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  • 09-10-2012 1:34pm
    #1
    smackyB
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 756 ✭✭✭


    Hi guys, I own a Merida T1 Speeder that I bought around this time last year on the bike to work scheme at a cost of around €600. In January I was involved in an accident that resulted in buckled rear wheel which I got replaced. Ever since then I've been having issues with gears/chains/brakes and have spent over €100 on getting all these various issues fixed.

    In the last few weeks the freewheel mechanism has become more and more unreliable until last night it broke entirely and now the bike is stuck in freewheel mode. As the freewheel is built into the wheel itself it necessitates replacing the entire wheel. I've been quoted €75 and €95 by two places to do this.

    My question is should I consider cutting my losses by selling the bike and buying a new one or should I fix it and hope that nothing else breaks?


Comments

  • #2
    seamus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    smackyB wrote: »
    Ever since then I've been having issues with gears/chains/brakes and have spent over €100 on getting all these various issues fixed.
    Sounds to me like there was more damage than just the wheel, maybe some bent components. These wouldn't always be immediately obvious after a crash, especially without the opportunity to ride the bike. If components had to be replaced, then €100 doesn't sound like a lot.
    But if the shop was just adjusting/tweaking, then €100 does sound like a lot.
    In the last few weeks the freewheel mechanism has become more and more unreliable until last night it broke entirely and now the bike is stuck in freewheel mode. As the freewheel is built into the wheel itself it necessitates replacing the entire wheel. I've been quoted €75 and €95 by two places to do this.
    The freewheel can be replaced, you don't have to replace the entire wheel. Cost depends on the wheel, but it shouldn't be anything approaching €100.
    My question is should I consider cutting my losses by selling the bike and buying a new one or should I fix it and hope that nothing else breaks?
    Find a new bike shop and have them do the work. A bike will require maintenance on a fairly ongoing basis if it's in regular use, so giving it into a shop every time the gears start rattling or the brakes start rubbing is going to work out very expensive over time.
    Bikes are fairly simple machines. Unlike cars that can sometimes just be troublesome throughout their lives, the same should not be true of a bike that's been properly maintained/repaired.

    The majority of parts can be serviced by yourself with a set of spanners, a set of allen keys and some grease. parktools.com has tonnes of video guides.


  • #3
    07Lapierre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,309 ✭✭✭07Lapierre


    smackyB wrote: »
    Hi guys, I own a Merida T1 Speeder that I bought around this time last year on the bike to work scheme at a cost of around €600. In January I was involved in an accident that resulted in buckled rear wheel which I got replaced. Ever since then I've been having issues with gears/chains/brakes and have spent over €100 on getting all these various issues fixed.

    In the last few weeks the freewheel mechanism has become more and more unreliable until last night it broke entirely and now the bike is stuck in freewheel mode. As the freewheel is built into the wheel itself it necessitates replacing the entire wheel. I've been quoted €75 and €95 by two places to do this.

    My question is should I consider cutting my losses by selling the bike and buying a new one or should I fix it and hope that nothing else breaks?

    What type of wheels? (most freewheels can be replaced)


  • #4
    smackyB
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 756 ✭✭✭smackyB


    07Lapierre wrote: »
    What type of wheels? (most freewheels can be replaced)

    I'm not entirely sure (as you can guess I'm a bit of a n00b when it comes to bike maintenance) - the guys said something about a cassette wheel, that make sense?


  • #5
    seamus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Most modern rear wheels basically have 3 components involved in the whole chainey bit

    1. The hub, which is the main centre of the wheel that the spokes attach to
    2. The freehub, which is a separate part attached to the hub that spins freely making that clicky sound. This is what's broken on yours
    3. The cassette, which is the bit with the cogs and the teeth. The cassette fits onto the freehub.

    The freehub and cassette can be repaired/replaced independently of eachother and of the hub.

    Some wheels have an integrated freehub & cassette, called a freewheel. This freewheel is screwed onto the hub, but again can be replaced independently of the hub. Freewheels are more rare nowadays, usually seen on older or really cheap bikes, so people like me will often incorrectly call the freehub, the freewheel.

    Unless the hub is actually damaged or there's something very special about your wheel, there's no good reason to replace the wheel rather than replace the freehub.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freehub


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