4 ms·

Its probably better made than a current bike

by ape4 2y ago

Gualdrapo 2y ago
Than a current mainstream bike, yes. Otherwise there are plenty of framebuilders doing bikes like in the school days.
- Freak_NL 2y ago
  Thankfully. Azor (NL) and Achielle (BE) to name just two brands available in the Netherlands today. My Achielle is over ten years old now and requires only minimal maintenance. It's also one of the few brands with 70cm frames in their line-up! Great for tall people.
  - aziaziazi 2y ago
    Do they come with steel frame ? Alu has some advantages but is impossible to repair, going right to the bin at first serious crash.
    - Freak_NL 2y ago
      They do. I have an Achielle Craighton transport bike (with the double horizontal bar). I actually have a photo of it on Wikimedia Commons because I needed it to illustrate a type of bicycle stand: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fixed_bollard_bicycle_stand.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fixed_bollard_bicycl... My wife rides an Azor with a classic 'cross' frame; these are also known as preacher's bicycles, because it (allegedly) allowed them to ride one in a frock without resorting to a ladies bicycle. Both frames have a nice bit of heft, which is really great from a traffic safety standpoint because of the stability you have. https://www.achielle.be/ https://www.achielle.be/ and https://www.azor.nl/ https://www.azor.nl/
NoGravitas 2y ago
Yeah, steel is real. Reading between the lines, the frame is one of the only components that has stayed constant over the lifetime of the bike. But then, it's also the one we most strongly associate with the bike's identity.
- OJFord 2y ago
  Definitely, I've had my bicycle for about ten years; after a couple of years I replaced almost everything with parts from the frame I had for about seven years before that. I don't consider that I have that bicycle any more, and I would say that I have the same one now that I bought rideable, even though I didn't keep any moving parts from it.
jmclnx 2y ago
Especially with the latest trend. I read somewhere many bicycle manufactures are now making models that are close to impossible to repair by a "regular" person. For the "Ship of Theseus" comment by @ytss: 35 years ago, by first good bike got hit by a car and I had to replace the frame. I took parts from it and put it on a new frame. After 2 decades that frame cracked, un-repairable. So on my current ride, all that is left is the original bike are the break levers and break fittings and racks. Can that be considered still the original :)
- ywvcbk 2y ago
  > impossible to repair by a "regular" person. What do you mean by that? Unless it’s an e-bikes most modern bikes are extremely standardized and IMHO generally better quality than older bikes (unless we’re exclusively talking about fixed gear steel frame ones)
  - jmclnx 2y ago
    >What do you mean by that? I do not remember the details, I saw a blurb on a bicycling site that manufactures are starting to create bikes that regular people cannot repair. I think I heard the following over the last couple of years: * a kind of automatic gear shifting, but very lite weight * Cables are somehow routed through the frame * I thought I heard there is a shifter that no longer needs cables. * And I know about tubeless tires. * I did hear about using Mars Rover tires for bikes, that should great, but last I heard they were very expensive. Not sure if they hit the general market yet. All of that to me points to a very complex system.
analog31 2y ago
I've worked on old and newer bikes. I ride a steel frame bike, that I built up from old parts. It's hard to define the quality of a bike. Bikes are like an "ecosystem" that depends on dealers and at least modestly knowledgeable users, and a continuing supply of spare parts. It's not surprising that the longest-serving bikes are in countries with a strong cycling ecosystem. A new bike made by a reputable brand like Trek is likely to be of very good quality, and benefits from some improvements in materials that have occurred since 1949, such as aluminum wheels and puncture resistant tires. If it receives light-duty service, such as commuting and shopping, and is proactively maintained, it can last forever. The main threat to a decent bike is neglect. Also, "sportive" use of a bike, such as racing or off-road, brings its own list of issues, including obsolescence. The Dutch are deservedly famous for their bike culture, but their typical use is a few miles per day on well maintained roads and paths.
potato3732842 2y ago
Probably weighs as much as two current bikes though.

