this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2023
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Yep, this was a well known scheme. They tried to be this hip and overpriced designer brand that people flock to for the name, with a bunch of proprietary parts that requires their own service centers to maintain them. Complete garbage tier imo. One of the nice things about bicycles is that they're so piss easy to maintain by yourself even. The majority of it doesn't even require special tools and it is a fun experience to learn too. Imagine if brands like this became the norm and suddenly you could barely find bikes where you could do that? You'd always have to pay up to some corporate entity instead. Definitely good riddance.
Bikes are mostly easy to maintain but there are some things like adjusting the spokes or the derailleur that a shop will get done much faster.
I don't agree that much about the tools, unless you consider Allen keys to be a normal tool and you exclude the drivetrain or the headset, which need all kinds of specialized ones. Brakes can also need some less common stuff.
Allan keys (hex wrenches) are absolutely a normal tool, heck, if you've bought IKEA furniture, you may even have one already!
One won't cut it, you need one of every size.
Not really. About 3 sizes are enough for maintenance and most basic repairs.
I'm seeing 4-5 different sizes at a glance on my bike.
Even if there were only 3, my point was that you can't rely on a random key you got from Ikea, and you're not always going to run into the same 3 sizes on every bike. Sooner or later you'll have to buy a full set with 6 or 7 sizes, plus a large key for the stand screw (if you have a stand).
I looked on Amazon and you can get a set of 14 for £4. There's no need to act like this is unobtainably complex.
Well yeah, that Ikea suggestion is kind of ridiculous. But you don't really need a full set either. Not every one of those 4-5 different types are used for just doing brakes and removing the wheel for cleaning or replacing the chain (basic maintenance and repairs). If you want to fully rebuild your bike, then you'll need more than 3 types, yeah.
Yeah so you get one of these thingies that has like 20 in different sizes. Costs like €5.
I absolutely consider Allen keys a normal tool. One of the absolute must haves for any household.
What do you guys use them for? I have never seen hex screws on anything other than Ikea furniture and bicycles.
3D printers, furniture, sim racing setup, camera gear, electronics.
Seriously, a set of allan keys and some torx bits are basic tools.
Setting your derailleur is incredibly easy actually and a matter of a few minutes of work even if you have never done it before. You can check the Park Tools video about it if you want to see for yourself. And yes, I consider allen keys to be a normal tool. A lot of derailleurs don't even use them though.
I seem to remember needing several special tools for changing my bottom bracket, not sure how common that is though.
And the most fashionable style where I'm from is the fixie, whose fans specifically value the mechanical simplicity (no derailleur!).
Granted, there's a big untapped market of people who have absolutely no interest in maintaining or understanding their mode of transport, and have a consumerist/maximalist philosophy. There are also lots of people who treat bikes as disposable, as evidenced by the huge number of abandoned and rusted bikes you can see in any college town. So I see why someone might think that's a path to success.
For me personally, I do not want a computer in my bike. I want every bit of technology — electronic or mechanical — to earn its place. Because complexity comes at a cost. It means more time, energy, and money spent maintaining it. My derailleurs easily add enough value (for me personally) to justify the added complexity. Disc brakes, honestly, don't. A built-in computer? Helllllll no.
I personally like slack 1x trail hardtails. It's such a cool mix of versatility.
I prefer disk brakes though. Throwing away entire wheels is so idiotically wasteful and if you don't like hydraulic brakes then there's also cable disc brakes for that.
If I rode hard trails I'm sure I'd see more value in disc brakes. I've never worn out a rim in my life. I'm currently running low-end mechanical disc brakes and I find them to be much more trouble than they're worth compared to my old bargain-basement rim brakes.
I'm curious about hydraulic brakes but I fear the maintenance cost (in time and hassle as well as money) will be too high. Kind of a nonissue for me at the moment, since I won't likely buy a new bike for many more years.
I guess it also depends on your environment. For me even my entire city is super hilly. A fixie and rim brakes sound like hell for that, unless you have literal Hercules legs.
Servicing hydraulic brakes isn't actually as bad as it might seem at first glance, but of course there's a little more to it than a simple cable pull.
Yeah, I've watched some YouTube videos (shoutout to Syd Fixes Bikes!) and it seems like bleeding isn't overly difficult if you know what you're doing. I still worry about on-the-road maintenance, though.
Park Tools also has easily one of the best and most extensive bike maintenance playlists on Youtube.