How long do you keep your bike for?

waterfalll

Read this thread on a mtb'ing forum and found it quite interesting to see how long people keep the same bike for!

so how long do you keep your bike before you buy a new one to replace it/add another one to the collection (n+1 style)?

Personally i've had my first bike for 3/4 months and im already considering going carbon :shock:

Hoopdriver

I never get rid of mine. My oldest is 38 years old. OK, I did somehow lose along the way the first couple of bikes I had as a kid...

desweller

I sold my aluminium frame about 4 years after I bought the bike it was a part of when I bought a carbon frame. My steel hand-me-down MTB bought the farm when I got hit by a car in 2008 and its replacement, an el cheapo hybrid (£160 new) is still going albeit with not much of the original bike left. In fact only the frame, front derailleur and left shifter remain; not even the paintwork is original! I don't see me selling that one but the carbon one is looking distinctly second-rate compared to that Scott from Westbrook...

mididoctors

years and years... If I cease using them I do them up and give them away to people who would benefit.

Levenstein

I went through many bikes in my teens, custom built monstrosities, trials bikes, bmx'ers then to MTB.

Bozman

I bought a Scott CR1 frame last week and today I decided that it is probably the ugliest bike I've ever owned, I'll give it a month if that.

I've got a Look 585 that I bought in 2008 or 7 and I'll never part company with it, I have a second bike to raise the life expectancy of the Look and that second bike will be lucky to last 2 years.

Edit. I say bike but it's the frame that gets the chop.

marcg

My "youngest" bike is 11 years old

waterfalll

that makes me feel slighly better bozman, i love getting a bargain/upgrade but the problem is getting it to sit well with my parents

jimmas

2-3 years, then always want some thing newer, the word is want not need?

cyclinggooner

blasphemous to some.. but I've only got one road bike, it's 23 years old and the only original parts are the frame and forks. when it dies i'll replace it..

germcevoy

I think I'll keep my Triban 3 forever. I'll likely upgrade in the future but I'll still find use for the Triban. Have a lot more miles to cover first though.

drlodge

Still got and using my 25 year old Condor Italia 531 Professional, got the Rourke 953 last year and reckon I'll have that for another 25 years.

keef66

Raleigh Tour of Britain 10 speed racer: 1973-1984 at which point it was nicked from Sainsburys car park while on loan to a mate.
BSO MTB: 1995-1998 and managed to sell it for the £50 I paid for it originally!
1998-2012 Properly light steel rigid MTB (Univega Alpina something): Again nicked when my son was using it at University.
2007-present Kinesis Racelight Tk: bought for my 50th birthday as a year round road bike. It's a keeper.
3 weeks ago, Scott CR1-SL frame & fork. Just transferred all the kit from the Racelight. This will be my fair weather bike, and the Racelight will get some cheap kit off Ebay and become the winter / wet weather bike.

Approaching 56, I doubt I'll be buying any other bikes.

rrsodl

I have never sold a bike yet but I don't buy/build new ones too often either.

saprkzz

It depends how long the "phase" is lasting.. I still have my 2003 MTB, but havent ridden it for ages. Like now i am into road cycling, and the bug to buy new ones happens quickly. I bought a Moda stretto in 2010 and then got a Cervelo R5 in 2012, now that has been replaced a couple of months ago.

But as i dont ride MTB's much, they stay unloved at my cousins house because i am not interested in riding them but dont want to sell them as one day, i may convert back to MTB's.

diy

My current full sus was bought in 1994, but there isn't a single part older than 2007. With the MTBs I eventually upgrade everything to the point that i have a completely different bike. With the road bike I have so far resisted. It is much better economically to sell the bike second hand (or sell it for parts) and buy a new (or used) one that upgrade them to the point of replacement.

I would say I go 3-4 years.

mikebikemike

For me if it's one I like then I'll hang onto it until stolen or it breaks. I've '95 and 2000 bikes which still get lots of use. I'd still be using an 80s Raleigh Randonneur but for the well tooled up Newcastle bike thief who took it from outside the Poly

rolf_f

Bozman wrote:

I bought a Scott CR1 frame last week and today I decided that it is probably the ugliest bike I've ever owned, I'll give it a month if that.

I've got a Look 585 that I bought in 2008 or 7 and I'll never part company with it, I have a second bike to raise the life expectancy of the Look and that second bike will be lucky to last 2 years.

Edit. I say bike but it's the frame that gets the chop.

As a fellow 585 and CR1 owner I see your point! That said, the CR1 seems to built up into a decent looking bike so maybe you need to assemble it before giving up on it. I bought my CR1 because I knew it was a lovely frame to ride if not as nice as the 585.

But, back on topic, I don't sell bikes. The 585 in particular makes me smile every time I look at it. I don't think there is another bike I'd swap it for. For daily use I have the Ribble and that is lasting very well - the CR1 is the standby frame for the Gran Fondo.

Bobbinogs

Blimey, best not let the forumites of Retrobike see this or they will weep in despair!

My oldest bike is an '89 which I shall be out on later for a retro-ride. I haven't had it all that time as I inherited from my late father in law. Can't see me ever selling it...though that doesn't mean that I won't buy more bikes as 3 road bikes just ain't enough

Bozman

Rolf F wrote:

Bozman wrote:

I bought a Scott CR1 frame last week and today I decided that it is probably the ugliest bike I've ever owned, I'll give it a month if that.

I've got a Look 585 that I bought in 2008 or 7 and I'll never part company with it, I have a second bike to raise the life expectancy of the Look and that second bike will be lucky to last 2 years.

Edit. I say bike but it's the frame that gets the chop.

As a fellow 585 and CR1 owner I see your point! That said, the CR1 seems to built up into a decent looking bike so maybe you need to assemble it before giving up on it. I bought my CR1 because I knew it was a lovely frame to ride if not as nice as the 585.

But, back on topic, I don't sell bikes. The 585 in particular makes me smile every time I look at it. I don't think there is another bike I'd swap it for. For daily use I have the Ribble and that is lasting very well - the CR1 is the standby frame for the Gran Fondo.

It's built up already, I've been out on it a few times and the ride is good, the frame is stiff and the build comes in just under 16lb but....... it sort of feels stale, the frame looks like it has been built to do a job without caring about aesthetics.
The way I pick fault is probably why I chop and change that 2nd bike, maybe I'm looking for something that isn't there, I did make the mistake of getting rid of a Viner Perfecta because I didn't like the graphics and that was probably the best bike I've ever ridden(next to the Look).

mrfpb

I have an eight year old Ridgeback Speed. Fairly cheap and heavy hybrid. Bought for commuting in Newcastle, now used for family rides in Hampshire. Also going London to Brighton on the Moonride next Friday. Always thinking about replacing it, but end up realising I would get virtually the same bike, just lighter and more attractive to thieves. (we have very active bike thieves in my area).

As with others on this thread, most of the parts have been replaced more than once. The frame, chainset, levers and rack have survived. Mudguards were the most recent replacement. Eight years was good lifespan for those.