Its true. I have been a Bicycle Hypochondriac for three years now. Ever since I got on two wheels really. It started out with small stuff, as these things usually do.

On my first tour, when I was twenty years old, I would constantly stop to check the inflation pressure of my tires because they always seemed to feel like "they were about to go flat." From there it went to hearing clicks and squeaks that were never there. I would spend hours at home, during my commute, and even on tour trying to find out the source of these mysterious sounds. Was it the fenders rubbing, the derailer, the speed sensor, WHAT!?!? Later, I got into other more serious stuff like truing my wheels every 500 miles, cleaning my chain every weekend, and adjusting my saddle every few days in search of the "perfect fit."

I am glad I identified my problem before it got out of hand. I have met people who got into the real heavy stuff like repacking their bearings and BB twice a month. Those poor bastards.

My name is Ed and I am a Bicycle Hypochondriac. I have been clean now for about six months. Sometimes I still have cravings and urges to do unnecessary maintenance, repairs, and inspections but after I quite my mind, find my center, and do my breathing exercises, its like I can't even hear my breaks squalling anymore. Sometimes I can even get through a whole weekend tour with out even lubeing something.

The first step in my recover was admitting that I had a problem. I would like all of you who share this dreadful affliction to step forward and introduce yourself. If this is your first time to a BH meeting then you must introduce yourself. Please state your name, what bicycle component triggers your cravings the most often, and how long you have been in recovery. By taking this first step, not only will you be helping yourself, but you will be inspiring others to take the plunge and try to deal with their own addictions.

The Bicycle Association Recovery Fund (BARF) estimates that over thirty three billion people world wide suffer from BH. Be a part of the solution, post now!

Gawd you are nuts

Yes, but funny and apt as well.

I compuIsively replace cables and housing in search of the perfect trim. Also, I recently spray-painted the word "ENABLER" on the wall of my LBS.

I move my saddle around constantly*. Given that I just changed pedals, I'm kind of just feeding the monster at this point.

While fit seems to be my point of obsession, I totally ignore mechanical issues. I have a front brake that could use some attention. I just try to act like those issues will take care of themselves. I mean, it's only a brake. That's why they built the bike with two!


* I suffered a hip flexor injury a few summers ago and lose flexibility in that leg very quickly. Seems I compensate for the loss by messing with the saddle. Granted, regular riding would be the best solution.

Once I get a bike dialed in it will stay that way for years...so I go in search of poor wayward bikes that need a home and some TLC

(BTW this is only about 1/3 of the collection)

Aaron

FREAK!

Now, excuse me while I clean my drivetrain and find the source of that squeak...

I share your pain.

The other day, I was in downtown Seattle and heard about 3 bike commuters in a row go by with squeaky chains. I told my son I was going to walk to a bike store, get a bottle of chain lube, and forcibly stop the next cyclist I encountered with a squeaky chain so I could fix it. I'm thinking of just stationing my son a few hundred feet down the street -- he could signal me when he hears a bike with a squeaky chain, giving me enough time to leap out into the street and make them stop.

The world would be a better place.

my bike never makes noise (thx OCD) but i struggle sometimes with the thought of stopping that dude with the untrimmed rear derailleur or squeaky brake and fixing it.

Its called satire. Look it up, you might like it.

LOL, I get the urge to lube other people's squeaky chains too But generally I tend to ride for several weeks without worrying about anything then I'd suddenly get the itch and start taking the bike apart and clean up and adjust everything.

Oh I like it fine. I just replaced some tires with 40 miles on them cause they didn't look right. I'm nuts too

They used to call me crazy too... last weekend while on West Orange Trail, I swear I heard what sounded like a piece of tape hitting something when the wheel rotates, everybody thought I was nuts, while I rode with my head practically rested on my front rack trying to pin the noise down. When we stopped for a little snack and drink in some shade, I found a wayward piece of electrical tape on the machined sidewall of my front rim... HA!!!! WHO"S CRAZY NOW!?!?!

Now if I could only get the Brooks B67 to stop squeaking...

See...when driving my car I'm a "If I just turn the stereo up a bit, the strange noise goes away. Problem solved." kind of guy.

But with my bike, it's like a paranoia. "Was that a squeak? I think I heard a squeak. There it is again. No wait...was it...was that a squeak?"

I've been hearing a terrible whining noise whenever I ride, drives me nuts. But it seems to go away as I get further from my wife.

I've been known to remove my chain, disassemble it and clean it link by link. Does this qualify as OCD ?

PX: Ride a 20-year-old or older bike. Realize the extra noises are part of the ride experience.

Are we talking bikes only because the way the post reads some people (I'm not sayin me) could take that a couple of ways.

You are BAD! (First 3 months of marriage I was able to do that. Bliss! But 21 year olds aren't bad either!)

Two 21-year olds are the same as a 42-year old, right?

I'm like that! Always messing around with my bikes thinking that something isn't quite right! It is all part of the fun though!

This was great for a good laugh. I got my self down to checking my pressure only once per week, but ever since I bought myself a repair stand, the urge to keep my bike sqeuaky clean, braking hard, shifting smoothlu and having weel-lubricated chain and cables at all times borders on obsessive!

Yes, one of the signs and symptoms of this disease is the purchase of a repair stand. Lord help you if you buy a truing stand, or welding torch.

And I thought I was nutts lol guess I fit in this group after all.I am always checking my bicycle out making sure the seat is just right and the chain is clean and like one other guy said he change his tires because he did not like the way they look well I did change my tires but I had to or that is what I am telling my self anyway I could never get the old tires to line up on the rim the way it should have been with my new tires on it was very easy to set them up on the first try too. LOL

+1 on the truing stand. Once you get one of those, you will be spending way too much time with you bike.... at least that is what my wife says!

So what if I clean and lube my chain every 100 miles!