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How many hours a week do you spend tinkering on your bike?

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How many hours a week do you spend tinkering on your bike?

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Old 08-08-20, 07:26 PM
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How many hours a week do you spend tinkering on your bike?

How many hours a week do you spend tinkering on your bike(s)? Just curious. I have 2013 Giant Talon I just bought last month . I ride it about 18 miles a day as a road bike and I've become quite fond of it. I spend an average of 8 hours a week on it, rebuilding the forks , bleeding brakes , testing tires...someday it will be just the way I want it and no more tinkering? Don't think so
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Old 08-08-20, 07:28 PM
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How many hours a week do you spend tinkering on your bike?

How many hours a week do you spend tinkering on your bike(s)? Just curious. I have 2013 Giant Talon I just bought last month . I ride it about 18 miles a day as a road bike and I've become quite fond of it. I spend an average of 8 hours a week on it, rebuilding the forks , bleeding brakes , testing tires...someday it will be just the way I want it and no more tinkering? Don't think so
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Old 08-08-20, 08:22 PM
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Too damned many!!!!! But I enjoy every one of them
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Old 08-08-20, 08:51 PM
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Roughly once a week I'll check the tires on all of the bikes in the garage, and look for any other signs of trouble. I might add a drop of oil here or there if needed, or tend to a noisy chain. I've spent more time, when I'm actively building a new bike or making some major change, but that's pretty rare.
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Old 08-08-20, 09:11 PM
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I spend a lot of time probably an hour a day at least. I have several bikes and am always doing something ....upgradeing components trying different geometry and different pannier racks . Spent one evening setting up tubeless then 9 days later spent an evening putting tubes back in and cleaning up tire sealant . I prefer tinkering over tv.
I dont want to hijack this thread but what is fake rust (post 2 I think)
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Old 08-08-20, 09:44 PM
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Maybe 2 hours a week?
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Old 08-08-20, 11:05 PM
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I have one bike and I spend more time on the bike than "on" the bike.
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Old 08-08-20, 11:38 PM
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Too many. But I'm overhauling old wheels and doing restoration work on old bikes right now, so I have projects to work on above and beyond routine maintenance.
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Old 08-09-20, 06:15 AM
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You're in the honeymoon period. The last bike I got was my first with disk brakes and I tinkered with them a couple of hours. Now I just ride it and fix what's needed. About 35 years ago I got my first indexed shifting system it was fun tinkering with that.

I spent way too much time tinkering with cantilever brakes, too many hours per year for over twenty years. I'm glad those days are over.

I get enough tinkering by volunteering at non-profit bike shops and coops. I still tinker with cantis too much, but at least I don't live with them.
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Old 08-09-20, 09:36 AM
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Before old age and breathing problems got I would clean my chain off of the bike every 800 miles and check and adjust, replace any part as needed. Every 2500 miles or so I would overhaul the hubs and check the wheels for true.
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Old 08-09-20, 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by 5 mph
How many hours a week do you spend tinkering on your bike(s)? Just curious. I have 2013 Giant Talon I just bought last month . I ride it about 18 miles a day as a road bike and I've become quite fond of it. I spend an average of 8 hours a week on it, rebuilding the forks , bleeding brakes , testing tires...someday it will be just the way I want it and no more tinkering? Don't think so
Umm, you should not need to rebuild your fork nor bleed brakes very often.

I probably spend a few hours a week (average) on bike maintenance and repairs, but then I have five bikes and ride them 800-900 miles a month at this time of year.
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Old 08-09-20, 10:20 AM
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I live in the snow belt, and I do a good cleaning and recon job on my bikes then. It pretty much precluded any problems during the riding season. The only time I spend during riding season is wiping down the chain before every ride, and topping off the tires.
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Old 08-09-20, 11:53 AM
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As I am just rediscovering the joy of bikes and cycling, I’d say about eight hours a day just at the moment
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Old 08-09-20, 12:07 PM
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Originally Posted by 5 mph
How many hours a week do you spend tinkering on your bike(s)?
Less than 0.1 on average. I inflate my tires weekly, lubricate my chain when it doesn't run silently which could be 800 miles after replacement or after 100 miles in a rainy week, replace my rear shift cable plus housing every 2000 miles (every 10-20 weeks), replace one tire every 4500 miles (every 10-25 weeks), replace my chain every 4500 miles (every 10-25 weeks), and do other things less frequently.

I adjust brake pads when they squeak, replace bar tape after it tears in a few years, and replace brake hoods when they get too many holes less frequently.

I got 25,000 miles out of my last rear shifter, and will get over 25,000 miles out of my current cassette.

Bicycles are simple machines that work well with minimal maintenance.

Last edited by Drew Eckhardt; 08-09-20 at 12:11 PM.
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Old 08-09-20, 12:15 PM
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Probably less than an hour a week for the 3 bikes use. Ride them around 18-20 hours a week though.
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Old 08-09-20, 12:53 PM
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I just get a bee in my bonnet and think something may work better on one bike or another. I spend about 2-3 hours a week working on bikes.
I am getting a different frame soon and will be switching everything over from an old frame that I cracked. I will spend about 5 or 6 hours switching the parts and getting everything dialed in.
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Old 08-09-20, 02:47 PM
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Old 08-09-20, 03:11 PM
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I think some of it is my affection for my bike...the times its stayed up when I hit a branch or veered into a ditch or an unexpected obstacle on the side of the road... bicycles, unlike cars, are an extension of your body...somedays you feel like you and your bike are one soul... that being said, so was our last dog... but I dont think the bike will be sleeping between me and my better half...
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