileage exceeds the Clockwork as above.
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Trusty Rusty here has about 15k on I'd imagine. Current computer says 5.8k, previous one said 7k, one before that said 1 & a bit, add the bits without one & I reckon 15k must be close.
I love the bits where people say the only original parts is the frame! The only original parts on Trusty are the RH seat & chainstays!
'Same bike' in about 1994...
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I've never recorded mileage on my mtbs to be fair. Did try strava-ing a ride when I got my new one then watched the pi$$ take strava video that was doing the rounds and thought yeah it's just not fun when u start recording mileage etc.
If I look at it in terms if how long I keep a bike for then I sold my beloved Stiffee that I bought back in 2006 in January this year and it'd been ridden pretty much every weekend over that time, even when I got my Meta 55 that went at the same time I still used to prefer the Stiffee.
On average though I'd say it's 4/5 years before I swap for a new bike.