Originally Posted by
Mr. Beanz
Every expert wheel builder I have met and paid to build a wheel fro me has said "you don't need it if I use loctite, spoke prep, or magic fairy dust."
But never once has a wheel gone over 500 miles without needing retension.
Whenever i hear comments like this, it reminds me of just how fortunate i am to have the LBS that i do to go to. From the get go they told me on the new wheels to bring them in after every 50 miles or so, until they got properly tensioned. And then instructed me to bring them in every 300 miles for an inspection, tension, and truing. And every 2000 miles for inspection, and service. They have always been up front about it. And usually, because i am so good about bringing it in after rides, that the adjustments they do to my wheels are so minimal, they dont even charge me for it.
As you know i harp on pretty hard about proper, and regular maintenance on the mechanics of the bike. And I have that LBS to thank entirely for that attitude. Because every part i have broken on my bike has been because I BROKE IT, not because it "failed". As one of the mechanics there put it "We would rather you were out riding, then sitting in here paying for service. We like the money, but we like people riding bikes even better."
It really does amaze me how little people care about maintaining the investment of a bicycle. A girl i did a fair amount of riding with last year made the worst comment ever to me. I recommended that her bike be serviced before she did the Seattle to Portland ride, and her reply was "Why? I had one done before last years STP..." :facepalm:
The very next ride we did, she popped two spokes on her rear wheel. Needless to say, i was only allowed to say "i told you so" once.
So we finally got her bike serviced (at the shop i prefer), and she got it back and did nothing but complain that "the brakes grab to tight, and too quickly", "The bike feels
stiff", "the shifting feels weird, its like its catching too fast, i bairly have to move the lever to shift, and it jumps now". In other words, EVERYTHING ON THE BIKE WAS ACTUALLY TIGHT!! The shifting issue was because she has so much cable slop, that it took more then one click of the brifter (Tiagra) to get it into the next gear, then she would have to shift down one click to get the gear to stick. She called that "trimming"...on the rear deraileur?! Basically, she had accepted, and trained herself that a sloppy bike, was a good bike, and was perfectly content to ride what i would consider a death trap, out on the road. It makes me wonder how many other people here share similar lack of concern/ignorance in maintaining their ride?