Its probably better made than a current bike

by ape4 2y ago

Its probably better made than a current bike

Gualdrapo 2y ago

Than a current mainstream bike, yes. Otherwise there are plenty of framebuilders doing bikes like in the school days.

Freak_NL 2y ago
Thankfully. Azor (NL) and Achielle (BE) to name just two brands available in the Netherlands today. My Achielle is over ten years old now and requires only minimal maintenance. It's also one of the few brands with 70cm frames in their line-up! Great for tall people.
- aziaziazi 2y ago
  Do they come with steel frame ? Alu has some advantages but is impossible to repair, going right to the bin at first serious crash.
  - Freak_NL 2y ago
    They do. I have an Achielle Craighton transport bike (with the double horizontal bar). I actually have a photo of it on Wikimedia Commons because I needed it to illustrate a type of bicycle stand: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fixed_bollard_bicycle_stand.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fixed_bollard_bicycl... My wife rides an Azor with a classic 'cross' frame; these are also known as preacher's bicycles, because it (allegedly) allowed them to ride one in a frock without resorting to a ladies bicycle. Both frames have a nice bit of heft, which is really great from a traffic safety standpoint because of the stability you have. https://www.achielle.be/ https://www.achielle.be/ and https://www.azor.nl/ https://www.azor.nl/

NoGravitas 2y ago

Yeah, steel is real. Reading between the lines, the frame is one of the only components that has stayed constant over the lifetime of the bike. But then, it's also the one we most strongly associate with the bike's identity.

OJFord 2y ago
Definitely, I've had my bicycle for about ten years; after a couple of years I replaced almost everything with parts from the frame I had for about seven years before that. I don't consider that I have that bicycle any more, and I would say that I have the same one now that I bought rideable, even though I didn't keep any moving parts from it.

jmclnx 2y ago

Especially with the latest trend. I read somewhere many bicycle manufactures are now making models that are close to impossible to repair by a "regular" person. For the "Ship of Theseus" comment by @ytss: 35 years ago, by first good bike got hit by a car and I had to replace the frame. I took parts from it and put it on a new frame. After 2 decades that frame cracked, un-repairable. So on my current ride, all that is left is the original bike are the break levers and break fittings and racks. Can that be considered still the original :)

ywvcbk 2y ago
> impossible to repair by a "regular" person. What do you mean by that? Unless it’s an e-bikes most modern bikes are extremely standardized and IMHO generally better quality than older bikes (unless we’re exclusively talking about fixed gear steel frame ones)
- jmclnx 2y ago
  >What do you mean by that? I do not remember the details, I saw a blurb on a bicycling site that manufactures are starting to create bikes that regular people cannot repair. I think I heard the following over the last couple of years: * a kind of automatic gear shifting, but very lite weight * Cables are somehow routed through the frame * I thought I heard there is a shifter that no longer needs cables. * And I know about tubeless tires. * I did hear about using Mars Rover tires for bikes, that should great, but last I heard they were very expensive. Not sure if they hit the general market yet. All of that to me points to a very complex system.

analog31 2y ago

I've worked on old and newer bikes. I ride a steel frame bike, that I built up from old parts. It's hard to define the quality of a bike. Bikes are like an "ecosystem" that depends on dealers and at least modestly knowledgeable users, and a continuing supply of spare parts. It's not surprising that the longest-serving bikes are in countries with a strong cycling ecosystem. A new bike made by a reputable brand like Trek is likely to be of very good quality, and benefits from some improvements in materials that have occurred since 1949, such as aluminum wheels and puncture resistant tires. If it receives light-duty service, such as commuting and shopping, and is proactively maintained, it can last forever. The main threat to a decent bike is neglect. Also, "sportive" use of a bike, such as racing or off-road, brings its own list of issues, including obsolescence. The Dutch are deservedly famous for their bike culture, but their typical use is a few miles per day on well maintained roads and paths.

potato3732842 2y ago

Probably weighs as much as two current bikes though.