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For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes
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For all you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes -

What do you do in terms of maintenance to keep things tip top on your bike? I ask as I'm finding my 2008 P2C has nearly all rusted bolts and screws - some completely rusted, but almost all of them with some rust (likely from trauma to the surface for the stainless steel bolts), and it's def a PITA to hunt down all the right screws and bolts to match for replacement.

Also, are you replacing the cockpit or drivetrain? My cockpit is totally rusted out and needs full replacement (including the stem), and while my Dura-Ace groupset still works fine, the crank and derailleur is sufficiently pitted from surface corrosion so that I'm considering swapping it all out for ultegra or 105 new. (I'm not a weight weenie.)

All in all, it's going to be a pricey refurb, but my frame is still in excellent condition.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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lightheir wrote:
For all you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes -

What do you do in terms of maintenance to keep things tip top on your bike? I ask as I'm finding my 2008 P2C has nearly all rusted bolts and screws - some completely rusted, but almost all of them with some rust (likely from trauma to the surface for the stainless steel bolts), and it's def a PITA to hunt down all the right screws and bolts to match for replacement.

Also, are you replacing the cockpit or drivetrain? My cockpit is totally rusted out and needs full replacement (including the stem), and while my Dura-Ace groupset still works fine, the crank and derailleur is sufficiently pitted from surface corrosion so that I'm considering swapping it all out for ultegra or 105 new. (I'm not a weight weenie.)

All in all, it's going to be a pricey refurb, but my frame is still in excellent condition.

What kind of conditions do you ride in?
Washing your bike and wiping it down after workouts can prevent a lot of stuff?

Some stuff you can prevent but some stuff will show wear. Bolts may rust even if you went to the extent of coating them with light oil after you washed them. But your crank and derailleur being pitted from corrosion is unusual. Ive got winter commuter bikes that dont have wear like youve described.

For bolts, Id suggest replacing them all at once and then trying to figure out what you can do to help extend their life such as wiping down after use.
Same for the components. Order stuff online. New 105 will likely be better than whatever 7yr old components you have. Look at Wiggle or PBK.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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lightheir wrote:
For all you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes -

What do you do in terms of maintenance to keep things tip top on your bike? I ask as I'm finding my 2008 P2C has nearly all rusted bolts and screws - some completely rusted, but almost all of them with some rust (likely from trauma to the surface for the stainless steel bolts), and it's def a PITA to hunt down all the right screws and bolts to match for replacement.
I just retired a bike I got in about 2003 which I raced on for some years, and trained on up till last year. And didn't have the rust problems you describe. Clean the bike regularly, wash it especially if you ride on salt-covered roads. Replace parts as they wear out. If you use it on the trainer, don't let sweat pool on it.


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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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how rusted? rust needs oxygen - you can try a layer of vaseline on all the rusted bolts - that stops the rust - and when you wipe it off a few days later then sometimes the rust is gone with it - a trick I learned from a bike mechanic

I restored and updated a bike thats over 15 years old - just need the patience to shop around for deals and find second hand parts.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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I still ride my '04 Litespeed Ultimate at least once a week. It's been through 2 crashes, cracked head tube, unbounded seat stays and 3 grippos. But it's still perfectly straight and a great century riding bike. It was the first time I spent more than $4000 on a bike. I have 3 newer road bikes, all of which are better, but I doubt I'll ever get rid of this one.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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I notice a bit of rust on my 2007 tri bike bolts. I dip cotton swab in rubbing alcohol or wd40 and spin it around. Or wrap a mini screwdriver in a cotton rag and do the same. Then put a dab of grease back in the bolt.

My basebars were upgraded a few years ago (to Vision trimax ones) and the drivetrain is all new. Upgraded to a 105 crank with C1 chainring PowerTap. Chain replaced annually and cassette replaced a few years ago. Rear derailleur got smashed during a little wipeout so I went with a 105 (couldn't be happier with it). A Profile Design stem was prescribed during a fit (slammed) so that's only a few years old. I use one of the original wheels covered with an Aerojacket and sold the others (multiple) on craigslist.

105 stuff is amazing. I think I'd stick with Dura Ace shifters and an Ultegra or DA front derailleur though. There's just so much to be said for a well-tuned drivetrain with cleanly-installed cables. That's 100% more important to me over the product line.

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Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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Do you live in a costal area?

Never seen pitting or rust. I am pretty meticulous about my bikes staying clean, dry and lubed except for one - sometimes the best way to take care of your bikes is to have one you don't fuss over too much.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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I converted mine to di2 11 speed, then had to replace the base bars as they were not di2 compatible. I wash it regularly and dry with compressed air, I find it is the salt from my sweat that kills the bolts.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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I have a 2010 P3 with 3T Brezza II Limited bar set up, Sram R2C 10 speed Red group. Each year I replace the housing & cables for both shifting & brakes. Check to make sure the brake pads are sufficient for the season & then of course, replace tires when they get worn too flat/thin for my taste. Change the chain 1x or 2x a year, cogs every other year--I'm good. That's it. Althought, it is time to change the chainwheel as I've replaced them only 1x since 2010, but with regular chain replacement, it doesn't wear out that much.

