You know how your grandparents would always say “things were made to last in my day!”? Well, with planned obsolescence baked into the world of electronic goods they certainly were right when it comes to phones, fridges, and cars. Bike tech doesn’t necessarily suffer from the same problems that cause your phone to die right after the warranty expires, but there is certainly an element of throwaway culture in the industry. Having the latest tech every year necessitates getting rid of the old tech, and while you can sell it to reduce the amount of waste, you are still consuming resources and spending money.
What if there was another way? There is a large community around the concept of Buy It For Life, where followers try to consciously consume things that will last, if not a full lifetime, at least significantly longer than the competition. The list below is what we here at Cyclingnews could reasonably constitute Buy It For Life cycling tech. Naturally, some products are high-end, such is often the nature of quality construction, and we recognise to be able to afford such things is a privilege not afforded to everyone, so we’re not going to preach the old “buy cheap, buy twice” adage given we’re in a cost of living crisis. That being said there are also plenty of options that are cheaper or an equivalent price to the competition.
As much as being a valuable resource, it’s also intended as something of a counterpoint to the festival of capitalism that is Black Friday, and all the associated bike deals that come with it.
Without further ado, then, what are the items that we here at Cyclingnews would recommend if you want to invest in something once and once only?
A steel frame with downtube shifter bosses
Aficionados of steel bikes will claim a special ride quality, though this is as much down to design, and alloy and butting profiles as much as anything intrinsic to the material itself. Irrespective of any #Steelisreal claims, it does have a longevity that can only really be bettered by titanium. Aluminium and carbon both reach an end point in their service life. Why, then, would we recommend a steel frame which will rust over a titanium one that won’t? Firstly it comes down to cost; steel will be significantly cheaper than a titanium equivalent, and providing you look after the frame the steel bike will easily last a lifetime. Steel bikes can also be fitted (either stock or brazed on later) with downtube shifter…
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