Living Car Free - Upkeep for your transportation

No matter how I approach it, I seem to devote an awful lot of time to upkeep on my bikes. And if it isn't the bikes, it's the bags. My touring bike has at least one loose chain ring bolt, so I need to track down a source for those. My 25 year old Fuji summer commuter recently needed fresh grease for the bottom bracket and rear hub, as well as some new pads. My winter bike probably needs some attention soon... I need to check out my light system too. I also need to tighten the bolts that hold my pannier hooks.

But, even if I owned just one bike, I figure I'd spend at least an hour a week working on the bike. Either that or have the one bike in the shop every other month.

I'm guessing my 4500 miles a year + travel through rain and snow is a little hard on the vehicles.

Do you notice this?

I've been car free for about 5yrs.... this time
my "bike life" has been daily since at least 93'

yes... bikes can eat up time
these days, I'm putting between 20-40hrs/week on the bike
i wear things out all the time

so this is what has become of me...
i suppose in a Thoreau-esq tangent... "to learn of beans or beans of me"
that is...

when i started riding a bike for "anything", i realized i wore things out
the bike requires maintenance
in so many ways... the bike directly reflects what I am doing with it
my brother likes to talk up a storm about "how many miles he rides", etc...
then gets all bent when i simply look at the tires...

what I've come up with, is
multiple bikes
be your own mechanic
rotate thru them

so for me
i have a custom 29er
a Surly Big Dummy
a Pugsley
& 2 road bikes (which rarely get used)

so what occurs, typically is just dirty drivetrains, etc...
i use disc brakes, and mostly SRAM

so i ride a bike until it needs maintenance
then swap over to another bike
when that one gets to the same point
i service them together
which is typically just cleaning the bike (drivetrain)
and maybe some quick adjustments (brakes)
rotate tyres, etc...

my other schtick
is that i also work on my friends/teammates bikes
so basically i end up working on bikes most of the time.... anyway

typically i tend to build a bike keeping in mind the amount of maintenance that it may demand.
which is a big reason i don't use my road bikes so much...

I've only once in the last 6 months spent an hour at one time on my bikes... other repairs/maintenance are 10-15 minutes. Best guess is that it averages out to 15-30 minutes per week... and that's maintaining bikes for two people.

I do have two wheels that I want to rebuild... that'll take a couple hours, but that's not 'maintenance', it's to prevent me having to buy new wheels at some time in the future (I've already replaced the wheels, and was tempted to just throw the old ones out)

My hobby is fiddling with mechanical things. Bikes are my favorite thing to work on. They are relatively simple and can be made functional very quickly and easily. I spent about 6 hours in my shop on Saturday (my first day at home since mid August). I upgraded the brake pads on my bride's favorite bike, installed a new Brooks saddle on same.

Broke down, cleaned and repacked the BB on my Raleigh Superbe, installed a new sprocket (lower gearing) adjusted the hub, trued the wheels, installed new brake pads and rode it to the store for a 6 pack.:D

Then sorted some parts and ordered some more bits and pieces for the multiple builds I am planning. A day well spent IMHO:thumb:

Aaron:)

I have two road bikes that are used for the majority of my daily commute and errand miles. So far, these 2 bikes have rolled up almost 7K miles this year. Both have fenders to reduce the frequency of chain cleaning and bike cleaning, and keep the headset intact after years of use. I live in an arid climate zone, so I can usually get 400+ miles between chain cleanings. I probably give the two bikes a couple of hours maintenance time per month. I do all my own bike work including wheel building, so the time I spend working on my bikes is less than some people spend hauling their bikes in a car to a LBS, dropping it off for service, and repeating the process to pick it up after it is serviced.

It's actually amazing how long most bike parts last, and how much abuse they can take. My last cartridge bottom bracket lasted maybe 18K miles before I decided to replace it. The replacement item cost less than $30, and these things need zero maintenance. I have a Shimano Ultegra cartridge headset on my primary road bike, and it is 7 years old with maybe 35K miles on it, also untouched since installation.

I have the LBS do most of the work. I only do brakes, chains, tires and lubing. So maybe I dedicate 15 minutes a week to upkeep, mostly changing tires. (I seem to monkey around with a lot of tires.)

When I was commuting on a regular basis my commuter was a Raleigh Sports 3 speed. Only regular maintenance was a bit of air in the tires once a week and shot of oil in the hubs. I did wipe it down with an oily rag periodically. Once a year or so it would get a bit more attention, usually replacing tires and brake pads. I was getting 2-3 years out of a chain. My annual mileage was around 3500 miles or so at that time.

