These things last forever, are built like tanks, are mainatainable and fixable by basic (though not metric) tools, and have been proven (and consequently cloned) across the world, and tolerate an almost complete lack of maintenance extremely well.
Mine is nearly 40 years old and at the moment it's my daily rider.
And the wheels on it are 60 years old
BQ is spot on. I have a Sports (less posh version of the Superbe, basically the same bike). They are essentially indestructible. Mine is a 1971 and when I picked it up it was still running on the original tyres and tubes without problems - 40 years later. You can see the front tyre in this picture (pre-restoration):
The original Dunlop White Sprite tyres were known to last forever, probably because they used some truly noxious substances to make them which are now banned by EU legislation. I only took them off because someone had spilt paint on them and I wanted pimping cream cruiser tyres :)
The chain is the original. It is in an oil bath so has always been adequately lubricated and has never been exposed to the elements. Because there is no derailleur, stretch has been minimal.
All bearings are the original.
Same here. Also if you're lucky enough to have one with a dynamo hub no need for batteries, which could be hard to find post-apocalypse.
It's the Rolls Royce of bicycles, and you simply cannot buy anything today that gets near it for sheer build quality. It will still be rolling in style when your mad max bike has fallen to bits.
This. No modern bike you can build will ever have components that solid. Raleigh already built the perfect post-apocalypse bike, they just marketed it incorrectly (typical)!
I am preparing for the apocalypse by filling my cellar with bikes so that at least one should be rideable if the worst happens.
@Fox
BQ is spot on. I have a Sports (less posh version of the Superbe, basically the same bike). They are essentially indestructible. Mine is a 1971 and when I picked it up it was still running on the original tyres and tubes without problems - 40 years later. You can see the front tyre in this picture (pre-restoration):
The original Dunlop White Sprite tyres were known to last forever, probably because they used some truly noxious substances to make them which are now banned by EU legislation. I only took them off because someone had spilt paint on them and I wanted pimping cream cruiser tyres :)
Same here. Also if you're lucky enough to have one with a dynamo hub no need for batteries, which could be hard to find post-apocalypse.
This. No modern bike you can build will ever have components that solid. Raleigh already built the perfect post-apocalypse bike, they just marketed it incorrectly (typical)!
I am preparing for the apocalypse by filling my cellar with bikes so that at least one should be rideable if the worst happens.
That's my excuse, anyway.