is it worth the expense?

danowat

:roll:

If wheels and chains failed every 6 weeks, no one would afford to cycle over the winter.

evsy

danowat wrote:

:roll:

If wheels and chains failed every 6 weeks, no one would afford to cycle over the winter.

yeah i guess so.

dirkdiggler69

don't ever take up fishing then.
i added up well over £10,000 in my garage a good while ago.
and every time we go fishing a match its between £40 and £60 a go depending on petrol money etc.
i doubt if even i can spunk away that much on bikes :shock:

owenlars

evsy wrote:

lbs. they said the hubs have gone.

If they've gone after 6 weeks (I assume your bike is the same as age as your cycling career) then take it back to where you bought it from and get it sorted under warranty. I have two bikes with over 10,000 miles each still on their first set of wheels and hubs.

keef66

I need to know what wheels you have worn out in 6 weeks so I can avoid them. My RS10s are still going strong after two and a half years / 3 winters.

All I've replaced so far is the original chain, and I've had to patch 2 punctures. I'm also suspicious that one of the BB cups is losing grease, but it's still running silently so that might just be paranoia on my part.

sfichele

I think there is sometimes variability in the setup of factory wheel bearing that leads to some not lasting as long. For example, my RS10s I had to replace the bearings twice over two years and the cups are no longer smooth, but they are still more than functional. However, the RS10s on my mates bike still roll perfectly and he's never had a problem or changed the bearings.

Perhaps you got a bad batch? Or did you get solvent, like GT85 into the bearings?

CiB

Strewth - shot after 6 weeks? Someone's having you on. Is it the same bloke who fancies selling you a pair of wheels?

Seriously. Try this. Buy a half-decent set of Allen Keys (£10-15), some ordinary metric spanners (tenner), a chain tool (fiver), tub of grease (another fiver) and a Chinese takeway. Eat the takeaway, wash the pots thoroughly. Then set about stripping the bike down to its constituent parts using the Allen keys you just bought, putting everything into the clean takeaway pots and noting which washers fit where.

Your whole bike minus frame & wheels should fit in the takeaway pots - mine does.

Then strip the wheel axles (spanners here), being careful to collect all the bearings from inside the hub.

Remove the chain and clean it - do a search on here for how to clean chains. It's been well covered and everyone has an opinion.

Give everything a good clean inside & out, then put it all back together, lubing anything that needs lubricating. Adjust cables & brakes and go for a test run round the corner & back to verify that it's all ok, and to note the indexing being out on your gears. You know how to adjust this though, now that yo've had the bike in bits.

I can personally guarantee you a number of things:

* It'll be a lot easier than you could possibly imagine - bikes aren't rocket science by a long chalk.
* You'll be chuffed to bits with yourself for having done it
* You'll realise that every little issue with a bike doesn't involve a trip to the LBS.
* You'll save a fortune - you only buy the tools, grease & takeaway once.
* You'll know how it all works and thus not be bothered by minor noises & inconsitencies.
* You'll still be chuffed to bits with yourself for having done it everytime you ride it.

giant_man

Lillywhite wrote:

giant mancp wrote:

You don't want to start running, that will kill you.

I wouldn't say that but it's a well known fact that many runners suffer hip, knee, ankle and hamstring problems often caused by excessive running on hard surfaces or while continuing to train/compete whilst being injured.

Well I would say that after hearing and knowing of 'runners' who have had inadequate training and then entering long marathons, resulting in them collapsing half way round and in some cases having cardiac problems and dying.

Never heard of anyone in cycling having the same 'problems'.

Lillywhite

giant mancp wrote:

Lillywhite wrote:

giant mancp wrote:

You don't want to start running, that will kill you.

I wouldn't say that but it's a well known fact that many runners suffer hip, knee, ankle and hamstring problems often caused by excessive running on hard surfaces or while continuing to train/compete whilst being injured.

Well I would say that after hearing and knowing of 'runners' who have had inadequate training and then entering long marathons, resulting in them collapsing half way round and in some cases having cardiac problems and dying.

Never heard of anyone in cycling having the same 'problems'.

My comments were not based on inadequately prepared runners but from first hand experience gleaned being a member, and club secretary, of a fairly large athletic club and witnessing first hand injuries sustained by good club athletes i.e .runners who could cover 10 miles in a time of 50-52 minutes. Any runner that has cardiac problems in most cases has an underlying heart defect very often that they were not personally aware of and those high profile cases where a runner has collapsed and died in mass event such as the London Marathon and GNR is not as a result of inadequate preparation.
A close friend of mine collapsed and died whilst cycling. He was an experienced runner, triathlete and cyclist and competed in all these separate disciplines. He died because of an underlying heart defect caused by a childhood illness and he was the less likely person you could imagine passing away in this manner.

