mrmacmusic
Veteran
- Location
- Tillicoultry
What should have been a fully satisfying weekend of first-time DIY drivetrain maintenance turned into 50% satisfaction, 25% swearing and 25% bleeding...
OK so that's a slight exaggeration, but having replaced my chain, cassette and chainrings for the first time ever over the weekend, the points I wanted to make were:
1. Doing your own maintenance is not particularly difficult, and highly rewarding;
2. Having the correct tool for the job is essential, and will not result in you stripping the threads in your chainset, muttering unmentionables or cursing your stupidity; and
3. When you're trying to remove a stiff chain-ring bolt, it's all too easy for your hand to slip off the allen key and get a chainring tooth stuck in your finger... not pleasant
Despite having never attempted any of this before, experiencing a couple of hiccups along the way (and not to mention a bl**dy sore finger), I'm really glad I decided to give these repairs a go myself – I saved a bit of money, learned a few lessons along the way and feel better prepared to look after my bike
OK so that's a slight exaggeration, but having replaced my chain, cassette and chainrings for the first time ever over the weekend, the points I wanted to make were:
1. Doing your own maintenance is not particularly difficult, and highly rewarding;
2. Having the correct tool for the job is essential, and will not result in you stripping the threads in your chainset, muttering unmentionables or cursing your stupidity; and
3. When you're trying to remove a stiff chain-ring bolt, it's all too easy for your hand to slip off the allen key and get a chainring tooth stuck in your finger... not pleasant
Despite having never attempted any of this before, experiencing a couple of hiccups along the way (and not to mention a bl**dy sore finger), I'm really glad I decided to give these repairs a go myself – I saved a bit of money, learned a few lessons along the way and feel better prepared to look after my bike