Since I've just finished my second season of guiding in the Alps, thought I'd post up a wee list of kit that has just kept working (and stuff that hasn't).

Best of the best:
Hayes 9 brakes.
Powerful, easy to work on, great pad life. Mine have goodridge hoses and I run them with original Hayes sintered pads as much as possible. Mine must be 4 years old now (had them before I moved out here) and they actually came from the classifieds on here so may be even older! Damaged them in crashes a couple of times over the 2 years, otherwise zero problems. Both times they were easy to fix myself and parts were cheap.

DT Swiss 5.1 rims.
These seem to get a slagging on here. Mine have been brilliant. I dinged the rear once during my first season due to pilot error. Straightened that out with an adjustable spanner and had no hassles since. Run them tubeless using the DT Swiss rimstrips and UST tyres.

Maxxis High-Rollers (2.5" Super-tacky UST DH version)
God's own front tyre.

Shimano Hone Cranks
Also coming on for 4 years old and still going strong. Think I replaced the bearings once last year, not at all this year.

Time Z Control pedals
7 years, no maintenance, no play, no problems. Ultimate reliability. (I swapped to flats a year ago though).

EA30 bars, Thomson stem, Thomson posts, Hope QR seat collar
Yup, everything's still where it should be. Every bike should have a Hope QR seatpost clamp!

Great but minor problems or not them long enough to say
Orange Alpine 160 Frame. Love it, and not expecting any problems.

Santa Cruz Heckler (06 model) frame. Loved this frame, but I did eventually snap it in July. Can't complain, it had done a season and a half of top-notch service out here plus a year or so back in the UK.

Hope ProII hubs. Great, not even had to replace the bearings yet, but I did snap a rear axle (replaced super-fast by Hope, awesome service!). Freehub springs have gone too, but that's fair enough. Started with QR both ends, now 20mm front, 12mm rear.

RockShox Lyrik U-turn
Fitted at the start of this season. Been really pleased with them, no hassles at all. Small amount of oil leakage through the Mission Control damper, but not a big deal.

Shockers:
Shimano QR axles – break way too easily
Avid Juicy 5's – good brakes when they work, but too prone to heat problems and pad replacement is a bad joke (especially compared to Hayes).

Aside from the bike, big shout-outs go to: Fox Sidewinder gloves, Oakley bike shorts, Giro helmets and my trusty Canon Powershot S50 which has survived far too many crashes, drops and soakings.

Hope XC hubs

Another vote for Time pedals here (as per pedal thread earlier)

Endura MT500 Thermastat Biblongs – 12+ years and going strong

SRAM gripshifters are one of the most reliable components I have ever had.

Thomson seat pins, King Headsets, Turner 5 Spot Frame, Hope XC Hubs are pretty reliable too as are Hope Mono M4's first generation (black and gold), Rockshox Pikes are pretty good too considering.

royce ti bb and middle burn rs7 cranks

also polaris wind proof 15 years old and still good

Ultegra groupset on my roadbike has been going strong since 2001.

Any Burton snowboard gear, especially anything from their Ak range.

2003 – 2005 marzocchi, it just works…and works…and works…

Oh, and my fox hi frequency shorts from 1998, still working and looking good(ish)…

A deore rear mech – Brother is now using his which has been contunually used for around 5 years.

My Shimao Shoes – so old, but love them. Had them about 6 years

2nd season in the alps. pah! You've not tested a bike to destruction until you've been on our Thursday night beer pootles 🙂

Bomb proof stuff what keeps going forever:
Shimano XT rear mechs
Hope Hubs
Santa Cruz frames
Magura forks

Oh… and clothing-wise:

Pearl Izumi shoes
Anything by Sombrio. The gloves seem absolutely indestuctable

Only things I've found are 321 rims and a Raceface Deus Headset. Unfortunately the Deus went with my Enduro.

Yeah, XT rear mechs probably deserve a shout-out – as do XT front mechs.

"pad replacement is a bad joke (especially compared to Hayes)."

You need to simply ditch the pad retention spring thing on the back. Just rely on the pad seperation spring/spider to push the pads onto the raised part of the piston. Then they're a doddle

Shimano Saint Brakes: Had them for about 4 years. They have been absolutely brilliant.

Hope Bulb hubs: Gods own hub, to go with his tyres above.

Sun Singletrack Rims: As above

XT Shifters – 2001
Hope XC hubs, one full bearing change rear, originals on front – 2001

Organic – I'm with you on Burton Kit. I have 2 top end AK jackets – one is 6 years old and still in one nice, stylish yet functional piece having been on umpteen trips and out in endless rain/wind/snow. The other is 16months old and still like brand new.

MTB stuff (prepares to be laughed at):

– Shimano M435 disc hubs have lasted me ages and ages! oh
– and my DX pedals which are now 2 bikes and 7 years old, never serviced, still smooth, amazing (grubs are a bit knackered now though!).