In my time as a member of a cycling club for around 15 years I never witnessed any cyclists with significant joint or muscular injuries.

Bobbinogs

Anyway, back to the OP rather than an extended dialogue on the relative merits of different sports (darts, anyone?), I have to agree with the posts about getting back to the LBS and having a constructive chat with them about the bike you bought (make sure you use the word "warranty" because you need them to explain if the warranty covers the work required and if not, why not). After 6 weeks, you should be going back to an LBS for a quick check over and cable adjustment, etc., not to buy a new chain and a new set of wheels.

As others have said, cycling is as expensive as one wants it to be. No reason why someone cannot buy a cheap bike (£400 new or less secondhand), some decent bare essentials and get out and ride. Hydration can be squash/tap water, fuel can be a banana or homemade flapjacks. Kit can be Aldi/dhb.

t'internet can be a great source of help, e.g.:

http://bicycletutor.com/guide/ or Sheldon

similarly, t'internet can be a great source of bookmarks for more kit that is loverly, blingtastic and expensive.

briantrumpet

evsy wrote:

looking for an excuse not to ride...no, i think its more like im searching for a reason to keep going.

I think that many people on this forum could give you a long list of reasons why they cycle, but the biggest one (certainly for me) has just got to be the addiction to the buzz of riding.

I agree with all the comments that it can be just about as cheap as you care to make it. Most of the forumites try to find excuses for spending money on new bits & bobs (and bikes), and in the end give up and just spend the money anyway. Most of the spending isn't actually necessary though - it's just feeding the addiction.

If you don't get a buzz from riding, then it's unlikely that you're going to want to find reasons to spend money on it, I guess.

woodywmb

Half the fun of cycling is the task of keeping your bike "fit" as well as yourself. It's your partner after all in this great sport/pastime/recreation. The challenge is to maintain your bike at whatever level you can afford. The longer you spend cycling and tinkering the more proficient you will become at putting in the miles AND bike repair/maintenance. There's one thing almost as enjoyable as a good, rewarding bike ride and that's the experience of getting your bike clean and road ready again for the next trip.
Stick with it!

AndyF16

PaulBox wrote:

Personally I save £12 in petrol everyday that I cycle to work

Christ, do you commute a really long way, or just have a very thirst car?

I can see where the OP is coming from, my total spend in 12 months is rapidly barreling towards the 5 figure mark

But, as I pointed out to the missus last week, if I had a serious smack habit, I could be doing £100 a day - at least with cycling I'm losing weight in a good way :P

cornerblock

Evsy, don't mean to sound rude, but are you sure it is the expense that is making you consider jacking it in? You don't say how much you love or enjoy cycling so I am assuming that you do. Now if you really enjoy it how can you consider giving it up? One of the beautiful things about cycling is that the person on a cheap bike can be experiencing the exact same enjoyment as someone on a dearer bike, it's a shame that you cannot afford all the gear and kit you would like (welcome to club! ) I think the saying goes, cut your cloth accordingly, and you can still enjoy cycling anyway. Whatever you are saving by cycling, stick it away and treat yourself when you can. Make sure all birthday/Christmas presents are bike related and keep your eyes peeled for a bargain. They are out there. Good luck and I hope you keep on riding.

Eyon

It is expensive, yes, but worth it.

However, it is only as expensive as you want it to be. Take my MTB, it was £1800, then add better brakes, new tyres, lots of hope shiny bits, upgrades here upgrades there, all from new, its my pride and joy and I love spending money on it. For me, this bike is expensive!

Then, on the other end of the scale, my road bike. I enjoy road riding but its not my love, I do it for the social and the fitness. Because of that, I ride a £400 bike, with bottom of the range groupset and lots of heavy bits attached to it. I've spent a few quid "personalising" it (bar tape, coloured cables) just to make it my own. The only "upgrades" I have made are tyres, which you shop around are cheap and will last for thousands of miles if kept in good nick, and I got a set of Shimano RS10's off ebay as I prefer the look of them + a 200g weight saving. I paid £34 for them, yes, £34. They are used, in great condition and will last a few thousand more miles. They are not the best, but at the price I paid, I've got a perfectly ridable set of wheels for a bargain!

As for cloths? Well, I buy stuff like Dhb and Endura, cheap, functional, good quality. No need for Assos or Rapha, yes, its nice, but its just expense, its not actually NEEDED? Will those Sidi's make you really go that much faster than those velcro strapped shimanos? No.

Its all relative, you can make this hobby what you want of it. If you want to buy full Di2 machines with deep dish wheels and aero frames, go for it! If you want to ride for the love of riding, but want to keep it on a budget, then do just that.

