Originally Posted by
bhkyte
Maybe not everyone maintains their bike as "thoroughly" as some of the previous posters would do.
Its fine, enjoy your bike.
I run 7 bike and I don't want to stay on top of all their needs 24/7. I gave up repairing flats years ago. I just fit new tubes.
2 year old chain best in the bin. Chains don't stretch, they wear out.
Change the chain as a start its obviously worn by your description. Inspect the teeth on the cogs front and rear. If they are nice and square in shape then great. If they are pointed like teeth then you need to think about replacements.
You don't need new front and rear cogs when you change a chain. Just replace what's worn. Probably just the chain. Try just changing the chain and giving it sometime to bed in.
Yes, bolts rust sometimes, its not your fault. Bromptons do rust in lots of areas regardless of good maintenance. Get new bolts if they don't clean up.
Maybe think about using a wax product to keep frame cleaner for longer?
if you don't want to maintain your bike "thoroughly", then you can expect to see rust and other forms of potentially more serious (read: expensive and possibly dangerous) degeneration.
the idea that bromptons rust in spite of good maintenance is ridiculous.
if you use your bike for daily commuting, let's say that equals 5-10 hours of riding per week, is spending 15-30 minutes on saturday morning cleaning and lubing your bike excessive?
the OP complains that after 4 rides in the rain the bike is dirty. really? guess what? you have to clean it.
in a previous thread, the OP also complained about losing an axle nut. the solution the OP considered was buying a 100 count box of nuts... that's lazy and goofy. tightening nuts and fittings regularly will prevent loss of said parts. simple, regular maintenance prevents the vast majority of problems that a bicycle can develop. the other benefit of regular maintenance, particularly for novices, is that you learn how this machine that you rely on actually functions. the knowledge that you gain from doing weekly maintenance helps you notice irregularities or other problems early on- this saves you time, money, and potentially, your life.
