Hal The city is hard on components

This article first appeared in the Spring 1998 edition of the Bicycle Habitat newsletter.

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Bike components: Don't go with an attitude of false economy
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by Hal Ruzal



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Stop and go cycling wears out chains, gear clusters, and eventually, crankset, quite prematurely.
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New York is an extremely rough town on bicycle components. There is constant acceleration away from red lights and constant deceleration to avoid car doors and deaf, dumb and blind pedestrians jaywalking in front of you. As a result, components that last several years in suburbia last hardly one season in New York City.

Constant braking wears out brake shoes like nobody's business and takes a terrible toll on rims. Brake shoes wear down and also become glazed (become extremely hard) as a result of heavy usage. The heat of stopping causes this glazing phenomenon. Even though a brake shoe may look like it has useful life remaining, a glazed pad stops a bicycle poorly at best. A smart cyclist changes brake shoes every spring.

The brake stopping power is transferred via a multi-stranded brake cable. The more the brake is used, the more likely the cable strands will separate and snap. A broken brake cable can cause an accident and, as we all know, accidents are never fun. Brake cable housing (or the outer sheathing) merely creates a permanent, smooth bend in the cable and never has to be changed unless it is kinked, broken, left outside so much that an abundance of rust is inside, or is an ugly color. The cost for fixing both brakes, including new pads and cables, is usually only $43. This is an extremely worthwhile investment.

When you pedal a bicycle, the pedals turn the cranks which transfer power to the chain, which transfers power to the gear cluster which, in turn, causes the rear wheel to rotate. Stop and go cycling wears out chains, gear clusters, and eventually, crankset, quite prematurely. As these parts wear out, they become less and less efficient. You work harder and harder with no benefit other than sore knees. As your chain wears and stretches, it erodes the rear gear cluster or cogset. They must unfortunately be changed as a pair. This should be done every 1,500 miles (one year's worth of riding for the average city cyclist). If you choose not to replace your chain and freewheel annually and continue to ride on your worn out parts, the chainrings and gear pulley wheels will eventually have to be changed, too. This becomes extremely expensive (and depending on the age of your derailleur, impossible, necessitating replacement). The cost of a new chain and rear cluster, installed, is usually $63. The cost of chainrings and derailleur pulleys is easily $100, and remember, some cranksets are designed with chainrings that cannot be replaced, necessitating the replacement of the entire crankset.

Invest in some routine maintenance (and keep your tires inflated) and your bicycle will ride as good as new!