Phil (ascentale)1d ago

@Cyclist asks:

I have a Raleigh Randonneur from the early 90s. It's been well looked after, with many years of regular use, often heavily loaded. The frame was slightly dented at the back of the seat tube by a bike shop many years ago. All components apart from front & back rack have been replaced over time.

Q2. What should I check to help decide if I need to replace this much loved old bike?

(When is it time to retire a bike?)

#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter cc @bikenite

Show threadGemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐1d ago
@ascentale #BikeNite A2. Check the frame for rust (I assume it's a steel bicycle?) and/or cracks. If there's no evidence of significant structural compromise, keep riding it. My fitness bicycle is a 1991 or 1992 Trek 820 MTB with street tires. I gave it a complete teardown, cleaning, and rebuild in Autumn 2024. It's good for decades.
Show threadlopta
@gcvsa @ascentale Agreed, provided you can source parts that will fit it. #BikeNite
Mar 28 at 12:27amTusky
Show threadGemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐1d ago
@lopta Anything made in the 1990s should be international standards. It's mostly only when you got back to the 1970s that you run into the old English and French standards.
Show threadInky says "What the hell?!"1d ago

@gcvsa @lopta And American sometimes.

#BikeNite

Show threadlopta1d ago
@gcvsa That's encouraging to read. I know Raleigh in particular went in for proprietary parts. #BikeNite
Show threadGemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐14h ago

@lopta I'm not sure that Raleigh necessarily used proprietary parts so much as they adhered to older British standards that bicycle companies outside the UK did not use. Many French brands had their own standards which were equally incompatible.

But, by the 1990s, the global market had pretty much done away with competing standards, probably because so much production moved to Taiwan and China.

Show threadlopta1h ago
@gcvsa This was mostly a problem for me in the 1980s.