Oh, there is no lack of deals out there in the abundance of older Wintel hardware still circulating. If I do go that route I'll probably wind up with a ThinkPad or Latitude (my current model is an i7 E6520). No complaints and I don't anticipate replacing any circuitry soon but I confess the modularity and versatility, not to mention the current standards and performance, available with Framework designs are strong selling points.

Because the company is in its infancy it has a way to go in terms of product lineup and refinement but the ingenuity on display thus far has been quite impressive.

Typing this out on an 11 12 year old 15" Dell Latitude, a business model designed around easy user repairs and upgrades. That's precisely why I still have it: you can continue to dive in to help it deliver contemporary, modern OS experiences (dual SSD Win 10/Linux). CPU, RAM, drives (including optical), keyboard, battery, etc. have been swapped out over the years. Used to be this was standard practice on devices. Now? Disposability is a feature.

So it's back to the future for Framework, though they really take user serviceability to a new level. Good for them. If this Dell ever dies most likely a Framework will be my next (and last) laptop.

Good grief. The watches you're referring to do triple duty functioning as status markers and jewelry as well as timepieces. $50 Casios can withstand more knocks and outlast Swiss watches costing a 100 times more.

I did mention cotton/poly/spandex blends as more durable--and comfortable--alternatives to 100% cotton. Wool? It has a long history in cycling, particularly in jerseys--I use merino regularly there--where it's not subjected to constant abrasion (legs/ass on saddle) that'll kill it. Wool has great properties but again durability isn't one of them. You'll notice that it's often blended with nylon, partially for that reason. Other factors such as cost, reaction to moisture, dyes, sweat, abrasion, etc must also be considered too, so it's not all about durability.

To reiterate, there's nothing wrong with riding in 100% natural cotton, wool, linen, or what-have-you. Just that, commuting regularly in such clothing will prematurely wear it out. I have ten year old Levis that if worn to commute by bike (40 km round trip) wouldn't have lasted a year.

Some natural clothing products may last marginally longer than others but they will succumb earlier than their synthetic counterparts, as nylon and poly have been deliberately engineered in the lab to be more durable.

The key here is not so much the brand, i.e., Levis or Wrangler, but in knowing the nature of the textiles used. And the nature of natural fibres is that they rank well below synthetics in durability.

Dedicated cycling gear is not what I'm referring to. There's no shortage of casual pants that are durable, far superior for your purposes, without the cycling esthetic, eg., Prana. What's important is the composition of the fabric, i.e., ideally no or little cotton. Perhaps Decathlon would have what I'm talking about. Good luck.

Saying this as a long time cyclist. Cotton (denim) is probably the poorest choice for cycling gear. There are very few, if any, makers of casual cycling kit that use 100% cotton fabrics and a chief reason is what you've noticed: cotton fibre is not in the same league as polyester or nylon in strength and durability.

Yes, you can cycle constantly in jeans; if you do you'll experience exactly what's happening: soon the seat of your pants will wear and tear to nothing.

Accordingly one should favour nylon/polyester pants (with some elastane for flexibility). Or if you really must have denim consider purpose designed jeans from Duer et al. They're cotton/poly/elastane blends engineered for greater motion and durability, look like regular jeans, with your use case in mind.

Lastly, you can resort to thrift shops and buy cheap used denim for the purpose. That way when you wear out the arse of a pair of jeans it's no big loss.

This. Further the solar models eliminate battery changes so maintenance free as well. A caveat with Casios, especially the G-Shocks, is their thickness which can catch tight fitting (at the wrist) shirts and coats.