For rust, I've used "Rust Off" which is made by the T9 lube company...it just eats away any rust instantly & I use a cotton towl to soak up the puddle of rusty liquid. Then I may let it air dry & drip a drop of chain oil on top to act as a coating.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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I lucked out and just got a 2010 Scott plasma 20 with HED jet 6/9 wheels for $1000. I upgraded the crankset, front end and brakes.

I went with pro missile alloy front end. Extremely adjustable and great profile for alloy at 1/4 the cost of carbon. I snagged a deal on the missile Evo stem to match everything.My crankset was more to match my existing power meter but I sent with an older model FSA kforce over ultegra 6700. I went with a tririg brake at the front over ultegra and left the rear.

All in I spent $1900 so far and in my opinion it's just as good as any $2500-3500 bike on the market today. The only thing I'm really giving up is 11spd and a little bit of tire clearance you get on newer TT bikes.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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I still rock my 2008 p2C. This year I updated the stem, base and aerobars, and added etap. I replaced the crankset last year. So really the only thing original on the bike is the frame and the brakes. Of course the cables and brake pads are serviced every year. Its a solid, fast frame. You have a lot of options for upgrades, so you can take your time doing it one piece at a time. I bought everything from TriSports.com because of the discount, plus you get reward points, so it allowed me to get quite a bit back in savings after I bought the big ticket items.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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There is a place in Florida called Diamond Engineering. They sell stainless or polished stainless steel hardware. Replace all of your bolts. I built a motorcycle and used all of their stuff.

If you need to know sizes, and most are metric I'm sure.... just pick up a M4, M5, m6, etc nut and bolt at the hardware store and check your bolt sizes before you order.






lightheir wrote:
For all you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes -

What do you do in terms of maintenance to keep things tip top on your bike? I ask as I'm finding my 2008 P2C has nearly all rusted bolts and screws - some completely rusted, but almost all of them with some rust (likely from trauma to the surface for the stainless steel bolts), and it's def a PITA to hunt down all the right screws and bolts to match for replacement.

Also, are you replacing the cockpit or drivetrain? My cockpit is totally rusted out and needs full replacement (including the stem), and while my Dura-Ace groupset still works fine, the crank and derailleur is sufficiently pitted from surface corrosion so that I'm considering swapping it all out for ultegra or 105 new. (I'm not a weight weenie.)

All in all, it's going to be a pricey refurb, but my frame is still in excellent condition.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [DVM_Tri] [ In reply to ]
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DVM_Tri wrote:
I still rock my 2008 p2C. This year I updated the stem, base and aerobars, and added etap. I replaced the crankset last year. So really the only thing original on the bike is the frame and the brakes. Of course the cables and brake pads are serviced every year. Its a solid, fast frame. You have a lot of options for upgrades, so you can take your time doing it one piece at a time. I bought everything from TriSports.com because of the discount, plus you get reward points, so it allowed me to get quite a bit back in savings after I bought the big ticket items.

Did you update the cockpit just for kicks, or did rust or wear get the parts ?
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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lightheir wrote:
What do you do in terms of maintenance to keep things tip top on your bike? I ask as I'm finding my 2008 P2C has nearly all rusted bolts and screws - some completely rusted, but almost all of them with some rust (likely from trauma to the surface for the stainless steel bolts), and it's def a PITA to hunt down all the right screws and bolts to match for replacement.
I am rockin' a 1-YO bike and in the process of retiring a 30-YO bike. Your stuff is normal maintenance, regardless of age. My 1-YO bike cockpit was totally rusted out. It was because of training without adequate sweat protection. I pretty much replaced the whole cockpit.

The 30-YO bike was still excellent. No issues. I have an old original stock chain I installed last year. I finished building its replacement today, but the old one is good for many tens of thousands of miles more. It is 100% Dura Ace. It will never wear out.

Put a towel over the front end while trainer riding.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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My athletes and I have found that in general across the country that Ace hardware usually has the best supply of metric & torcx bolts of any hardware store

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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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There are very few bolts on a bike that are not part of a component - so when the component wears I just replace it. I have 4 bikes:
- Road Bike bought it 2005
- Trainer bike bought in 2005
- MTB bought in 2007
- TT bike bought in 2009

All bikes get used a lot and none of them show any signs of needing to be replaced soon. My road bike is the oldest and originally came with 9 speed Dura-Ace. At some point I upgraded it to 10 speed (when the cables still came out of the side of the brake lever) and later to cleaner 10 speed. The stem and handlebar are still the original (easton stem and deda handlebar). Saddle's been replaced every 3 years or so. Handbuilt wheels by wheelbuilder.com that are bombproof and made in 2009 which I'm still using all the time.

