Sometimes I'm reminded how important it is to forsee future maintenance problems . . . . and much easier it is to fix a bike with decent components and sound basic design.
My son enjoys cycling, usually as a commuter on a well-used hybrid; recently, a friend of his (a guy who can afford to chop and change his bikes frequently) gave him a very light carbon road bike. It had been in store for about a year, but Joe started riding it and really enjoyed it, some good and fast rides in the hilly terrain round Sheffield.
In the first week, the hanger broke, rear mech snapped. I think he was able to find replacements, from a local bike recycling centre, and was able to reuse the gear cable. In 4 weeks he has had more problems that my 14 years with Thorns.
The cables are internal routed - I warned him to take great care and check the best way to safeguard route - I've never done one. I found in my box of spares some fine plastic tubing, told him to use that as a routeing protector. He fixed all that fine, then found they brakes were stiff / partly seized. This time, he found the internal routeing access plate screw stripped, and he lost the cables inside somehow, I think having managed it easily first time was lulled into a false sense of security.
He eventually managed to retrieve things, hours of work, using hooked waxed thread, and a vacuum cleaner (blocking off all other 'holes' in the frame . . . . and his 4 yr old child was able to grab cable!! And I found another piece of the thin tubing, which apparently is very hard to obtain . . . .
What a pain!! The adverts say 'lowers wind resistance, improves appearance, easier to keep clean . . . ' Cleaning the exposed areas has never presented a problem to me . . . . and my guess is that the complications means that the cables are just never lubed!
I just hope no-one sets off on a long tour with these cables, and, unprepared, lands themselves in trouble . . . . .and I think I can live with any increased wind resistance . . . .
Lewis
