[diebeforei485]

I feel like modern bicycles seem to be optimized for light weight over ease of maintenance and longevity.

Modern bicycles (except new e-bikes with chain guards and internal hub gears) require degreasing and lubing every two weeks, These are not going to be very attractive to people who use other means of transport, because cars don't need this sort of frequent maintenance.

[anotherboffin]

> Modern bicycles (except new e-bikes with chain guards and internal hub gears) require degreasing and lubing every two weeks

Yes and no. Modern 11/12 speed chains maybe, but my commuter (9-spd) gets lube every 4 months or so. Yes, I have to monitor the chain wear and change it every few years, but that’s not very complicated. It goes to the workshop less often than the car.

They’re more expensive, but you can find non-electric bikes with a belt drive and a gearbox or gear hub which are very low maintenance.

[notatoad]

"modern bicycles" is a bit of a weird description, because the main defining characteristic of modern bicycles (even going back as little as the last 5 years) is a huge amount of variance in the design to suit specific purposes.

and there's plenty of companies making "city bikes" that don't require super-frequent mainenance and are designed for durability and ease of use. you can get a bike optimized for light weight, but you absolutely don't have to.

[svorakang]

I must be doing something terribly wrong. I've had my bike for 7 years now, use it every second day, in all kinds of weather, and I lube it twice a year at best. It ought to be falling apart!

What's your basis for your claim of such frequent maintenance? Also, what do you mean by a modern bike?

[cowmoo728]

They will still function but a 12spd Ultegra / Force road bike will eat the chain and cassette and lose shifting precision if they're not maintained regularly. And high end road bike cassettes and chains are expensive to replace.

But when I had a basic hybrid bike I similarly just cleaned it every few months at most when it got dirty from wet rides. Worked fine for years.

[cowmoo728]

I have my high maintenance carbon road bike, but I also have a belt drive commuter bike. Belt drive bikes with hydraulic disc brakes and internal gear hubs rarely need maintenance, basically just an annual checkup on brake pads, tires, and maybe a brake bleed.

[leemailll]

urban commute with bicycles never need such high frequent maintenance unless you spend a lot time on unpaved road

[harha]

Internally geared hubs solve that problem if you’re not looking for a anything specialized like a road or mountain bike