In Only Fools and Horses, Trigger famously opined that, in his job as a council road-sweeper he's had the same broom for twenty years... just with seventeen new heads and fourteen new handles.
Only a totally unrelated note, I've been running the same bike for more than thirteen years, but with a few new heads and handles... here's an update on the current state of play:
| Still original | Replaced or upgraded |
|---|---|
| Frame Fork Headset Seatpost Seatpost clamp Front derailleur Rear derailleur Gear shifters Brake levers Brake calipers Grips |
Wheels (M/U) Tyres (M/U) Inner tubes (M/U) Cassette (M/U) Brake pads (M/U) Brake cables (M) Shifter cables (M) Bottom bracket (M/U) Chain (M) Crankset (M/U) Chainrings (M/U) Handlebar (U) Pedals (U) Saddle (U) Stem (U) Bar ends (U) Top cap (U) |
| Key: M = maintenance, U = upgrade | |
I've still got a set of Ultegra brake calipers to go on at some point, and a very light seatpost clamp... beyond that, I've only really got the seatpost to possibly upgrade, but it's already decent(ish) carbon, so it might come down to a question of cost, I guess.
Anyway, as Del once asked, how can it be the same broom? But on the plus side, my bike is unique...
