this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024
57 points (100.0% liked)

Buy it for Life

4226 readers
3 users here now

A place to share practical, durable and quality made products that are made to last, with an emphasis on upcycled and sustainable products!

Guidelines:

Things that are well-made and durable (even if they won't last a lifetime) are A-Okay!

Unlike that other BIFL place, Home-made and DIY items are encouraged here, as long as some form of instruction is included in the body of the post.

Videos links are not allowed as post titles, but you may use them in a text post.

A limited amount of self-promotion is accepted, IF the item you are selling aligns with this criteria:

  1. The item must be made with sustainable or recycled materials.
  2. If electronic in some way, the item must be open-source.
  3. The item must be user-serviceable (if applicable).
  4. You cannot be a large corporation.
  5. The post must be clearly marked with a [Self Promotion] tag in your title.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
[email protected]
[email protected]
57
Repairable Bike Tips (slrpnk.net)
submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
22 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I'm looking to purchase a bike (probably second hand) and I want to make sure that it'll be easily repairable in the future for at least standard maintenance stuff.

Thing is, I don't know anything about bikes- I've heard people say off hand that modern bikes might perform better but are less maintanable, is this a thing? What qualities/features in a bike tell me that it'll be easier to maintain in the long run?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

I'll give you a BIFL answer that's not super heavy on performance. I'll assume your primary goal is commuting or some light exercise.

  1. Stay away from carbon fibre. Stick to aluminium or better yet, steel.
  2. Choose a bike that has a fanbase. For example Bromptons or Surlys are expensive for what they are but you can maintain them for a lifetime.
  3. Stay away from the cheapest bikes. If you're going for a low budget bike try to stick with a mainstream reputed bike brand like Giant.
  4. A belt drive is more hassle free if you have the budget.