My TT bike is a P2C and still has the original base bar and stem. I did replace the bar extensions because I wanted S-bend instead of ski-bend last year. Other than that, all components are still original except for the brakes which I replaced with Ultegra's instead of the unbranded tektro's. And I never used the wheels that came with the bike - I used the same wheels that I had on my road bike! Though a few years ago I bought race wheels.

Just replace what gets worn and you'll be all set, your bike can last a really long time...
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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Still rocking my 08 P2 DA with Zipp 808s (never take them off). Other than new chain cassette and chainrings every couple of years, everything else is the same as the day I bought it used in 2009 off eBay. That bike rocks.

Just refurbished my 07 Raleigh Supercourse. New 105 groupset and wheels. Old 105 was still going strong but I was interested in something new.

I have 5 bikes, other than the Raleigh which I got on closeout, I buy all my bikes used. Just bought a Gary Fisher full suspension last year. Needed a new fork (net $0 after I sold the old one) and BB ($20 as a returned item on Amazon).

Takes the time to clean after you ride (and grease your mechanicals) and stuff will last a while.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [Benv] [ In reply to ]
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Benv wrote:

All bikes get used a lot and none of them show any signs of needing to be replaced soon. My road bike is the oldest and originally came with 9 speed Dura-Ace. At some point I upgraded it to 10 speed (when the cables still came out of the side of the brake lever) and later to cleaner 10 speed. The stem and handlebar are still the original (easton stem and deda handlebar). Saddle's been replaced every 3 years or so. Handbuilt wheels by wheelbuilder.com that are bombproof and made in 2009 which I'm still using all the time.
I have an 9 year old Giant TCR C3 with 10 speed shifters and cables that come out the sides of the brake levers. (Shimano 105 -5600?) Even new I felt like the shifting was always finicky to adjust and wished I had moved up to ultegra. Otherwise everything on the bike looks and works great.

Now I'm trying to decide if it makes sense to upgrade that bike or just buy something new. It was a low end carbon frame at the time and I wonder how much frames have advanced since then - and if I'm good enough to notice the difference.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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This Mongoose is from the 90's and it still goes 30mph +
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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I sweat a lot and also live in a coastal climate....

I cover all cockpit bolts and bolt exit holes with a layer of marine grease after I work on them (inside and outside of bolt head).

DA is coated aluminum, so over time, that coating gets pitted/worn away and sweat + humidity can grab hold for oxidation....no preventing the latter.
I TRY to wipe down bike & drive train after a longer ride, but mostly are too tired or forget....
I normally swap out my cranks/RD around every 3-5 years with heavy use (see above as unavoidable).

You use it, it gets ugly....no way around it other "refurbishing" components by removing coating, polish the metal and re-coat with PU.



lightheir wrote:
For all you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes -

What do you do in terms of maintenance to keep things tip top on your bike? I ask as I'm finding my 2008 P2C has nearly all rusted bolts and screws - some completely rusted, but almost all of them with some rust (likely from trauma to the surface for the stainless steel bolts), and it's def a PITA to hunt down all the right screws and bolts to match for replacement.

Also, are you replacing the cockpit or drivetrain? My cockpit is totally rusted out and needs full replacement (including the stem), and while my Dura-Ace groupset still works fine, the crank and derailleur is sufficiently pitted from surface corrosion so that I'm considering swapping it all out for ultegra or 105 new. (I'm not a weight weenie.)

All in all, it's going to be a pricey refurb, but my frame is still in excellent condition.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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All the bolts had rusted. Over the years, I had already replaced a few on the aero bars due to severe rusting. I even had to drill those out. But like you, I decided this year that I didn't want to replace all the bolts and decided to go with a new cockpit.
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Re: For you who are still rocking 7+ year old bikes [ In reply to ]
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I had new bike fever last fall and had the Felt AR1 in my sights as an upgrade to a 2009 LOOK 585. I thought that I would take the first step and get the SRAM etap wifli and then maybe get the AR1 frame and fork later then swap the parts so I could distribute the cost over time. However, while I was putting the etap and some other updates on the LOOK I decided that I really like the frame. Even with a chunky 11-32 cassette this bike is still very light and very responsive. I could have easily gone to a 14 lb bike if I wanted to get all weight weenie. This road bike is mainly used for the times I do extensive climbing routes and for occasional group rides.

I had a LBS dial in the final tuning of the system. The mechanic, an upper Cat racer, said that was probably the lightest most responsive bike he has been on in a while and better than most of the new high end bikes they are building. Not sure if that is true, but I feel that way as well. I couldn't be happier that I kept this frame, bars and seat post and gave the rest of it a refresh. For about a $2K price altogether I am a content and I probably would have easily been over $5K with the AR1 because I was going with etap anyway.
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