100,000km on a frame and counting

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

The Roberts Compact Audax frame I bought to start my Audax career has now logged 100,000km.  Before there are cries of "Trigger's Broom", the frame is original, although it's had a couple of repairs due to encounters with a bollard and a car in different incidents.  The forks were replaced after the second incident.  The Tubus rack is also original, but its on its second pair of handlebars and a long while ago had a conversion from Campag to Shimano.  It's completed 2xPBP, the Mille Alba, and the West Highland 1000, as well as a fair number of 300s, 400s, and 600s over the years.  After the second repair it had a respray and ended up a rather anaemic yellow, but a complete rebuild from Argos Racing Cycles restored it to its resplendent Flam Yellow.  It's in its 21-st year, but still beautiful to ride, so I guess it will keep in circulation with a new goal of 100,000 miles.

I am sure there are much more veteran frames out there and would be interested to hear their tales. 

[delthebike]

My Dawes Galaxy will turn 30 years on May 5. Original frame, forks, cranks and front derailleur. With the original rack and front wheel assembly, sans tyre, buried in the shed. Never repainted and has had a reasonably easy life with around 90,000km on it. It had a decade(ish) off from 94 until 05, when I tried to sell it to the local CTC club. The email bounced and I started to ride it again instead. The last 4 years have been very light cycling wise with several zero km months.

The LBS replaced the rear Exage hub with a 105 and cold set the rear end. I'm not keen on it and am considering installing a 126mm OLN 3/5 spd SA hub gear with brake.

[Paul]

My Dawes Galaxy will turn 30 years on May 5. Original frame, forks, cranks and front derailleur. With the original rack and front wheel assembly, sans tyre, buried in the shed. Never repainted and has had a reasonably easy life with around 90,000km on it. It had a decade(ish) off from 94 until 05 when I tried to sell it to the local CTC club. The email bounced and I started to ride it again instead. The last 4 years have been very light cycling wise with several zero km months.

The LBS replaced the rear Exage hub with a 105 and cold set the rear end. I'm not keen on it and am considering installing a 126mm OLN 3/5 spd SA hub gear with brake.

It took 11 years for the email to bounce?!

[Kim]

It took 11 years for the email to bounce?!

Normal for outlook.com

[hubner]

100,000km over 20 years is about 60 miles per week. Or a 6 mile commute.

My "wet" bike is from around 1980 with all "original" main parts, it has a 120mm rear end with a Regina 5 speed freewheel. I got it about 25 years ago, by that time it had already had a respray.

The frame is probably 531 with chromed forks, and chromed Campagnolo dropouts.

Old pic, has black mudguards now, and I haven't used that light for years.

[Mr Larrington]

Had my Revell Romany frame from new, summer 1984.  It got converted to fixed around 2005 but has lain idle since I built up a pukka fixer on a Cotic Roadrat frame.

[rogerzilla]

I don't know how many miles it's done, but my usual winter bike and sometime commuter is pre-WWII.  Given the way the rear triangle flexes uphill, I'm amazed it hasn't fatigued to death by now.

[andrew_s]

Steve was in the pub this lunchtime, so I asked him how many miles he'd done on his green bike.

The answer was "somewhere around 400,000" miles 

It's been resprayed more than once, and has no identifiable branding, but was originally a bike shop own brand (Bob Griffin).
It's had the forks replaced twice.