is there such a thing as the indestructible road bike?

trevtherev

I got my giant defy with 105 some 2 years ago and have been relatively lucky with keeping it free from scrapes/scratches/marks...this however all ended this week with a bad accident I had in central Bristol and my beautiful defy is no more the beauty she once was There is the odd scratch now on the frame and the 105 levers are badly marked ( to replace them alone would cost me around £150) I know that we must as cyclists factor in wear and tear but to see the bike badly marked is a bummer!! The c2w scheme should be coming around in my work and if I was to get another road bike I would want something that would not mark easily...am I unreasonable in this? do we all feel the same about our beloved machines? The only bike I can think of that might fit the bill is a Van Nicholas but that is away above the scheme price ceiling..are there any others?

Monty Dog

Titanium frames are certainly pretty robust - and if you get a scratch you can polish it out. With components it's a lot more tricky unless you ride a single speed or fixed as there's less to damage. Wear and tear is inevitable, hard as it may seem but most components are seen as 'consumables'

andrewjoseph

I'm not happy with a new bike until it gets some scratches. It's mine then and I can stop worrying about getting the first scratch.

father_jack

awww got a scratch... buying a new bike. Are roadies so vain that they must be in mint condition? I wonder how many miles these people do.

Unless you've damaged something does it matter? If it's steel frame, and a scratch has gone down to the bare metal use some touch up paint to protect the steel.

Otherwise.... :roll:

and lol if you think any bike would be unmarked in a crash. :roll:

My tourer has quite a few scratch marks, pedals, also RD has a gauge in it, as do bars and shifters but everything shifts ok. Am I going to throw away a Veloce equipped Steel tourer because of this? Nope.

iPete

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As long as its working mechanically I'm not bothered & remember, chicks dig scars.

cougie

Bikes are there to be ridden - not looked at.

MichaelW

If you really want to keep a commuter bike looking pretty you have to cover it in duct-tape and inner tube so it doesn't look pretty any more.

I suggest you stop worrying and ride. If you want a pretty bike, dont use it for commuting.

solosuperia

Must just say...sometime ago now, crashed my steel custom built racing iron in a race on Sunday. New top tube and down tube ready for Tuesday night criterium, no time to get it resprayed had bare metal tubes for the rest of the season. It was amazing how much interest it created. Scratches weren't a problem!

trevtherev

I feel better already....i will wear my scars with pride