Leaving aside the price of bikes, I can’t believe how much money I am spending on constant repairs/maintenance etc. This year two services, three repairs, usual maintainence stuff, new tyres, two helmets smashed, new gears, new chain, a broken seat post and three rear mechs!!!!

Trashed the third one today on a lage twin that caught up in mech, spokes etc. How can that snap the rear mech? Is any kit made to last these days. Thank goodness I haven’t spent money on a new bike. Not only are bikes far more expensive that road bikes but the constant repairs etc are becoming a little silly!

Mini rant over….but fed up after 90min walk home and thought of yet more LBS bills. I wish they had a loyalty scheme!

LBS bills

Buy parts on-line and fix yourself. Sorted.

DIY.

what he said, although if you believe half the people on here after you’ve been shopping at the LBS for a few year’s they then offer you a free seatpost and front wheel, will undercut all of CRC’s prices and probably their first born daughter’s hand in marriage.

DIY and me are not happy bed fellows although I am improving at bike stuff. Practice starting to make average/poor!!

Still have to buy the kit and that bill alone is mounting up this year. Forgot to mention inners and puncture patches!!

Trashed the third one today on a lage twin

😀 damn auto spell check

crap at mechanics + cycling = expensive hobby

common sense + coordination + cycling = slightly less expensive & more rewarding hobby

I am amazed you have gone through all that stuff.3 rear mechs!!!.Do you stop soon as you get a stick in your wheel?Watched a guy the other week down the Forest Of Dean carryed on riding for about 100yards with big stick in wheel and destroyed this wheel and mech crazy.

OP you must do a lot of miles, **** all maintenance, , ride in a way that ****s your bikes, or have a number of bikes?

Christ, I ride my bike 3/4 times a week, 15-30 miles each time, always off road. This year I’ve snapped one chain, and I’ve worn out a pair of brake pads. I think I’ve also worn out a tyre, but it that was over a season old. I’ve also done a fork service and replaced a shock bushing. And that’s it.
What are you doing?

Simon – Member

Buy parts on-line and fix yourself. Sorted.

Recent bike rebuild still cost me £1k+ buying online mostly. Do get good discount from lbs from where my first new bike was bought 40odd yrs ago 😆
Only the frame left as original
3 mechs does sound a bit aggressive. Can only think of breaking 1 in over 20 odd years of riding. Maybe not riding rad enough 🙄
Dented but never smashed a helmet 🙄

road bikes are much more expensive, frames often go upto 3k, they had a pinerallo in wheelbase that is £11k+
even tallboy carbon xtr looks cheap

OP, You probably ought not to try any motorsport of any flavour if you think push biking is expensive. I’m pretty good at it, 😉 ,but i still managed to write off an (uninsured) £60k car on the first corner of the first stage a few years back………… 😉

Def DIY, but how the hell are you managing to destroy so much stuff?
I think I have knackered 2 sets of brake pads and a chain in the last year.
And thats with riding at least once a week, often more

I was getting tired of wearing bits out on the mtb over winter so got a cheap-ish road bike (well <£1k). I’ve really enjoyed it, it has made me fitter and the mtb needs less work as it’s getting used for “quality” riding rather than mile bashing. The road bike has done about 500 miles and has needed nothing other than cleaning.

Have trashed 3 mechs, or just the hangers? I always thought hangers were designed to break off under excessive stress to save the mech.

I’ve snapped a few hangers racing CX but the mech itself has been fine.

The road bike has done about 500 miles and has needed nothing other than cleaning.

I’d bloody well hope not! That’s a month of not particularly regular riding!

I think cycic-al has it frankly!

I’ve bust three rear mechs since starting offroad riding in 1991.

WTF are you doing ? 🙂

Agreed with Maxtorque! Everything is cheap compared to motorsport! £500 on a set of tyres can easily be justified until you stop racing!!

I’ve posted this before but my car costs less to service per anum than does the bike. This isn’t a cheap hobby.

@teamhurtmore I think you’ve been a bit unlucky, I’ve knocked my rear mech out of tune a couple of times clipping a tree stump but never actually broken anything despite numerous crashes, plenty of frame scratches mind you.

FWIW Nirvana has a loyalty scheme and many punters (me included) use the points for emergencies. I’m sure a shop near you must offer something similar ?

