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| New cassette, chain rings, cranks, & chain = $200! |
Seems like a no-brainer, but I have neglected my bike - specifically my chain. I've been told it should be checked regularly and then replaced about every year, depending on how often you ride. Over the last few months I have had more and more trouble changing gears. So much so, that when applying a little extra pressure when the chain was on the top or middle front ring and the chain would "skip" as if a gear tooth was missing. What happened was that as the chain got stretched and worn, the gears then got worn as well. My waiting too long and ignoring my chain caused me to need an entire new drive train! So for about $200 that is what I did - I had all three front chain rings (and cranks) replaced, a new 8-ringed "cassette" for the rear wheel - and you guessed it - a new chain. Works wonderfully now, and I was way over due - I figured at about 3 miles a day in each direction with about 250 days/year that is about 7,500 miles over the last 5 years - not a bad investment - works out to be about 16 cents per day to pay for those new components!
