Surely any one of my riding mates will attest that I am pretty particular about my bikes. Before ever being a professional product guy, I was a gearhead. For me, bikes and bike parts are no less a part of cycling than riding itself. There are even bikes and bike parts that are like art to me. A beautiful bike makes me smile and even inspires me to go harder, faster, and further. To that end, I like to keep my bikes in top condition. Well-maintained bikes are quieter, smoother, even faster – the last at least in my head! And the regular maintenance process has an additional benefit that has saved my skin, literally, on numerous occasions. That process has uncovered issues that could have resulted in a part failure. I have found numerous tire sidewall cuts, cracked stem face plates, crimped carbon seat posts and handlebars, loose clipless pedal springs, and more. Any of which could have ruined a ride at least, if not causing me to crash and get injured. 

However, there is an unexpected downside of keeping a bike looking like new for a long time. By a long time I mean ten years or more. Just because a bike looks like new, it doesn’t mean it is still in new condition. As ride hours accumulate, parts wear, and that wear is many times not clearly evident. Additionally, environmental factors like humid and UV rays can impact a part’s condition. Too many times I have become frustrated because I continued to use parts that were worn to the point that they would not stay in proper adjustment and/or would not stop creaking. Those are signs that the parts are beyond their useful life. This was not lost on me objectively, but then I would look at the part and think “it still looks good, so it should not be worn out.” I was also rasied with the “waste not, want not” mantra.  

A recent case with bottom bracket bearings is a great example. The bearings were a high-quality stainless steel model made in Japan. In my fingers they still turned silky smooth and had no visual signs of excessive damage or wear – the seals were intact and plyable and there was no sign of corrosion on the outer housings (yes, some stainless steel alloys can rust slightly). So I installed the bearings in one of my mountain bikes and went off for a ride on a beautiful day. Once I got on the first real climb deep in the woods I started hearing a clicking sound on every pedal stroke at the same spot. “How could this be?” I exclaimed to the squirrel I was passing. So, for two more hours my perfect ride was soiled and the animals irritated due to that constant clicking. Back at my home shop I found one of the bearings to have excessive axial movement allowing the inner bearing race to move slightly under load, and that movement was the source of the clicking. 

Over the years I have come to accept that old parts that still look good, may not be good to ride. The above example was not a safety issue, but I could share examples that could have resulted in a crash and broken clavical instead of mere frustration. As a result of a 30+ year career in bicycle product development, I have amassed a sizable collection of bikes. Many of which are samples or prototypes that I have held onto for sentimental reasons. Additionally, selling or giving away non-production bikes is just not a good idea. And just throwing them in the garbage just seemed wrong. There are many great bikes and many great memories from those bikes. But I do not ride most of them anymore. Come to think of it, I hardly ever ride any bike that is over ten years old. Part of that is because technology marches on, and riding 19mm road clinchers at 120 psi or mountain bikes V-Brakes and 2.0 non-tubeless tires are just no longer fun. But there’s also the part that the bikes are just past their useful life. While there is no hard rule for when a product is ready for retirement, I’d suggest that it is well before many riders think. Keep this in mind when you call us for a seal kit for your 20 year old shock. As aways thanks for reading and enjoy your next ride.