A vote from Australia for the longevity of steel: I have a Falcon bicycle which I purchased off the shelf in London in early 1979. It has worked constantly hard since as a tourer and commuter in the UK/Europe and here in Australia. On-road/off road; no load/huge loads; good maintenance/poor maintenance; gentle handling/rough handling...just about anything and everything that could come its way has done so. The only original parts of the Falcon which have stood the test of time and distance are the Reynolds 531 frame, the alloy stem, steel seatpost and leather saddle. Forks, brakes, complete drive chain, wheels, racks - all have had to be replaced at least once through wear and accidents. Not one to rush decisions, 30 years after I first made a UK bike purchase to bring back to Australia, I've just bought another bike after a good deal of research and thought. My second tourer in 3 decades is a Thorn Sherpa (world tour, drop bar spec). I am sure that this superb bike, or at least the steel bits, will see me out. I've just got the bike back to Australia from SJSC. I am looking forward to a first fully loaded tour on it, but so far I think it's brilliant. The steely Falcon has not been put out to pasture. It is still going strong as a commuter.
