Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Dog
This is simply not true. Metal does not get softer and carbon never does unless it is compromised and then it will fail suddenly. This is a very old myth that has no basis in reality. The science on this one is solid.
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I absolutely believe this but what about joined materials? Whereas the material may not degrade, is it possible the joints (carbon) or welds (steel) weaken over repeated stresses?
And what science deduces and the body perceives are often contradictory. Perhaps the feeling of “aged wine” has to do with the body adjusting to the bike over time, muscle memory. I know my body feels immediately at home on my one main bike, the one I’ve spent many hours on. It fits me not like a glove, but a well worn and extremely comfortable glove. And then add to that how the shifting loosens up over time and how the body adjusts to the particulars of the drivetrain and steering. I can see how people developed the idea of a bicycle aging over time.
One last comment. The romance and mystery of cycling should never be underestimated. Although the scientific mind may say the individual materials are inert, who’s to say the completed bicycle is not completely without its own peculiar personality that gives it a feeling of being “alive”.
I cannot think of another machine where ones body is so connected and together can perform so smoothly and effortlessly, and even magically. Perhaps hang gliders and their pilots are also connected. So maybe our bikes do not age like fine wines. But something happens. Regardless of what that something is, I’m for one am grateful it does!