三河マルシェ【MARCHE】三河エリアのコミュニティポータルサイト

BIKE REPAIR COSTS: BUDGETING FOR BIKE MAINTENANCE

It was Christmas 1996. The weather was cold and snowy. But that didn’t stop me from taking my mountain bike out for a ride — however short — bundled up in my warmest outerwear. That year, I got a pair of IRC Piranha Pro tires as a gift. I had to try them out as soon as they were mounted. That’s my oldest recollection of performing my own bike maintenance, and ever since then, I’ve savored my garage time.To get more news about ebike maintaince, you can visit magicyclebike.com official website.

Some cyclists loathe the regular upkeep our bikes require. That’s understandable. It can be time-consuming, difficult, and expensive. However, routine maintenance is really not that bad. The key is to plan ahead and know what to expect so your bike doesn’t end up neglected.

Whether they are an old pro or a newcomer to cycling, nearly everyone has a budget when they set out to buy a bike. Do they account for routine maintenance in that budget? I doubt it.So let’s dive into the basics of what to expect in a given year of routine bike maintenance. It goes without saying that these will all be general recommendations. If you ride more often (kudos!) or you’re battling through wet conditions (double kudos!), your gear will probably wear out faster. If you want to replace wear items with more expensive options — such as race tires or high-end components — maintenance will also be pricier.

Tires
Of all the components on a bike, it’s easy for anyone to understand how tires get worn out. But how do you know when it is time to replace them?

Many modern road tires have wear indicators. You’ll find these on Specialized and Continental tires, for instance. They are usually small circular indentations in the middle of the tread. Once the tread wears to the point that these indents disappear, replacement is recommended. I’ve been able to get up to a couple thousand miles out of heavy-duty road tires. Lightweight racing tires will wear (and roll) faster. Rough road surfaces and lower tire pressure can also result in faster wear.

On knobby tires that you see on mountain, gravel, and cyclocross bikes, it’s not quite as easy to know when your rubber is toast. Generally, when the knobs get worn to the point where they are noticeably shorter and rounded, or the edges of the knobs are extremely ragged, it’s time to consider replacement. Experienced riders might notice decreased traction on loose dirt under heavy braking, while pedaling hard up a steep climb, or when cornering aggressively. Naturally, the center knobs of a tread will wear more quickly than side knobs.
Clipless pedal cleats
While tire wear is right under your nose on any given ride, clipless pedal cleats are out of sight, out of mind, unless you’re doing some sort of advanced bike yoga. However, if you neglect your cleats, you could end up with inconsistent pedal release or even knee injury.

Cleats pose another challenge as well: Some wear very fast and others last for months or even an entire season. Muddy conditions will also accelerate mountain bike cleat wear. If you walk around often in your road shoes, plastic cleats, such as those by Look or Time, will wear quicker.
Chain
One of the most costly mistakes you can make with bike maintenance is to neglect your chain. As it wears, it stretches. When it stretches, it wears your cassette and chainrings unevenly. When your entire drivetrain wears beyond the point of no return, you have a costly repair on your hands — it can be five times the cost of a new chain alone.

I’ve found that most of my road bike chains last for about a season, which can be anywhere from 1,000-3,000 miles of riding. On a mountain bike, dust, mud, water, and higher torque can accelerate wear, so about 500-1,000 miles is more realistic.

When in doubt, check your chain wear. Most bike tool companies offer chain-checker tools. Or, if you’re handy with a ruler, you can measure your chain to roughly gauge its wear. Each full chain link (inner and outer link) should be one inch long.