This year I have needed an ss sprocket and chain and now need a fork service .I think ive trashed one mech offroad since 1984.I did snap a hanger last year but dont trash kit usually .I have worn lots out though but thats to be expected if you ride lots

Sounds like you need to do a maintances course or make freinds with a MTBer who has some mechanical skills. I Make my living fixing bikes and servicing forks and brakes but you would be amazed at how much work can be done on freinds bikes for a six pack or a case of beer.

I was on a run of not much in the way of breakages……and took 2 teeth of a 10 ride old xt big ring last night clipping a rock ledge. £47 **** quid for a chainring grrrr 👿

Ok should have said 3 rear hangers. Last one snapped by medium sized twig despite stopping very quickly. Bike is 4-5 years old but much heavier usage in past 12 months. I keep it clean and serviced but seem to be on an unlucky run with punctures, bald tyres (thanks jambalaya!), rear hangers, spokes and chains. I have spent much more keeping my MTB in order than my road bike. Multiple factors!

Picking bike up from LBS later and expect 3 figure bill!

What am I doing? It’s the Surrey Gnarrr!!!! Actually bits seem to break on the most innocent of trails.

are you replacing like for like on really expensive kit or something?

If you really are that clumsy unlucky then why not replace with cheap kit, if you’re only gonna break it anyway…

also…

bald tyres = worn out through usage, not breakage/unlucky
punctures = patch tube ~ 50p?
chain = worn out or broken? see above about economy kit
hanger = they’re supposed to break, cheaper than replacing a mech, be more careful or get a beefier hanger from BETD?
spokes = how are you breaking them? riding like a goon (er, see above, be more careful) or just snapping willy nilly? (get your wheel seen to it’s not right!)

It doesn’t have to be expensive…

I have spent much more keeping my MTB in order than my road bike. Multiple factors!

Thats because you don’t ride a road bike through terrain with mud, rocks, bumps, and other miscellaneous sticky outy bits

@teamhurtmore – what are your riding plans this w/end ? Plus I am thinking of picking my bike up from Nirvana tonight around 6 and doing a quick hour or two with a pint ?

Amedias, Thanks and your points are all well made. Yes tyres are usage (gave me 4-5 year of light then 12 months heavy usage!). I have PPatches and current inners have been patched 2-3x. Appreciate hangers are meant to break to save other more expensive bit and actually downgrading that now (on LBS rec!!). Spokes I think is old age too.

My OP was a mini rant because I am simply having a bad run at the moment. And then a 90 minute walk home after riding over an innocuous twig!! But having said that, and I appreciate the terrain argument, this is not a cheap hobby!!

Jambalaya – sounds good. I was actually going solo now in the other direction but would rather ride with you. I will pick bike up now and come home. Lets have a blast together somewhere in SH instead. Text on its way!

You need a singlespeed with D/H tubeless tyres fitted…if you need gears then a Alfine/Rohloff hub. 😛

p.s. I wouldn’t use any of that but sounds like you could use it.

whatever you do THM, don’t let it get you down, it’s always worth repairing a bike if the end result is a fun ride 🙂

Amedias, don’t worry I paid the bill (phew only two figures) and had a great ride with Jambalaya this evening. Great ride and views especially from Holmbury. Soon forgot the bill!!

Thts a lot of damage! Are you going for KOMs?! Was saying the mrs earlier about prices of parts and how they’ve gone up massively in past couple of years

Kit (bike and clothes) wearing out was one reason why I started getting tired of mountain biking. The regular Wednesday night rides through winter were especially costly in wear and damage. On the roadie I’ve done over 4000 miles on the same chain, tyres and brake blocks with no serious signs of wear and I come home from rides mostly clean, just sweaty.

teamhurtmore, I think everyone (except the most awesome) gets runs of bad luck when things seem to break at the most inconvenient place just as the rain starts etc etc, it sounds like you’re there now. Stick with the home maintenance though – I really am a numpty at that but with perseverance and a LOT of mistakes I am now changing wheel bearings, doing basic fork maintenance etc. It can be done, it’s just some are quicker than others at picking it up.

Bl@@dy hell! Two weeks later back in LBS with two spokes gone. Wheel needs a rebuild. No room in service log until next week. Went to three shops and had the same response re timing. Finally found someone who could do it before w’end. But this constant repair stuff is getting tiresome and expensive.

Again, learn to DIY. Walk into LBS, buy 2 spokes, 10 minutes and you’re done.

I know njee, and parks manual (?) to buy as well. I was going to just buy the spokes until they added about need for rebuild.
It’s more the bl@@ dy time this takes that’s making me fed up with mtbing