Keeping bikes running well - more pricey than cars?!
Discussion
Not done the exact sums but I'm finding keeping my bikes in working order (I do fairly reasonable mileage and lots of off roading) is costing me a fortune!
Just when I think it's running well, something else dies on me - this time the shifters. I always try and put the same/better kit on so partly my fault but it's still a wallet basher. So this afternoon - two X0 shifters (my X9s have dies - lasted under two years).
I only replace stuff if it wear out/breaks but in the last three months it's been:
Forks (Fox 90RLs to RS SIDs)
Cassette and chain (990 and 991)
Rear mech (X9 to X0)
Now shifters (X9 to X0)
And not long ago, new brakes (Juicy 5 to Elixir CR), wheels (Spesh stout/DT Swiss average rims to xc717s on Hope Pro 2s), crankset (SLX to XT) and the list goes on!
I think actually using a bike regularly is a bit pricey!
Just when I think it's running well, something else dies on me - this time the shifters. I always try and put the same/better kit on so partly my fault but it's still a wallet basher. So this afternoon - two X0 shifters (my X9s have dies - lasted under two years).
I only replace stuff if it wear out/breaks but in the last three months it's been:
Forks (Fox 90RLs to RS SIDs)
Cassette and chain (990 and 991)
Rear mech (X9 to X0)
Now shifters (X9 to X0)
And not long ago, new brakes (Juicy 5 to Elixir CR), wheels (Spesh stout/DT Swiss average rims to xc717s on Hope Pro 2s), crankset (SLX to XT) and the list goes on!
I think actually using a bike regularly is a bit pricey!
I seem to be the only one who doesn't find this.
1750 miles so far in all weathers including the depths of winter and (aside from a pair of shifters damaged in an accident) the only parts I have needed have been a couple of inner tubes. Even that was laziness on my part, they could have been patched.
1750 miles so far in all weathers including the depths of winter and (aside from a pair of shifters damaged in an accident) the only parts I have needed have been a couple of inner tubes. Even that was laziness on my part, they could have been patched.
Vladimir said:
Gooby said:
Go fill up your car with fuel then think about it!
Probably comparable to filling myself up with "fuel" before a ride!P-Jay - always happens to me too. Go to get a little niggle sorted, find out something else is knackered!
okgo said:
Agreed.
I've had my roadbike over a year now, and done probably 4 thousand miles on it. What have I needed to replace? The tyres and some tubes.
Load of old tosh that they cost a fortune to keep on the road.
That'll be the difference between a road bike and an MTB. My road bike seems to need near zero maintenance, my MTB needs constant attention. It does get ridden very hard and a fair amount of mileage a week.I've had my roadbike over a year now, and done probably 4 thousand miles on it. What have I needed to replace? The tyres and some tubes.
Load of old tosh that they cost a fortune to keep on the road.
Re fuel - I fill up once a fortnight at the most. I'm fairly sure I eat more than £70 of food in two weeks!
Vladimir said:
That'll be the difference between a road bike and an MTB. My road bike seems to need near zero maintenance, my MTB needs constant attention. It does get ridden very hard and a fair amount of mileage a week.
Re fuel - I fill up once a fortnight at the most. I'm fairly sure I eat more than £70 of food in two weeks!
You'd think so, but the maintenance bills of some roadies are as bad or worse than yours. I think part of it might be "Best bike" syndrome.Re fuel - I fill up once a fortnight at the most. I'm fairly sure I eat more than £70 of food in two weeks!
Re: food/fuel - You'd still eat 90% of the food you do now if you didn't cycle, and you'd use rather more petrol. Quoting total bills is pretty pointless. Its the difference that matters.
It was just a tongue in cheek example really.
Probably right on the best bike thing - I use the road bike very occasionally and favour the MTB but the latter does get a hammering. Try and look after it as well as humanly possible (clean after each ride, degrease and oil chain weekly, etc) but still wear stuff out at an alarming rate. Oh well - it's fun!
Probably right on the best bike thing - I use the road bike very occasionally and favour the MTB but the latter does get a hammering. Try and look after it as well as humanly possible (clean after each ride, degrease and oil chain weekly, etc) but still wear stuff out at an alarming rate. Oh well - it's fun!
What "wears out and breaks" to the point replacement > repair with forks if they're correctly maintained?
And what can fail on a crank?!
Stout hubs are, IIRC, nothing too fancy: off-the-shelf bearings, maybe even cup & cone. New bearings/grease, true-up...sorted.
It's as expensive or as cheap as you want to make it. Ignore the magazines/bling fairy/trail-centre carpark numpties, and it's nothing near as bad as you make out..
And what can fail on a crank?!
Stout hubs are, IIRC, nothing too fancy: off-the-shelf bearings, maybe even cup & cone. New bearings/grease, true-up...sorted.
It's as expensive or as cheap as you want to make it. Ignore the magazines/bling fairy/trail-centre carpark numpties, and it's nothing near as bad as you make out..
Edited by Jimbo. on Friday 25th March 15:33
Edited by Jimbo. on Friday 25th March 15:33
this is why i ride an orange 5 with fox forks and hope kit.... it works and lasts!
