mercurykev said:
This is true, but needs to be seen as commercial realism rather than rip-off.
The present price of a Deore dérailleur from CRC is £25 and £8 for a pair of Deore Jockey wheels. A big difference when fitting yourself, but if you're paying fair workshop rates for someone to strip, clean and fit them for you the difference almost disappears and you may as well have the new kit.
£150 for drivetrain components after 4,000 miles is more than you need to spend, though when you compare it to any other method of commuting it's still a massive saving. I've found that all but the cheapest chains and cassettes will last a similar time, they'e just maybe a bit lighter and sometimes look nicer! I spent a year commuting 140 miles a week on my Hewitt Cheviot, at a cost of around 4p a mile. I did eventually get tiered of the time rather than expense of keeping it running well and bought a hub geared bike instead. I don't consider any bike too good to commute on, they're all loads cheaper than the alternatives
