Do bike frames age like fine wine?

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

Over the long term, titanium frames gain approximately 1.3% of mythicalness per year, but the exact rate depends on the age of the owner. Studies show that for owners under 65, the mythicalness actually drops rapidly, and is no longer detectable after a few years.

Dark humor. Reminds me of a Flannery O'Connor short story. Oops. Wrong thread.

[wildboar]

If I rotate my bars 1 degree, the bike turns into a completely different bike.

[BryanE]

No

[jr59]

The good stuff will always be the good stuff.

Same with bad stuff, it will be bad

[unterhausen]

when I was younger, I believed I needed a new bike every 2 years. The last one in that string of bikes actually lasted me over 30 years. I have some cynical thoughts about where the idea of constant replacement came from.

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

Despite the material, or even the frame design, I tip my hat to anyone to can isolate these and discern the small characteristics you ask about from the stew of components attached that make the bicycle a whole.

This. Frames do not change over time unless damaged or corroded.

[steelbikerider]

I have a 20 year old Hans Schneider custom with 50000+ miles that I enjoy more now than ever. It's had tubes replaced, 4 different groupsets, and new paint. It's not my number 1 ride anymore but I still take it out every week or two. I still have more pr's on it than my 2 year old Gallium Pro.
Interesting thing is that the geometry on the Gallium is almost exactly the same. The Gallium gets good reviews for its handling but I think the Schneider is even better.

[weisan]

Do bike frames age like fine wine?

According to him, the answer is yes.
https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/reade...-custom-build/

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by P K

Ask people who race a lot (especially sprinters) and they'll say frames wear out in one season, get spongy, lose their snap/stiffness

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.

[pbarry]

Alan bonded alloy frames can “degrade” over time because the adhesive may fail. I pulled a fork end out of an Alan fork with almost no force, after noticing it was loose when a friend complained about the bike riding funny.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

Despite the material, or even the frame design, I tip my hat to anyone to can isolate these and discern the small characteristics you ask about from the stew of components attached that make the bicycle a whole.

AND, the 'bike frame' of almost any material is SO overbuilt generally..put even a BIG dude on it, and that person's measly power output..not gonna change any bike frame over time. They don't get soft or vague or stiffer or anything..particularly titanium.

Heard to 'steel frames get soft over time' for years and ....nope.

[colker]

Originally Posted by P K

Ask people who race a lot (especially sprinters) and they'll say frames wear out in one season, get spongy, lose their snap/stiffness

Superstition and placebo age spectacularly preferably on internet and other virtual medias.

[Hellgate]

I've found Ti is very consistent over time. My Davidson Ti is 18 years old this year. Before I hung it up it rode as well at 50,000 miles as it did new. If Campy ever comes out with a wireless group the SR group from the 333fab will transfer back to the Davidson and it will go back into service.

[PQJ]

My almost 15-year old Serotta Concours has 60k+ miles on it and rides as good as it did when new. It still practically rides itself, except when I'm getting dropped (file in the category of: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same).

[unterhausen]

Originally Posted by colker

Superstition and placebo age spectacularly preferably on internet and other virtual medias.

it's far older than that. I heard about frames getting softer in the '70s, they probably were saying that back much earlier than that. Most things in cycling were well established by 1910.