As my mileage has ramped up from about 3000 miles the first year I started back riding seriously (5 years ago) to 10,000 plus for the last few, I've been stunned by the number of tires, chains, cassettes and brake pads that I have consumed. My wife, who gets the credit card statements and pays the bills, is more than stunned, more like wondering if I'm secretly keeping a mistress with the cooperation of bikes shops from here to Wisconsin.

My 1972 Atala Record Pro is on its third chain in 37 years, fourth or fifth set of tires, third brake pads, and the cassette is still running three of the five gears that came on the bike when I bought it in 1978. The two new gears are concessions to some really steep hills I encountered in Ithaca where a 39-19 did not work when the panniers were loaded. Of course, back in the day, I did my own wrenching with the help of two armed friends.

For those of you who rode continuously over the same span, am I doing something wrong, or have we entered a new era where keeping bike on the road takes a bigger pocket book than it used to take?