I still have a perfect pair of bulb disc wheels on the second bike.
built my self in 1999 rims pretty concave from when i ran V's on them but apart from a couple of bearing changes (c£20) they are perfect, smooth and true
custard
I still have a perfect pair of bulb disc wheels on the second bike.
built my self in 1999 rims pretty concave from when i ran V's on them but apart from a couple of bearing changes (c£20) they are perfect, smooth and true
custard
you must do s
t loads of miles and a lot of very hard riding for stuff to "go" in a short life. I dont ride that much, but over summer when i'm home from uni i will go out most days on my bike for 10-15 miles trail riding with a full day ride every two weeks or so. The only things i have had to replace are due do crash damage on my current bike. On my previous bike i replaced the rear wheel and gearset because it just wore out after about 5 years. I need to replace the bottom bracket on my Haro actually because it has a bit of play in it and i don't like it, but thats only going to be £25 or so, and thats after 2 years.
t loads of miles and a lot of very hard riding for stuff to "go" in a short life. I dont ride that much, but over summer when i'm home from uni i will go out most days on my bike for 10-15 miles trail riding with a full day ride every two weeks or so. The only things i have had to replace are due do crash damage on my current bike. On my previous bike i replaced the rear wheel and gearset because it just wore out after about 5 years. I need to replace the bottom bracket on my Haro actually because it has a bit of play in it and i don't like it, but thats only going to be £25 or so, and thats after 2 years. I've often wondered what breaks on road bikes. Pads and tyres wear of course, drive trains too but it's not like they're getting hammered through the woods and soaked in grit/mud/water constantly would have thought Road Drivetrains last forever.
As for stuff just breaking on MTB's stuff just dies, winter riding can kill brake pads in hours, pedals get obliterated on rocks hits and everything else is subject to death by tree. I once destroyed 4 derailers in week in the Alps, bloody Sram X9 Supershorts too £100 a pop! Even fancy fox forks get royally mullered - but usually only need a service to get going again, shocks (air ones anyway) colapse or worse blow internal seals and explode in your kitchen spraying the walls with oil - happened to me once.
As for stuff just breaking on MTB's stuff just dies, winter riding can kill brake pads in hours, pedals get obliterated on rocks hits and everything else is subject to death by tree. I once destroyed 4 derailers in week in the Alps, bloody Sram X9 Supershorts too £100 a pop! Even fancy fox forks get royally mullered - but usually only need a service to get going again, shocks (air ones anyway) colapse or worse blow internal seals and explode in your kitchen spraying the walls with oil - happened to me once.
Yep - winter does kill bikes.
My frame (about the only original part left) is 2007. I'm on my third chainset, 2nd rear mech, 2nd set of brakes, 2nd set of forks - TBH that's not too bad for a bike with 6000+ hard miles on it. I don't give in to mag hype - I replace stuff ONLY when it wears out - on my forks the stanchions wore out and it was cheaper to get new forks. My chainrings all wore out - again cheaper to get a new crankset. My hubs died completely - again it's sad to say but a new set of Hope Hoops was cheaper than a wheel rebuild on new hubs on old rims.
It's a throwaway industry really - instead of replacing say a hub, it's cheaper to replace a whole wheel for example but I really only do replace stuff when it's reached the end of it's life. Since buying the bike for £1200 in 2007, I've probably spent nearly double that on new parts!
Anyway my new X0 shifters are very nice. I have a mobile mechanic that comes over and sorts the bike - he's also a SRAM race mechanic - handy.
My frame (about the only original part left) is 2007. I'm on my third chainset, 2nd rear mech, 2nd set of brakes, 2nd set of forks - TBH that's not too bad for a bike with 6000+ hard miles on it. I don't give in to mag hype - I replace stuff ONLY when it wears out - on my forks the stanchions wore out and it was cheaper to get new forks. My chainrings all wore out - again cheaper to get a new crankset. My hubs died completely - again it's sad to say but a new set of Hope Hoops was cheaper than a wheel rebuild on new hubs on old rims.
It's a throwaway industry really - instead of replacing say a hub, it's cheaper to replace a whole wheel for example but I really only do replace stuff when it's reached the end of it's life. Since buying the bike for £1200 in 2007, I've probably spent nearly double that on new parts!
Anyway my new X0 shifters are very nice. I have a mobile mechanic that comes over and sorts the bike - he's also a SRAM race mechanic - handy.
Edited by Vladimir on Friday 25th March 16:53
Some components like bottom bracket bearings and chainrings seem to be made out of cheese and last no time at all, I'll also never buy a set of crank bros pedals again as they seem to think it's acceptable to have plastic bushings instead of bearings in an mtb pedal. Got fed up with re-building those.
To combat riding through the grinding paste that is to be found in our part of the Yorkshire pennines I've made some changes. I have a hardtail with Alfine for the worst of the winter, it also has an SKF inboard BB and Middleburn crank/ring, for the rest of the winter there's a Nicolai Helius with Rohloff and for our couple of summer months a Kona full suss with normal transmission. Magura brakes seem to last longer than most though I still can't work out how tiny mtb disc pads cost as much as car pads...
To combat riding through the grinding paste that is to be found in our part of the Yorkshire pennines I've made some changes. I have a hardtail with Alfine for the worst of the winter, it also has an SKF inboard BB and Middleburn crank/ring, for the rest of the winter there's a Nicolai Helius with Rohloff and for our couple of summer months a Kona full suss with normal transmission. Magura brakes seem to last longer than most though I still can't work out how tiny mtb disc pads cost as much as car pads...
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