Aaron:)

I am relatively new to the car-free lifestyle, but have been commuting for years. I have two bikes that I commute on which are more or less the same as one another from a mechanical standpoint. I tend to do some maintenance (clean and lube drive train, adjust brakes) about once a week. Every so often, something major needs to be done, in which case I tend to leave it until I have a free day or else have the LBS do it for me. If I look at the time that I spend doing my routine maintenance, it is probably less per week than the time that my co-workers spend looking for parking and feeding gas to their machines. In terms of cost, the bike may require more frequent maintenance than an automobile, but hands down, bikes are way less expensive. When I had a car, the last repair that it required was a wheel bearing. It ended up costing me $900 in parts and labor - just think of all the bike repair that you can do with $900!

When I was commuting on a regular basis my commuter was a Raleigh Sports 3 speed. Only regular maintenance was a bit of air in the tires once a week and shot of oil in the hubs. I did wipe it down with an oily rag periodically. Once a year or so it would get a bit more attention, usually replacing tires and brake pads. I was getting 2-3 years out of a chain. My annual mileage was around 3500 miles or so at that time.

Aaron:)
That's close to the kind of commuting and general transportation I do, but I find that after a couple of years of doing this, you run into more major issues. Bottom brackets, headsets, rear wheels seem to need more attention in the 8-12K miles range, depending on the quality of the parts. Chains, cassettes, tires are almost an annual event. I have only replaced one crank... it was pretty low-end and got very "toothy" around 6K miles.

On thing that really affects this is the weather. If you travel in winter on salty roads, expect to get about half the normal life on moving parts.

Of course, none of this really concerns me. For the most part, I enjoy tinkering with my bikes. I try to anticipate issues before I break down on the road. And I am not in the least concerned about how much money this is costing... since I know it is far less than upkeep for a car would cost.

I have the LBS do most of the work. I only do brakes, chains, tires and lubing. So maybe I dedicate 15 minutes a week to upkeep, mostly changing tires. (I seem to monkey around with a lot of tires.)

I used to get the LBS to do my repairs, but now do most myself. I used to do brakes, chains, etc and then just evolved into the realms of headsets and bottom brackets. In fact, none of this is very complicated. Only thing is that you need a place to work and also a good stand to keep the bike stable and all parts at a good working height. The stand was something I cobbled together, but I would say if you lack a good garage or other workspace, it's better to have the LBS do this type of work.

I can't afford to have the LBS do the work for me... either monetarily or time-wise... They always want to keep my bike for a day or two... and it's my main (read that as: only) transportation.

I have a dozen bikes although a couple of them see the lions share of the mileage and require the most TLC... a little bit of regular maintainence and checks goes a long way in preventing more serious issues.

I also have a small repair shop and if things are quiet it does not take me much time at all to do routine maintainence on my bikes.

My Trek 7500 sees the most mileage of any bike and when I built it up I selected the best of parts and it's most frequent need is for me to replace worn drive parts... other than this it has a been a rock solid bike that has never let me down.

If you take a look at car transportation you spend a certain amount of time fueling it up, hopefully checking the air pressure in the tires, cleaning the windshield, changing the oil, etc. That IMHO would be equivalent to doing a weekly check over on the bike, with a bit more work done on a monthly basis. As far as repairs...My last go around at the dealer for my heavy truck was over $1800 (fuel heater and lift pump) and I have a $3000 transmission replacement coming up.:eek: ICE's ain't cheap!:twitchy: Bikes definitely win out on that score.:thumb:

Aaron:)

I can't afford to have the LBS do the work for me... either monetarily or time-wise... They always want to keep my bike for a day or two... and it's my main (read that as: only) transportation.

My LBS finally started offering me a loaner when I get my bike repaired. The idea that somebody needs their bike for basic transportation is a hard concept for most LBS people to ;understand. They say things like, "We'll try to get it back to you by Friday night so you don't miss any riding." :rolleyes:

My LBS finally started offering me a loaner when I get my bike repaired. The idea that somebody needs their bike for basic transportation is a hard concept for most LBS people to ;understand. They say things like, "We'll try to get it back to you by Friday night so you don't miss any riding." :rolleyes:

That's a really smart idea... too bad others haven't caught on. Even if you are dealing with recreational riders, a loaner bike would be a great idea. Although selling a customer a second bike might be a more profitable one.

