Fed up of fixing my bike

[GrumpyGregry]

Weirdo.

Guilty as charged. In plea of mitigation I have been know to ride an awful lot too. Just not over the last 18 months.

 

[jonny jeez]

Doing 4-5000 miles a year on the same bike for 4 or 5 years is taking its toll on my Giant Defy.
I am forever fixing stuff and the list gets longer and longer and longer.

The final straw today was finding the rear hub on my wheels is shot. I need a new set of wheels!

In addition, my Bottom Bracket is really noisy, I bought a dud, it was noisy from the start for some reason.

Some good news, my headset is now fully serviced so I don't have to steer into oncoming traffic when passing lines of stationery cars. Bonus.

My tyres are OK!
Oh, and I need new brake pads.

I do have another winter bike which is nearly finished.

Anyone else sick to death of fixing their bike ?

That's a pretty healthy mileage. I would imagine the repairs will come I waves...with big costa for items like new wheels and crank sets. Otherwise there's not a lot that might brake the bank.

Ride the wave, it'll be a while till the next one.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

That's a pretty healthy mileage. I would imagine the repairs will come I waves...with big costa for items like new wheels and crank sets. Otherwise there's not a lot that might brake the bank.

Ride the wave, it'll be a while till the next one.

 

[vickster]

Just get a new bike or two

 

[jonny jeez]

C

View attachment 142245

Can I blame my daft "smart" phone?

 

[Elybazza61]

Nope try and keep on top of things by checking brake pads,chain and tyres pretty regularly..

Saying that the Planet X XLS is in need of some TLC but apart from changes/upgrades it's been a while since cables and other serviceable have been fitted so some Shimano cables are on the way with some nice Schwalbe S-Ones and will be getting some new bar tape too.Hoping the chain will last through winter but it will need changing next spring,cassettes' ok as is the bb at the mo(been on since I built the bike in 2014) and the headset bearings.

Winter bile will also need a fettle soon as the Helium will go in to semi-hibernation in a bedroom around October.That will need new cables now too although everything else is fine;will swap the open paves from the Helium on to that once the Clements have worn out.

Do like to tinker and have some cables and bar-tape coming(bit of a recurring theme here) to fix to the Trek in it's next revival as a drop bar tourer/workhorse.

Could do with more space to put everything and work on stuff.

 

[jefmcg]

In addition, my Bottom Bracket is really noisy, I bought a dud, it was noisy from the start for some reason.

Yeah, I only got 14,000km from my first BB. Just checked, the replacement is the same age.

Just get a new bike or two

I think this is actually good advice. It's nice to have an alternative when your bike needs fixing and you can't be arsed. Makes it less of a chore, if you can postpone until it's actually broken.

Can you calculate how much your cycling costs per mile? That might make it look cheap compared to driving or PT, or maybe it's a money pit, and you need a different bike for your conditions.

 

[tyred]

I have many bikes but the one I use most is an old obscure brand skip rescue 3 speed which I took a sine to. Mileage covered on it was around 5,500 miles when the battery died in the cycle computer, longest ride completed was 85 miles. I've replaced the rack and saddle for something to my taste but otherwise I just throw some oil on the chain once in a while and top up the hub when I'm in a good mood and I once had to replace a blown tail lamp bulb and I recently re-tensioned the chain.

Record 3 Speed by braveheart1979, on Flickr

 

[Buck]

I quite like fettling my bike.

I'm learning each time and with prices for both tools and parts all relatively cheap/good value along with the advent of YouTube it is so easy to learn how to do things and maintain yourself. Yesterday I removed my BB to clean and regrease. This weekend I will be doing the same with the headset.

I have yet to come across something where I need the LBS to help but no doubt I will and when I do, they will get my business.(wheels out of true / broken spokes are examples where my knowledge etc. wouldn't be good enough)

On your mileage you will get more wear and tear than me but virtually everything on a bike is a consumable part and as long we keep up to the maintenance then we won't go into fix-it/repair mode!

 

[winjim]

We are thinking of getting a garden office thingy place building wotsit. The lovely Helen gives me a very old-fashioned look when I refer to it as "my new workshop". (Not allowed to do anything but build brand new wheels in the house, not since she came home and found a filthy mtb in the bath, and the bike shed is too small and too full of bikes to work on them in, so my workshop is a stand on the lawn with a gazebo. If I can be are said. If it is raining.)

We're about to move into rented accommodation and then hopefully to a new house. I've been reading up on shed building and thinking I could have a go. I've got plans for a bike shed for the rented house, then in the new house a workshop for me, a summer house for the family, a wendy house for my daughter... I'm getting a bit shed building obsessed. I'll try a small bike shed first as a practice and see how that goes. I did a tolerable job on reroofing the shed at our current house so I'm quietly confident.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

We're about to move into rented accommodation and then hopefully to a new house. I've been reading up on shed building and thinking I could have a go. I've got plans for a bike shed for the rented house, then in the new house a workshop for me, a summer house for the family, a wendy house for my daughter... I'm getting a bit shed building obsessed. I'll try a small bike shed first as a practice and see how that goes. I did a tolerable job on reroofing the shed at our current house so I'm quietly confident.

I built one from scratch, to house my Laverda, at our last house.

It was an enjoyable process but, on reflection, it would have been quicker, easier, and cheaper, waaaay cheaper, to have bought a mass produced one and modified the door(s) to let the bulk of an RGS Jota in and out.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I think this is actually good advice. It's nice to have an alternative when your bike needs fixing and you can't be arsed. Makes it less of a chore, if you can postpone until it's actually broken.

Nails it. Exactly why I got a second bike. Once a bike becomes your main method of transport a backup for when it breaks on a dark winters eve is very helpful.

 

[jefmcg]

I built one from scratch, to house my Laverda, at our last house.

Lol. This thread was about how much of a bother fixing a bike was, and somehow now people are discussing building sheds. I don't think this will be helping @Rooster1

 

[swee'pea99]

Fixies never need fixing.

 

[Drago]

Fed up fixing your bike?

Then stop riding it.