4 ms·

Your calculation assumes one never needs to replace brake pads, chain, tires; it also makes no allowance for lights, tools, incidentals, or the occasions one mi

Your calculation assumes one never needs to replace brake pads, chain, tires; it also makes no allowance for lights, tools, incidentals, or the occasions one might need professional repair. Incidentally, WD40 is not a good substitute for lube.

GhostVII 6y ago
Personally, I've very rarely needed to replace those consumables, and I ride my bikes very hard. Only time I have needed a new chain and cassette is when I let my bike rust because I rode it all winter without washing it. And I've got like one set of brake pads in the last 5 years for my 2-3 bikes, since disk brake pads last pretty well forever as long as you don't foul them with something. I do go through a lot of tubes though, but no tires yet. As for tools all my bikes need for maintenance is a couple of allen keys and a phillips screwdriver. I could see people spending that money bringing it to a mechanic for a tune up though. Personally I think that is a waste of money since it's super easy to tune up bikes yourself, but I do know lots of people who spent years with their bike shifting like garbage when it would take just a couple minute tune up to fix.
- abyssin 6y ago
  I doubt your story. Disc brake pads do wear out, especially if you ride very hard. The same is true for chain and cassette.
  - wutwutwutwut 6y ago
    Everything wears out of course, but I've had mine for 7 years going back and forth to work every day and never replaced my breaks or chain or cassette. Maybe you experience a quality issue if it's a frequent issue?
    - abyssin 6y ago
      If the motor is in the hub, then I can believe wear on the chain and cassette is minimal. And if you use brakes very sparingly, they could also last for a long time. I'm interested in the brand of your pads, I need those! I have to change mine every 1000 kilometres.
      - wutwutwutwut 6y ago
        > If the motor is in the hub, Is this referring to motor as in an electrical bike? I am not using that.
        abyssin 6y ago
        Sorry, I mixed up with a different comment indeed. On electric bikes with the motor in the wheel hub, the transmission sustains little effort.
kalleboo 6y ago
I'm in Japan, so prices will be different, but I bought a cheap chinesium city bike (but with fancy in-hub-generation LED lighting) for under $200, and it came with a "3 years of free checkups and repairs, 5 years accident insurance" plan. For those 3 years I brought my bike in every couple months and they'd clean it, oil it, align the brakes, and pump the tyres. Additional repairs (wheel & tyre since I'm a fatass who also rides lazy and hard on curbs, some spokes cracked and the tube split) are another $100. I pump tyres at home with a $15 hand pump, and relube the chain with oil cans from the dollar store. So a total outlay of about $300 in 5 years of riding. I guess it'll survive another 2-3 years before it's cheaper to just buy a new one.
- wutwutwutwut 6y ago
  I bought a bike for $900 about 7 years ago. I ride to work every day (25km back and forth) and the maintenance have consisted of one tube and a few packages of lube for chain, probably around $50 in total. The tires need replacement but so far they hold up...

GhostVII 6y ago

Personally, I've very rarely needed to replace those consumables, and I ride my bikes very hard. Only time I have needed a new chain and cassette is when I let my bike rust because I rode it all winter without washing it. And I've got like one set of brake pads in the last 5 years for my 2-3 bikes, since disk brake pads last pretty well forever as long as you don't foul them with something. I do go through a lot of tubes though, but no tires yet. As for tools all my bikes need for maintenance is a couple of allen keys and a phillips screwdriver. I could see people spending that money bringing it to a mechanic for a tune up though. Personally I think that is a waste of money since it's super easy to tune up bikes yourself, but I do know lots of people who spent years with their bike shifting like garbage when it would take just a couple minute tune up to fix.

abyssin 6y ago
I doubt your story. Disc brake pads do wear out, especially if you ride very hard. The same is true for chain and cassette.
- wutwutwutwut 6y ago
  Everything wears out of course, but I've had mine for 7 years going back and forth to work every day and never replaced my breaks or chain or cassette. Maybe you experience a quality issue if it's a frequent issue?
  - abyssin 6y ago
    If the motor is in the hub, then I can believe wear on the chain and cassette is minimal. And if you use brakes very sparingly, they could also last for a long time. I'm interested in the brand of your pads, I need those! I have to change mine every 1000 kilometres.
    - wutwutwutwut 6y ago
      > If the motor is in the hub, Is this referring to motor as in an electrical bike? I am not using that.
      - abyssin 6y ago
        Sorry, I mixed up with a different comment indeed. On electric bikes with the motor in the wheel hub, the transmission sustains little effort.

kalleboo 6y ago

I'm in Japan, so prices will be different, but I bought a cheap chinesium city bike (but with fancy in-hub-generation LED lighting) for under $200, and it came with a "3 years of free checkups and repairs, 5 years accident insurance" plan. For those 3 years I brought my bike in every couple months and they'd clean it, oil it, align the brakes, and pump the tyres. Additional repairs (wheel & tyre since I'm a fatass who also rides lazy and hard on curbs, some spokes cracked and the tube split) are another $100. I pump tyres at home with a $15 hand pump, and relube the chain with oil cans from the dollar store. So a total outlay of about $300 in 5 years of riding. I guess it'll survive another 2-3 years before it's cheaper to just buy a new one.

wutwutwutwut 6y ago
I bought a bike for $900 about 7 years ago. I ride to work every day (25km back and forth) and the maintenance have consisted of one tube and a few packages of lube for chain, probably around $50 in total. The tires need replacement but so far they hold up...