Shop around, barter, buy 2nd hand, it IS possible to ride on a budget.


Oh, and if you want an expensive hobby, try flying. average £150 an hour, 44 hours minimum for a license. Then buy a plane, or a share in one, thats anywhere from 10k for a share to as much as you could dream for your own, then fuel it, hangar it, maintain it, landing fees, club fees, CAA fees, medial fees, equipment, instruments... the list goes on, and yes, people do that as a hobby!

1stGenRex

Don't ever get into Photography, or paintball. With paintball, I would spend around $100 a week in practicing for tournaments, then tournament entry (more $$$$) and equipment cost? Well, that can get pretty pricey too (some markers run over $2000, and that's just for the marker).

The way I look at it, Cycling is much better for me than smoking, which I gave up a few months ago. A pack of cigs here will set you back around $6, that's about $100 a month (if not more)... There are worse things you could be spending your money on, but want to spend vs need to spend is 2 different things.

danowat

AndyF16 wrote:

I can see where the OP is coming from, my total spend in 12 months is rapidly barreling towards the 5 figure mark

5 figures? :shock: what the hell have you been buying!!

evsy

keef66 wrote:

I need to know what wheels you have worn out in 6 weeks so I can avoid them. My RS10s are still going strong after two and a half years / 3 winters.

All I've replaced so far is the original chain, and I've had to patch 2 punctures. I'm also suspicious that one of the BB cups is losing grease, but it's still running silently so that might just be paranoia on my part.

the wheels are shimano 500s. thing is i dont know how old they are as i bought the bike second hand. i dont think they can be that old as there wasnt a mark on them when i had them.

like i say, i took the bike to my lbs and after looking inside they said immediately that the hubs were shot.

i still dont know what to do. i really appreciate all the help and words of encouragement.
for those who say i am looking for an excuse not to bike, this really isnt the case. i have only been biking for a few weeks, but every time i loved it. even though i struggled on some hills (i admit i had to walk and push on a couple of occasions) i still loved it.
like i say, i guess i just never realised how much everything costs (or can cost).

will let you all know what i decide to do. thanks again.

AndyF16

danowat wrote:

AndyF16 wrote:

I can see where the OP is coming from, my total spend in 12 months is rapidly barreling towards the 5 figure mark

5 figures? :shock: what the hell have you been buying!!

firstly it wasn't bragging - circumstances mean that i can indulge my new passion for the moment.

initially the 2 bikes in my sig, but the biggest chunks are a new Ti sportive bike which I'm certain will be my best bike for many many years to come, and a carbon CX bike very well specced out - plus of course mountains of wardrobe/lights/accessories etc :oops:

andyoh

evsy wrote:

the wheels are shimano 500s. thing is i dont know how old they are as i bought the bike second hand. i dont think they can be that old as there wasnt a mark on them when i had them.

like i say, i took the bike to my lbs and after looking inside they said immediately that the hubs were shot.

i still dont know what to do. i really appreciate all the help and words of encouragement.
for those who say i am looking for an excuse not to bike, this really isnt the case. i have only been biking for a few weeks, but every time i loved it. even though i struggled on some hills (i admit i had to walk and push on a couple of occasions) i still loved it.
like i say, i guess i just never realised how much everything costs (or can cost).

will let you all know what i decide to do. thanks again.

Cycling isn't cheap especially when you really get into it. Not meaning to sound rude but you should have considered what you can realistically afford or have a budget in mind before buying a bike.

As you say you bought a second hand bike, was it bought from a LBS or from someone just selling their old bike? When buying anything second hand one should always factor in immediate maintenance/rectification costs, unfortunately this is the result of buying a second hand bike.

A new set of wheels need not be expensive, Merlin Cycles more or less always have some very good deals on wheel sets and the lower end group sets are relatively inexpensive especially if you buy last years model. Ribble cycles have a set of Shimano R 500 wheels in the link here, they're not that expensive http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... HIMWHFR200.

Don't give up as it is a very good sport, but realistically look at your monthly budget and then save for the bits you need. Looking for bits on the net can save you quite a few £££'s.

markos1963

It can be expensive but as with all hobbies when you get serious the money gets serious. At least with cycling you aren't far off having access to the top end pro equipment. When I was motorcycle racing it wouldn't matter if I'd have had millions in the bank I wouldn't have been able to buy the very best stuff as it was reserved for factory riders.
The way I fund my cycling and justify it is to compare my costs to going to a gym. If my local gym is charging £30-40 a month subscription then thats what I budget for. This will pay for most of my running costs, tubes,tyres,entrance fees, gels, clothing etc. In the winter when I can't ride a much I work any overtime I can fit in, this money pays towards new kit, bikes etc. This means the family budget isn't adversly affected.