That's a really smart idea... too bad others haven't caught on. Even if you are dealing with recreational riders, a loaner bike would be a great idea. Although selling a customer a second bike might be a more profitable one.

I brainwashed the LBS owner and personnel for a couple years before they finally started to understand what a bike means to a carfree person like myself. I felt vindicated when the owner offered me that loaner. My BB had blown about a block from the LBS, while I was on my way to work. I walked the bike that last block to the shop, and was complaining that I was going to be late for work. The LBS owner said, "Not if I can help it." Like I said, it took a couple years of schmoozing them to get to that point, but it was well worth it.

Most of my riding is done on a very old 1980 Schwinn World Sport this past year. I've replaced almost everything on the bike except the frame, brakes and shifters. It's practically a new bike.

When this work horse breaks down, I'll use the others for transport. I like this because it keeps the new bikes fresh while having to service only one bike.

This just in from my CFO/Bride...I spent ~$1,000 on bikes last year according to the receipts. That included purchasing a couple of Twenty's off Ebay, as well as some more expensive accessories. (actually I think it was a bit more, but I lost some receipts:o) The current fleet of bikes numbers 24...or so.:rolleyes:

I spent over $9,000 on truck expenses and fuel with around $7,000 of that reimbursed. That is based on around 25,000 miles of driving. The truck is paid for and does not include any depreciation. I was able to mitigate quite a few miles by utilizing a bicycle, Amtrak or walking.

I have no clue what my annual cycling mileage is/was but would guess somewhere around 1,000 miles. I don't have computers or odometers on any of my bikes.

Aaron:)

My city commuter cost me €65 and 5 minutes in the last year.
€60 for the purchase of late '70s Sparta (3sp IGH, roller brakes, enclosed drivetrain) from shop at end of my street.
€5 for new chain.(5 minutes to install)
Year total was between 1500 and 2500 km on it. Wet and dry.
Bike is parked outside, leaning against tree.

I am considering buying a new chaincase for €15. It might take me up to 20-30 minutes to install it.
Should I go for it?

My city commuter cost me €65 and 5 minutes in the last year.
€60 for the purchase of late '70s Sparta (3sp IGH, roller brakes, enclosed drivetrain) from shop at end of my street.
€5 for new chain.(5 minutes to install)
Year total was between 1500 and 2500 km on it. Wet and dry.
Bike is parked outside, leaning against tree.

I am considering buying a new chaincase for €15. It might take me up to 20-30 minutes to install it.
Should I go for it?

Translation for us Yankees:lol:

65euros is ~ $95usd

1500km to 2500km is ~930mi-1550mi.

I say go for the chain case, it will add to your chain replacement time.:p, but make the chain last longer.

Aaron:)

I brainwashed the LBS owner and personnel for a couple years before they finally started to understand what a bike means to a carfree person like myself. I felt vindicated when the owner offered me that loaner. My BB had blown about a block from the LBS, while I was on my way to work. I walked the bike that last block to the shop, and was complaining that I was going to be late for work. The LBS owner said, "Not if I can help it." Like I said, it took a couple years of schmoozing them to get to that point, but it was well worth it.

The LBS I bought my first bike from in Augusta would fix stuff for you on the spot if you used your bike for transportation. Granted that was almost nobody in that city, so it was awesome for me. Nothing was better than telling them what was wrong and then watching them take whatever sport bike they were working on off the stand right there while you're talking to them.

Loaner bikes...a good reason to build a relationship with your LBS! Years ago when papers were still delivered by teens on bicycles (do they even do that any more?) there were probably 6 or 8 of us in an area that was served by an LBS that sold all of us our Schwinn Heavy Dutys that we used for paper delivery. That shop owner had at least one that he kept in reserve for a loaner if any of our bikes were in for repair. I probably got the most use out of it when I had a frame break (yes on a Heavy Duty) and we had to wait for Schwinn to send the replacement. FWIW most of us carriers had back up bikes, but they were as stout as the HD's

Aaron:)

My city commuter cost me €65 and 5 minutes in the last year.
€60 for the purchase of late '70s Sparta (3sp IGH, roller brakes, enclosed drivetrain) from shop at end of my street.
€5 for new chain.(5 minutes to install)
Year total was between 1500 and 2500 km on it. Wet and dry.
Bike is parked outside, leaning against tree.

I am considering buying a new chaincase for €15. It might take me up to 20-30 minutes to install it.
Should I go for it?

That sounds like a great deal you made. Older bikes can be a real bonus for tranportational cycling. They are generally kind of heavy, but that will seem insignificant if you are carrying groceries or a bag of lunch and work clothes. They are also great in that parts tend to be pretty cheap if you have a good source.

