A term that can, like many others, mean different things to different people. Some would describe a “forever bike” as one you can pop into storage and feel instantly connected, like you would an old friend, months, possibly years down the line. I can broadly agree with that sentiment but tend to regard forever bikes as part of the family. Machines that have been with you throughout life’s twists, turns, turned massive mileages and evolved. Tourers often fell into this category.
Sometimes they start off as a high-end bike for long-haul rides and tours but evolve over the years. Low gears, mudguards, and stable handling mean they often evolve into go-to beasts of burden, towing trailers, and tagalongs when the children are small, practical for other general riding but deeply revered in the same way you would a family pet. No prizes for spotting Ursula falls into this category. The lightweight triple-butted 4130 cro-moly frameset is rugged, fun to ride and has a wealth of nifty braze-ons/ features that cater for most contexts.
Full length guards (fenders) ensure year-round comfort, loads of clearance for big tyres, three bottle bosses, four-point carrier fixings. She’s rides beautifully, laden, or otherwise. There are the memories of the rides with Joshua on his tagalong, cakes, and goodies in the pannier- sociable resistance training, essentially. Times when he and I were close. The old girl could go anywhere we wanted, on a whim.
Especially with good quality dual-purpose tyres, such as the now-discontinued Vittoria Randonneur Trail. Spiked tyres, and I can slither along the lanes and backroads safely. No such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong kit.
Loved, cherished and regularly waxed, she’s a machine I’ve been confident about riding, no matter how wild the weather gets. There have been evolutions, constant component changes (not least since the stuff to make her go, stop and handle in great proportion wears out). I’ve tended to upgrade as I’ve gone along, but on a working bike, reliability and durability trump glamour.
These things must be cost-effective, too. The full-length guards and rugged tyres make a huge difference as the roads become coated in a greasy mulch. I was stunned to find a complete loss of drive the other morning. Pre-dawn and sans Sigma Buster 2000 (or similar helmet light) I was convinced yet another chain had broken and slithered off, into the undergrowth, meaning another six-mile scoot home. Imagine my relief discovering it had simply slipped off the front ring- no damage. No obvious cause, either.
I’ve toyed with hub gears and may eventually go the Alfine route when the XT hub finally gives up the ghost and I’m looking at another wheel build. Ok, so it’s 700c, not 26 inch but I’ve always felt something like Genesis Day One 20 is a very well equipped “from the crate” package with hub transmission (30-90 inches) drop bars, full-length guards and clearance for 700x35c tyres.
Personally, I’d want a hub dynamo and disc calliper upgrade, and knowing me, I’d go for an external BB & crankset but otherwise a very practical road-going workhorse. One I’d gladly have in my stable. Well, if we’re going with my opening narrative, taking this route, I would build a similar machine around a higher-end frameset.
Reynolds 631 might be overbuilt for some tastes but I’ve found it very responsive and built correctly, it will certainly serve the test of time. Some Waxoyl sloshing around its inner sanctum and a high-quality powder-coated After The Gritters Went Home | Seven Day Cyclist dove grey finish. Disc brake mounts, clearance for 700x42c plus, four-point carrier mounts and some other personalised nick nacks...
