An Old Bike is Like an Old Friend

I just love old bicycles.

To me they have so much character, with all their nicks and cuts, scars from the mileage they have put in over the many years.The fact that many of these old bicycles survived until today is proof that they were built to last. Like an old friend, they know a lot about you, what you like and hate, of course old friends can also test your patience with their own set of peculiarities. I don’t remember the last time I adjusted the seat post height or the handle bar stem as everything just feel familiar and right.

There is nothing wrong with new bicycles today, they are great too i.e. using new technology, advanced material and built in mass production line somewhere in China or Taiwan. But nothing beats these old chromoly steel frame and lugged construction. When I do long distance touring, a cro-moly steel bike is always my first choice as I really think they are build for life on the road. It absorbs everything the road throws at you and eat up miles and miles slow and steady.

My faithful touring companion is my old Peugeot Explorer 050 made in France. I think it started out life as an MTB but when I got it, I made it into a touring bike. We have travelled far together touring some parts of the Malaysian peninsula. It never let me down before in the middle of the road and always get me to my destination.I marveled sometimes how an old bicycle like this can withstand the rigors of carrying me, my panniers, and all the other bits and pieces day in and day out. There is still more life left in my old touring bicycle and our journey together has yet to end. There is still so much more to explore together.

Salute to old bicycles all over the world.