My wife complains that I break too much stuff. So far this month I had a broken cable, broken chain, broken Camelback (zipper) and screwy Polar HRM. I've also broken two cycle computers in the past year. But, I ride off road on not so gentle single track and hills 4 to 6 times a week (200 - 300 miles a month). Is it because I ride so much or do I have unusual bad luck or is there a possible problem with my style (I only crash hard once or twice a month) How about you other riders out there. Same situation?? My wife really wants to know.

---- not to mention new tires and brake pads every three months or so

That doesnt seem all too bad. My mom always give me this line, "you bought a 600 dollar bike and you still get flats" like it really has to do with the price that i ride near a lot of thorn bushes. I've gone through 4 tubes in a week before. 2 tubes actually but i repatched them several times. Never broken anything else on my bike yet.

doesnt seem like much at all but 1 hard crash a month is gonna catch up with you....I would hate to have 1 bad crash a season.

That doesn't seem to bad to me either. Broken chains happen, broken cables aren't real common but they still need replaced every few months. HRM's are electronic so they could go bad any time. The zipper, sounds like an oopsie to me.

So far you are getting off cheap. Broken derailleurs, tacoed wheels, cracked frames, those are the expensive ones.

BReaking stuff happens.

It took me almost three months to "break" my bike in. :D

Since then I've had a number of minor repairs to perform (flats, brake lever, derailleur, pedal). I don't find your situation out of place at all. Just goes with the territory when you're out there riding hard!

did a ride yesterday on my cross bike down sullivan canyon, passed a dude on a green ellsworth who had completely broken his seat tube in half, not even at a weld. it was amazing, even more so because he was able to ride out in it!

Surferbruce - Unfortunately that was a very common break on the 2001 Ellsworth Truth. That was the model that helped give Ellsworth such a bad name. Luckily they have fixed the problem and switched over to a "real" two year warranty rather than the "lifetime" warranty they had before.