A different type of ouch!

[magnatom]

My bike has gone in for a service and on Friday I got a phone call back from them. One of those, 'unfortunately Mr Magnatom there are a few things needing done.....' Oh dear

Cassette, chain, cables, possibly bottom bracket......... etc. Oh dear

Including labour I'm look at £140 ish. Oh well I suppose it is still a good bit cheaper than having a second car..... maybe...... (It is a lot more fun of course!)

Maybe I should clean my bike more often that twice a year, and maybe and Edinburgh co-op maintenance course is a good idea.

(Oh yes and it is possible my recent wee crash has something to do with it )

 

[palinurus]

I've had some of those. Less recently, since I've been doing the odd bit of maintenance myself. I have had a service that topped £150 (on a bike that only cost a bit more than twice that). I reckoned it was worth it for a commuter bike since it worked out less than £15 a month for the pleasure of being able to fairly comfortably abuse the thing and not spend much time cleaning and maintaining it.

Incidently the service that topped £150 was: cables (all), brake pads all round (pricy ones), BB, cassette/chain/chainset, headset. I can do most of this stuff myself; sometimes I don't want to. Esp. February. It was a really shitty winter that year.

Nowdays I get paid £5 weekly to cycle, covers it nicely. Plus a set of tyres.

 

[goo_mason]

Tut tut.

A weekly clean and regular maintenance (once you know how after doing the Edinburgh Bicycle intensive maintenance course) is essential. That should save you any more nasty ouches in future...

I learned that the hard way after having the bike for one year and then stripping it right down for a complete overhaul after doing the EBC course... found out just how neglectful I'd been during my period of mechanical ignorance/bliss ! Water, mud and rust in my now-pitted hubs, front chainrings ground away to sharks' teeth, cassette in a similar state, chain manky and badly worn / stretched, about a cupful of dried mud hidden in the front derailleur workings - the list went on.

Now I'm MUCH more careful and mindful of just how much loving care and attention a commuting bike needs, especially since year 1 was just over 1000 miles and year two (as at the date of writing) is only 40 miles short of 3000; 4000 miles in two years means the bike gets quite a lot of wear'n'tear !

 

[magnatom]

My problem though is finding the time to clean it. Sounds crazy I know, but with two young kids when I get home the last thing I want to do (or have time to do) is give the bike a good clean and a bit of a service.

Oh and it is very cold and wet at this time of year so not the best time to be outside working on the bike (go on goo you know you want to say it ).

The bike does work hard. Not a huge amount of miles (50miles a week), but it does get used 5 days a week, 47 weeks a year in all conditions, so I suppose it gets a fair amount of punishment. Maybe I need to get a hub geared bike.......


Oh yes goo I think two of the front chain rings need replacing as well

 

[mickle]

My problem though is finding the time to clean it. Sounds crazy I know, but with two young kids when I get home the last thing I want to do (or have time to do) is give the bike a good clean and a bit of a service.

The obvious answer is to train the kids to maintain your bike. If they really loved you they would.

 

[magnatom]

The obvious answer is to train the kids to maintain your bike. If they really loved you they would.

At 2.5 and 6 months that would be impressive!!

 

[spandex]

no what is impressive is you having 2 kids at 2.5 months and 6 months dont the mrs mind?


how did she do that?

 

[magnatom]

no what is impressive is you having 2 kids at 2.5 months and 6 months dont the mrs mind?


how did she do that?

2.5 years and 6 months of course!

You know, just before posting it I did consider adding years into the sentence, but I thought, what the hell, live a little...

 

[fossyant]

If mine comes in after a wet ride - I leave it outside under a cover (to keep saddle dry) ten once kids are in bed it's outside to wash off the carp and re-lube - good chill out time...

OK bikes do live in the garage, so if it's freezing I'll whip on the fan heater whilst lubing - beats taking large chunks of hands off with the chain rings as so often happens with cold hands.

The bike probably gets cleaned off at least 3 to 4 times a week. Doesn't take long if you keep on top of it.

My road bikes are every ride - did a quick 10 hilly miles today (Sunday) in between shopping (clothes for me for xmas) and cooking - took longer getting me clean and the bike after a wet ride - but it's ready for next time. I even have a fan to dry them off if it's not going to get used for a few days...sad or what.

 

[HJ]

Och, come on Mag, if you took a car in for service, it would cost you £150 in labour just to have a grease monkey look at it and say ooh that going to cost you pal...

Running a bike is a tiny fraction of running a car, important if your a poorly payed scientist...

 

[magnatom]

If mine comes in after a wet ride - I leave it outside under a cover (to keep saddle dry) ten once kids are in bed it's outside to wash off the carp and re-lube - good chill out time...

OK bikes do live in the garage, so if it's freezing I'll whip on the fan heater whilst lubing - beats taking large chunks of hands off with the chain rings as so often happens with cold hands.

The bike probably gets cleaned off at least 3 to 4 times a week. Doesn't take long if you keep on top of it.

My road bikes are every ride - did a quick 10 hilly miles today (Sunday) in between shopping (clothes for me for xmas) and cooking - took longer getting me clean and the bike after a wet ride - but it's ready for next time. I even have a fan to dry them off if it's not going to get used for a few days...sad or what.

No garage for me unfortunately .

I though having a bike was supposed to be more convienient than having a car. Popping outside at 10pm to clean the bike when I could be cosied up with the wife watching the latest spooks.... no contest!

 

[magnatom]

Och, come on Mag, if you took a car in for service, it would cost you £150 in labour just to grease monkey look at it and say ooh that gonging to cost you pal...

Running a bike is a tiny fraction of running a car, important if your a poorly payed scientist...

Indeed. I do appreciate that. It would still be better if the service cost £40 though!

Aye a poor scientist indeed. Only the doctors (not us real doctors) get the sky high wages. Not that I bear a grudge you understand...

 

[Tynan]

I'm a next to zero maintenance type and it works for me

sorry, I must have been lucky

 

[BentMikey]

That doesn't seem like a vast amount to me. If you have some mechanical aptitude you could quite probably learn how to do it all pretty quickly from the internet and some trying stuff out.

 

[HJ]

I'm a next to zero maintenance type and it works for me

sorry, I must have been lucky

It'll catch up with you in the end...