From what I've observed, moderately priced bikes tend to be more sane in terms of adhering to mainstream component standards. For instance I bought a fairly generic "sporty looking hybrid" in 2006 for which I've had no problems sourcing parts -- although very few parts have been needed. Outside of competitive or off road use, good bike parts are actually quite reliable and last a long time.
Trek, Giant, Specialized, Raleigh, Fuji... Some of these have become "just a brand name" under new ownership.
I also have a bike that I threw together from 40 year old parts, and can still get any replacement that I need from Amazon or eBay. I suspect demand from overseas may be keeping some parts for older bikes available.
I think you can contribute a lot to the lifespan of a bike by learning to do a bit of your own maintenance, so you can spot minor issues before they turn into component failures.
Comments
From what I've observed, moderately priced bikes tend to be more sane in terms of adhering to mainstream component standards. For instance I bought a fairly generic "sporty looking hybrid" in 2006 for which I've had no problems sourcing parts -- although very few parts have been needed. Outside of competitive or off road use, good bike parts are actually quite reliable and last a long time.
Trek, Giant, Specialized, Raleigh, Fuji... Some of these have become "just a brand name" under new ownership.
I also have a bike that I threw together from 40 year old parts, and can still get any replacement that I need from Amazon or eBay. I suspect demand from overseas may be keeping some parts for older bikes available.
I think you can contribute a lot to the lifespan of a bike by learning to do a bit of your own maintenance, so you can spot minor issues before they turn into component failures.