NoWhammies

What level of inventory do you maintain? For example you don't need a new chain now, but one is on sale at the LBS. Do you pick it up knowing you'll need it 5,000k from now, or do you hold off and buy it when needed?

Same goes for bar tape, brake cables, etc. What's your on-hand parts/replacement inventory like?

fietsbob 

I bought a 2nd hand bike with a budget crank, cast aluminum , petal fell out because the threads in the crank arm deteriorated.
original owner bigger than I..



but I had bought a used forged crankset , which was interchangeable as it turned out...



If you come down the coast some time I can show you .. I have had several decades of time to collect stuff ..

Shimagnolo

Parts I keep in stock:
- bar tape
- brake pads
- cassettes
- chains
- inner brake cables
- pedals
- tires
- tubes

I even have a rim in stock right now, but that was due to a shipping mixup by a vendor.
I also have spokes leftover from buying in bulk for wheel builds.

Brocephus

I kinda do both. I have spare parts that I've casually acquired over time, usually when I see a particularly good deal (especially when a free shipping code is running). I've also got parts that were take-offs from various bikes, and come in handy down the road when I might need a longer or shorter stem, or whatever. So in my used bin I have seats, stems, posts, skewers, spacers, headsets, front XT deraileur, pedals, I forget what else.
But, i don;t keep enough stuff on hand to assemble a whole bike, or fix every part that might break, but I keep a stash of new tires, tubes, cables, lube, brake pads, chains, bar tape, LOOK cleats, patch kits, and currently have 1 road cassette on stand-by.

ThermionicScott 

I like having at least one spare for each consumable part on hand. Tubes are a no-brainer for those of us still using them. I often buy multiples to save on shipping, so there are six 8-speed chains on the pegboard, waiting to be used eventually.

Although I realized to my chagrin yesterday that I didn't have the right brake pads for my Diamondback on hand. So that bike is out of commission for a few days.

DOS

I keep cables, housing, tires, tubes, and bearings on had. Everything else, I buy as needed.

Troul

Everything, but i spare having an extra frame.

kc0yef 

on hand just about everything I ride vintage so new parts are not available...

Kapusta

After being stuck with parts I never ended up needing, I have stopped stocking up on much of anything. I realized I just can’t fully predict what I will be needing or wanting in the future.

Buying an extra 9 speed cassette I bought last year is useless after deciding to go 1x11.

The extra Minion DHF 26x2.5 I picked up a month ago surely means I will be on a 27.5 or 29er before I need them.

davidad

Bearings ( balls and radial), cones, cables, housing, handle bar tape, pedals (SPD and toe clip), Sq. taper BB's, tubes, folding tires, cogs (I ride 7 and 8Sp.), one rim I bought at the HHH on sale spokes, batteries for lights, SPD cleats, front and rear derailleurs, three front hubs, two quick releases, two front, and two rear wheels, 7, 8 and 9 speed freehubs and various parts for friends bikes.

Gresp15C

Tubes, patch kit. Everything else is pull-offs from old bikes.

I have more than one bike, so I can afford for a bike to go down for a few days. eBay is my friend, or the co-op.

srode1

Tires, tubes, chains and cassettes which are what I consider consumables on bikes. When I see them on sale for stupid low prices I stock up if I'm getting low.

2cam16

Spare parts over time wait in the wings. If I need something immediately for a bike I ride more than others, I can probably salvage from another temporarily.

Steve B.

This is why people buy 2nd and 3rd and 4th bikes, etc.....

Dave Mayer

It makes sense to stockpile consumables such as chains, cassettes, cables, housing, etc. I go through 3-4 chains per year, plus a cassette and an occasional ring. If you find a smoking good deal, and you reasonably anticipate using the part, then horde away..

Since you no longer mail-order Shimano stuff, and shop prices are double mail order, the time to have been asking this question would have been prior to January 1st. In December, I stashed years worth of parts.

ColonelSanders

As I order from German E-tailers with a flat postage rate, regardless if I order 1 item or 12 items, I always stock up consumables like brake pads, tyres, tubes, chains etc, when I am buying bigger ticket items like a crankset or saddle or tools, so as to amortize the postage costs over many items.

mchb

I buy parts when I realise the ones on my bikes are on their way out!

dedhed

Normal consumables bought on sale. Cables, housing, ends, bearings, tubes, quick links, a small selection of brake pads. I usually have 1 each of chains from 6 speed to 10 speed. Plenty of used parts, stems, seatposts, derailleurs, bars, seats, a few wheels, a few forks from trashed frames. When 6700 Ultegra came out, I bought pretty much a complete 6600 drivetrain on close out as spares for my commuter, but haven't needed any of it yet.

blakcloud 

I have a stock of cables, housing, ferrrels, end caps, tubes, tires and everything else to build a bike. After reading what some of you others have, I like the idea of having extra chains. This is something I don't do and will now start. Thanks for the suggestion.

mattbur

+1

bakerjw

I keep a fair amount of parts on hand.
Handlebar wrap.
Cassettes
Chains
Cables
Housing
Saddles
Sometimes things break and I have to make do until a part that I need comes in.

NoWhammies

Sounds like keeping consumables is the way to go when they are on sale. I'm still building up my inventory, but wasn't sure how far to take it.

Kovkov

I keep a stock of parts that are considered obsolete but are a much better solution in my opinion:

- cottered cranks, cotter pins and matching bb-spindles
- SA aw hubs and spare parts
- steel handlebars
- steel stems

But since that stuff never breaks i guess i‘ll never use them

kingston 

My guess is that the vast majority of cyclists keep very little spare parts inventory beyond a spare tube. I know plenty of people who don't do any of their own maintenance and take the bike to the shop for everything. The people posting in the bicycle mechanics sub-forum on BF are extreme outliers, and we have decades of accumulated crap that we euphemistically refer to as "spare parts inventory".

HillRider 

I stockpile cassettes, chains, cables, cable housing, brake pads, tubes and tires.

I also have two NIB FC-5703 10-speed 105 triple cranks that are out of production. Road triples are no longer available from Shimano and I bought them as replacements for two bikes I wanted to "future proof".

Otherwise my rather extensive parts collection is mostly take-off parts that have been replaced by upgrades but too good to discard.