I bought my old Fuji for about $65 US, spend another $60 - 80 on tires, bar tape, brake pads and whatnot and have about 1500 miles this year on it. (So Aaron doesn't have to translate, that's about 90 EU total and 2400 km)

My city commuter cost me €65 and 5 minutes in the last year.
€60 for the purchase of late '70s Sparta (3sp IGH, roller brakes, enclosed drivetrain) from shop at end of my street.
€5 for new chain.(5 minutes to install)
Year total was between 1500 and 2500 km on it. Wet and dry.
Bike is parked outside, leaning against tree.

I am considering buying a new chaincase for €15. It might take me up to 20-30 minutes to install it.
Should I go for it?


That sounds like a great deal you made. Older bikes can be a real bonus for tranportational cycling. They are generally kind of heavy, but that will seem insignificant if you are carrying groceries or a bag of lunch and work clothes. They are also great in that parts tend to be pretty cheap if you have a good source.

I bought my old Fuji for about $65 US, spend another $60 - 80 on tires, bar tape, brake pads and whatnot and have about 1500 miles this year on it. (So Aaron doesn't have to translate, that's about 90 EU total and 2400 km)

Made me think about my first "commuter" bike.:thumb:

A 197? Raleigh Sports Standard that I bought for $25 (http://2whls3spds.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/the-bike-that-started-it-all-not-really-2/) in 1982 and rode the crap out of for about 4 years. Then my brother took it to college for a couple of years, I got it back and rode it some more. I still have the bike, it is a bit worse for the wear, but still in very serviceable condition.

Aaron:)

http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/40978/2581827600066886751S500x500Q85.jpg

If you think about what we ask of a bicycle, the simple maintanance is really no big deal. We are asking 30 or so pounds of machine to transport 150 (less?) to 250 (more?) lbs of rider. Contrast that with a 2,500 lb vehicle used to transport the same person.

Bicycles really are a perfect marvel.

For commuting and general life-work transportation, I use older bikes simply for the maintanance perspective. Over the years, I have parted out so many bikes and collected spare of absolutely everything. Most of the bikes I got for free, so maintanance costs me nothing.

Of course, some parts are interchangeable with my newer weekend bikes, but many are not which is probably why my weekend bikes are "weekend bikes".

When I had bent rims beyond hope of repaire, I saved the spokes, hubs, bearings, etc. I have hundreds of spokes - maybe thousands of all lengths.

I have two drawers full of derailures both front and back.

I have a drawer full of cables (mostly new) from bargain hunting.

I have a four rows of wheels in the attic; 26" and 27" both front and back. All organized and standing at attention ready to be put to use.

Chains, freewheels, freehubs, tires, wheel sets; all in excellent condition are all inventoried.

Also in the mix is a tool for everything.

The best of all, however, is the mechanic skills and trick I have learned over the years from excellent mechanics.

There is nothing on any of my bicycles that I can't fix quickly and without cost within about an hour or so. Some of my neighbors are bicycle commuters too and I fix their bikes for free while we chat. It doesn't cost me anything and it usually gets my driveway plowed in the winter and free pies now and again.

If you are going to be living car-free, it is so much more convenient to learn bicycle repair and maintanance and have a good collection of tools and spare parts. You can fix a bike in less time than it takes to bring a bike into the shop, drop it off, shop around, and of course, return to pick it up. On those nights when you limp home with a failed part or broken spoke, it is so convenient to just throw the bike on the repair stand and voile' it is fixed even before dinner - ready to bring you to work and back the next day!

I do feel like I'm always fixing something on my bikes, but maybe that's b/c I have 5 of them and there is always something that needs to be adjusted or tweaked but it's NOTHING compared to all the stuff I have to do to my car even though I try to use it as sparingly as possible. It's 11 yrs old and the roof leaks, it needs to snow tires, the tranny is going on it, and it doesn't get great mileage but I don't want to get another car and I'm not at the point where I can be totally car free. So I'll gladly do the bike maintenance. Even if I spend $1,000 a year on my 5 bikes (I'll drop $100 at nashbar every other month or so) it's still small change compared to car expenses b/c I'll go through $1k in gas alone not counting any other repair, inspection, oil change etc. I don't own any "fussy" bikes, just solid Univega's, older Treks and Specialized and I keep the headsets and Bb's greased, the chains lubed, the bikes clean, the tires inflated, and the parts as simple and hard working as possible. My winter beater bike is a Trek 850 from the early 90's I just picked up on CL for $40. I'm going single speed w/ it to minimize drivetrain corrosion. I picked up a pair of Nokkian Extremes at the LBS for $40 b/c someone else didn't want them. All I'll have to maintain on that bike is the chain, the Bb, and the old canti brakes on it are still servicable, nothing fancy just stuff that does the job and is easy to fix.

