How long does a bicycle last?

Reading time approx. 13 minutes

When we buy a car, we know that this purchase is not for eternity. Statistics say that cars have an average lifespan of 12 years. But what about a bicycle? How long does it last?

Bicycles also have a limited lifespan. Experts estimate 10 to 12 years and a total mileage of around 10,000 to 12,000 km. These are the average values. But what does this look like in detail and what does the lifespan depend on?

A 60-year-old racing bike. Newly painted and repaired with new parts. Cost: approx. 1,000 euros. A restoration is an option if you are attached to your bike and nothing works anymore. ( Image source: Zweileben Bikes / Stuttgart)

Factor 1: Care

Everyone knows this when it comes to cars: the service booklet. With bicycles, however, regular maintenance is usually the exception. Something is only done when it is not working. But you don't have to go to the workshop every year to ensure a minimum level of maintenance. You can do it yourself:

a) Oil the chain

A rusty chain squeaks and increases pedal resistance. If you have derailleur gears, the gears will also not work well. Therefore: occasionally add sewing machine oil or bicycle oil. So that the chain is moist with oil, no more.

Oiling the chain helps and is easy to do yourself. Available at Obi hardware stores for 3.99 euros. ( Image source: Obi Germany / Emil Lux GmbH / Wermelskirchen)

b) Adjust the brakes

If your bike has brake pads, you can adjust the braking effect here. There are adjustment screws on the brake lever. If you turn them, the brake pads move closer to the rim and the play is reduced. However, if the pads are worn out, only new brake pads will help.

c) Inflating

Experience tells us that if you do the pressure test with your finger and think that the tire is now hard enough, then there is only half the air in it that it should be. The tire must be hard and not sloppy. Why? A soft tire increases rolling resistance. Insufficient air pressure also significantly shortens the life of the tire because it is then kneaded too much when driving. Therefore, use a pump with a pressure indicator. The amount of pressure required is stated on every tire, in small print, but still there. In addition, if there is too little air in it, driving over a curb will easily cause your wheel to end up in a figure eight because the tire cannot absorb the impact and it acts directly on the rim.

d) Cleaning

Cleaning is not about beauty. If the brakes or rims are dirty, the brakes will not work well. If there is always dirt on them, rust will appear. If there is dirt on the cassette (these are the sprockets at the back of the derailleur), shifting becomes a gamble.

Factor 2: Complexity of the bike

The more complex the technology, the quicker something breaks. A simple rule of thumb.

a) Single or three-speed gear

If there is nothing on it, nothing can break. On a simple bike, the brakes or the chain sometimes fail. Or the tires wear out, but the latter is the case with all bikes. Low-tech bikes get old. The closed three-speed hub gear lasts a very long time. Often more than 50 years.

b) Multi-speed bike with hub gear

Hub gears are encapsulated - the gears run inside the hub and are therefore protected. This means that these gears last a very long time. And they require little maintenance. The cable often breaks or the gear lever (made of plastic) breaks off. But the hub holds. If you don't want to constantly adjust the gears, a hub gear is a good option. And the bike has a long service life. But: a good hub gear is more expensive than a derailleur gear.

c) Derailleur gears

The derailleur gears are maintenance-intensive. If you don't do anything about it, your bike won't last long. And: the more gears the gears have, the more attention you have to pay to them. Lots of gears are nice, but it's fair to ask whether they are necessary. The more gears, the shorter the gearshift travel and they have to be precisely adjusted. Lots of gears also means that the chain is very narrow (and expensive). Seven to eight gears are economical and still feasible in terms of maintenance. 10 gears and more mean work and maintenance.

Cassette of the derailleur gears. Derailleur gears require more maintenance than hub gears. The gears have to be adjusted more often. ( Image source: Shimano)

d) Electric drive

High degree of complexity. Don't believe the dealer who says the technology is simple. It isn't. In addition to the circuitry issue described above, there is also the issue of electronics. Be aware that the battery does not last forever and that this will result in high follow-up costs. A new battery can easily cost 500 euros and is due after 5 years at the latest. You can't do anything about the electrics yourself. And many dealers can only do so to a limited extent. If there are defects, the components are usually replaced because they often cannot be repaired at all. If there is a problem after the warranty period has expired, the lifespan of the e-bike can quickly come to an end because the repair costs are gigantic.

If you buy a cheap Chinese model, or a brand new model from a start-up company, your investment may only last for a short time. Chinese model: Often there is no technical support after a short time. The dealer can't (and won't) do anything, especially if you bought the thing via mail order. Start-up: The industry is constantly changing and new providers are always trying to get a piece of the pie. The result: Even good ideas can fail. And then you end up with a bike for which there are no spare parts available after two years.

Long service life here means choosing a mainstream model. With a Bosch motor, for example. No exotic brands, please. Investment security comes first.

Factor 3: Frame material

The supporting structure of your bike is the frame. And it can be made of different materials that differ in terms of durability and lifespan.

a) Steel frame

Rare today. In the past it was the norm. Steel frames are accused of being very heavy. Basically, steel is three times heavier than aluminum, but has three times the material strength. For the same tube diameter of the frame, aluminum needs three times as much material. This easily negates the weight advantage. Steel also has a higher fatigue strength, so it is more durable. Broken steel frames are rare. If it is not a matter of weight per gram, a steel frame is a good choice, contrary to popular belief. In addition, when it comes to recycling, the steel frame is also ahead.

The VSF T50 with steel frame from the VSF bicycle manufacturer. Costs around 900 euros and is a very good choice if you want a bike with a long lifespan. ( Image source: VSF / cycle union GmbH / Oldenburg)

b) Aluminium frame

The most commonly used material at the moment. But what about weight and lifespan? The lifespan is significantly shorter than that of steel frames. A very light aluminum frame has thin walls and can therefore crack. A frame made of thicker material does not and is then just as heavy as a steel frame. Frame breakage occurs much more frequently with aluminum frames than with steel frames.

When buying aluminum, people often say that it cannot rust. That's true. Because rust is iron oxide. But there is also aluminum oxide, which means that an aluminum frame will also corrode. Wherever water comes into contact with unprotected aluminum, white aluminum oxide forms, i.e. initially white spots that can expand into flaking white areas. Recycling? Yes, possible. You can still make coffee capsules out of them.

c) Stainless steel frame

Very exotic but also very durable. There are hardly any bikes with stainless steel frames and they are expensive. Cannot rust and lasts forever.  

A carbon e-bike from Bulls. Quite light and electric. This bike shows what is currently technically possible. But that comes at a price: around 6,500 euros. And it will only get old if you have it serviced regularly. ( Image source: Bulls, eurorad / Cologne)

d) Carbon frame

Great, light material. But it doesn't last long and it's expensive. Any damage isn't visible to the naked eye, especially after falls. The resale value is also low, as a used carbon frame can be a real surprise. The pinnacle of complexity is a carbon bike with 12 gears and an electric drive. It's state-of-the-art and nice to have, but it doesn't last long. Recycling? Not possible.

Conclusion: So what to do?

If you have a technically complex bike, you should have the dealer carry out regular maintenance and factor these costs into your purchase. This is the only way to ensure that your bike lasts a long time. The cost of a six-monthly maintenance is on average around 150 euros. That's 3,000 euros over 10 years, and for an e-bike you also need a new battery, so the total is around 3,500 euros.

Do you have a simpler bike? This is how you can increase its lifespan: with maintenance. What you can do yourself has already been described. But here too, have your bike checked by a dealer or repair shop once a year. If we assume 100 euros per service, that's 1000 euros in 10 years. If you put that in relation to the maintenance costs of your car, it's not much.

(Christoph Preussler)