Sidi Dominators.
Shimano XT shifters.
Mavic 717s
MZ All Mountain 2 (2006)
Heckler (2006)

shimano UN52 square taper bottom bracket

it just WON'T break and I want a Royce 🙁

Every bike should have a Hope QR seatpost clamp!

You've got to be joking, they're rubbish. The Salsa flip-lock's the only one I've ever used that works 100% of the time, others can't be done up tight enough and as for the Hope one… it just breaks before you can get it anywhere near tight enough!

+1 for Thommo post and stem, XT mechs, 2004 Marzocchi

Also Easton EA50 riser bars, FSA XL2 headsets, Bel Air saddles, Shimano QRs, Ground Effect baggies… all knockout kit for reasonable wedge

Shockers: Anything from USE, Pace sus forks

Hayes nines, and Zocchi MXcomps 🙂

Oh and i've just replaced my sidi ghosts from 1999, and only because the cleat has siezed in and worn out, and replacement cleat plates appear to be unobtainable…

+1 for Shimano square-taper BBs.

Me to on shimano square taper BBs, I'm still running a un-72 fron the last millenia with my rs7's

it just breaks before you can get it anywhere near tight enough!

you must be incredibly ham-fisted: I've had them on my last three bikes and haven't broken a single one.

+1 hayes 9 but eventually the resevoir bladder splits then you are buggered

hope bulb rear now 4 years old with no maintenance. I say 4 years, that is how long I have owned it as I got it 2nd hand. No idea how old it is. Changed the bearings on the front this year.

wi freewheel 4th winter in all kinds of shit only now looking like it needs a service

z150s and mx comps

Hayes 9s here. four years old, never bled and still working very well.

Anything Thomson will probably out live me.

I'd have agreed with the Hope pro 2 hubs up until 3 weeks ago when my rear hub just exploded/shattered while in the granny ring pushing hard.

+ One for the un72 still have mine and RS7s must be at least 8 years old.

it just breaks before you can get it anywhere near tight enough!

you must be incredibly ham-fisted: I've had them on my last three bikes and haven't broken a single one.

Second that, no idea what you're doing to them! Mine has been on 3 different frames and is nearly 10 years old. It's been slip free on every frame/post combination, is smooth as you like and hasn't broken.

thats good news llama.
my On-one (when it arrives) is having z150s, Hayes nines, hobe bulb hubs and Shimano Sqtp bottom bracket…. and M520 pedals come to think of it.

Pig Headsets?

Buffalo wind shirt – 16 years
XTR rear mech – 8 years
Trek lobster gloves – 15 years
Endura Hummvee shorts – 6 years
DX thumbies – 16 years
LX rapidfires – 6 years

it just breaks before you can get it anywhere near tight enough!

thirded on the Hope seat clamp, as tight as a tight thing & still going strong after many years
I don't know what you're doing with them

Salsa seat clamps are ace too!

And endura freeride shorts.

Anything by Sombrio. The gloves seem absolutely indestuctable

Damn I broke both of mine just putting them on! I think Canadians must have tiny hands…

Waterproof shorts are still going strong though.

With the amount of new shiny products in MTB I'm worried that it's getting more like PCs – huge amount of products going obsolete way before they wear out.

Cheaper Sram mechs – I've got a three and a half year old SX-5 mech that's still going strong.

Mavic rims – both my heavier (EX721) and lighter (XC717) going straight and true despite gung ho approaches.

Marzocchi forks of the pre-Taiwan era. I have two pairs of 2006 forks both performing flawlessly with no maintenance at all.

Another UN52 bottom bracket and deore square taper crankset – three years old again.

If you bear the weight truvativ howitzer bb – mines 4 years old, been in four frames two of which were unfaced and has absolutely no play in it.

Hope QR seat clamp – both of mine support my 95kg bulk nicely.

FSA Pig – forgotten hold old but still on original bearings with minmal fettling. I think anything that gets in is just ground to dust by the huge lower bearings!

ran hayes 9s on dh bike for two years. Never needed bleeding, as solid as when i bought them new. And the levers/master cylinder are a doddle to repair

Time pedals – 8 yrs and counting
Hope XC Hubs – likewise.
3 pairs of underpants that must be about 7 yrs old, threadbare but still supportive (unlike the wife's opinion of them!).
Scarpa leather walking boots – 19 yrs old
Marin Pine Mountain – 19 yrs old.
NAD CD Player, Dennon Amp, Mission Speakers – 19 yrs old
Karrimore Jag 75 rucksack – 21 yrs old.

Fourthed on the hope seat clamp – never had a problem with them

Hope XC rear hub – on it's second bike, guessing must be 6 years old never done anything to it.

Shimano flat clipless pedals (the old red ones – dx??) must be at least 6 years old

FSA Orbit extreme headset similar age to above.

Worst bit – Race Fce ISIS BB made of cheese!

I am not good on this kind of thread as I only wear stuff out such as pedals and seatpost…