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The Weekly Wrench #41 (1/10/2018)
Weekly Wrench
January 10, 2018
A Bloom Bike Shop Publication
Hello and welcome to the latest issue packed with repair and maintenance information, tech tips, and other advice.
Enjoy!
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In Today's Issue:
1. Intro
2. A Person's Car Is a Necessity. Their Bike, Is Not.
3. What 30,000 Miles on a Drivetrain Looks Like
-- Product Spotlight --
Make your bikes stand out at night with Velosight reflective decals. They're bright at night but stealthy during the day because you can get colors that match your frame! Check out my review (with pictures) here: https://coachlevi.com/product-reviews/velosight-reflective-decals/
1. Intro
Here we are with the 41st issue of the Weekly Wrench! (The first issue of 2018.) Be sure to check out today's feature article about how people view their cars vs their bikes, and then feast your eyes on a very, very worn out drivetrain.
-Levi Bloom, Writer and Editor
2. A Person's Car Is a Necessity. Their Bike, Is Not.
As the new year gets under way, and most bikes are still staying put in the garage or basement, it's a good time to make plans for the year.
If you own or work in a bike shop, this might include a review of service offerings and pricing. And that could turn into a big debate on the perennial topic of: should bike shops charge more?
If you ask me, the short answer is yes.
Unfortunately, the answer to that question doesn't matter. The question you need to ask is more along the lines of: how much will customers pay for bike repair/service?
It doesn't matter if bikes are getting more and more complex, sometimes equally as difficult to service as a car. Maybe a bike repair job should cost as much as a car repair, but that doesn't mean a customer will pay that.
The root of the matter (in my opinion) is that most people consider their car a necessity, much like food and shelter. That's how they get around, how they get to work. It's probably going to cost them more to lose their job than it would cost to fix their car, so they pay it. Bikes, on the other hand, are quite useful and nice to have, but rarely are they considered a necessity.
And thus, the amount someone is willing to spend on bike repair is significantly less than they are willing to spend on their car.
But I'm not going to hold my breath for a fundamental change in how this country views bikes vs cars!
For more practical discussion, check out this discussion thread.
There are many more opinions and ideas out there!
Agree? Disagree? Let me know!
-- Product Spotlight --
I have found the best iPhone case if you want enough protection to handle a bike crash without making your phone big and bulky! It's called the Rhino Shield. Check out my review (with pictures) here: https://coachlevi.com/product-reviews/rhinoshield-crashguard-iphone-case/
3. What 30,000 Miles on a Drivetrain Looks Like
I've seen some worn down drivetrains in my day, but never one like this!
As posted in the world bicycle mechanic forum: "This is one of the most impressively worn out drivetrains I've ever seen. The rollers were worn off of the chain."
The caption sums it up. Not only is the chain worn out, some of the rollers are missing entirely! The mechanic confirmed a reported 30,000 miles of riding - wow!
The mechanic also stated that the chain in question is a KMC z-chain. How did it wear out so much yet stay intact? I don't know that, but I do know I'll buy one!
I'm guessing it was this $9 chain, the Z51. I've used many of those over the years on older bikes with great success. KMC chains in general have always served me well, now that I think about it.
The Weekly Wrench is sent every week, on the weeks we have something to write about.
(c) Bloom Bike Shop