If I had to spend an hour a week fixing my bikes, I'd go back to riding the bus. Or I'd get more reliable bikes. Even including washing the bikes, I can't say I spend an hour a week at it


I can't afford to have the LBS do the work for me... either monetarily or time-wise... They always want to keep my bike for a day or two... and it's my main (read that as: only) transportation.


My LBS finally started offering me a loaner when I get my bike repaired. The idea that somebody needs their bike for basic transportation is a hard concept for most LBS people to ;understand. They say things like, "We'll try to get it back to you by Friday night so you don't miss any riding." :rolleyes:

I'm very fortunate that my LBS gets the whole bikes as transport thing. Of course, located in the heart of downtown, if someone rides by you can pretty much be sure they aren't on a smell-the-roses ride.

The main service area in the basement is for drop-offs. They have a separate service area right in the front window. Ride-ins get priority service here. You can ride by and see if it's open, or how long the line is.

That said, I do most of the routine stuff myself, and I generally do maintenance proactively rather than reactively.

I really enjoy working on my bike. Haven't had it break down on me yet. Trying to make sure that never happens, although I'm sure it will at some point.

Most likely, your bike is better tuned than your car. If I were to spend hours fiddling to make my car run absolutely perfectly, I'd be at it for days.

Most likely, your bike is better tuned than your car. If I were to spend hours fiddling to make my car run absolutely perfectly, I'd be at it for days.

You be at it for weeks, unless the car was brand new. Engines are made from many parts, and you'd probably have to wait at least a day or two for any given part that needs machine work done to be finished. And if you were so ambitious as to work on the inards of a transmission/transaxle, you could be searching for days/weeks just to find replacement parts.

No matter how I approach it, I seem to devote an awful lot of time to upkeep on my bikes. And if it isn't the bikes, it's the bags. My touring bike has at least one loose chain ring bolt, so I need to track down a source for those. My 25 year old Fuji summer commuter recently needed fresh grease for the bottom bracket and rear hub, as well as some new pads. My winter bike probably needs some attention soon... I need to check out my light system too. I also need to tighten the bolts that hold my pannier hooks.

But, even if I owned just one bike, I figure I'd spend at least an hour a week working on the bike. Either that or have the one bike in the shop every other month.

I'm guessing my 4500 miles a year + travel through rain and snow is a little hard on the vehicles.

Do you notice this?

Not necessarily. Though I'm car light, I commute on my bike (~14 dirt-road miles/day), which is rather hard on it. Daily I wipe it down in the evenings, weekly, I oil the chain and check tire pressures, and monthly, I'll pull apart the bb and axles and regrease. Obviously, every time I work on it I check for fraying cables, worn out brakes, etc.

Now, because I run very dusty, hard roads, I do this to keep it from making noise. When I started commuting, it was solely on pavement. Then, in the winter, I'd wipe it down weekly, oil it when it'd start making noises, but aside from that, wouldn't do anything.

There is such a thing as over-protection...

You be at it for weeks, unless the car was brand new. Engines are made from many parts, and you'd probably have to wait at least a day or two for any given part that needs machine work done to be finished. And if you were so ambitious as to work on the inards of a transmission/transaxle, you could be searching for days/weeks just to find replacement parts.

What? As a drag racer, typically any part you NEED to keep the car running is available over the counter at most any auto parts store. I can't say that about my Campagnolo gum rubber brake hoods... Further, though a car might be intricate, with my "daily driver" (that gets driven to Crawfordsville and back on weekends to see the g/f), I change the oil every 3 months and fill it with gas every 2 weeks. That's it! Yearly I change the spark plugs and wires, and I just changed the brake pads after 75,000 miles. All of which I can get over the counter. Chances are, i spend much, much more time on my commuter bike than I do on a car that would be driven the same amount.

I have 12 bikes and do not take an inordinate amount of time in maintaining them... a few bikes take on the lion's share of the work so get more attention but after they are tuned up it is just a matter of checking tyre pressure, keeping thwem functionally clean, and replacing anything that wears out.

Using a fixed gear as a commuter and winter bike really cuts back on the work too.