A couple of days ago while Alec was biking in the parking lot, he crashed again; unhurt.
At first glance, it appeared to be the plastic Chain Guard was cracked which in itself isn’t a big deal. Last night, just before we went out for dinner, a closer inspection revealed that the Chain Ring was bent. Not enough to let the chain come off, but still too much to be fixed. Since no one saw the crash, this odd damage without getting hurt remains a mystery. Maybe Alec is afterall the Boy Wonder.
Of the 4 well used bikes I have ever owned in the last 30 some years, other than normal wear, none of my bikes needed any fixing or replacement parts. Since we lived with our cousins when we were kids, as far as I know, none of their bikes needed any repair works either. When we took the bike to the shop, the owner was so surprised to see the damage he said he has never seen anyone had so many damages within the first month after the purchase.
An aftermarket replacement Chain Ring with Guard with the same T number but longer crank set came to HKD$350 discounted with free labor.
This one is coming out of Alec’s own pocket.
Maybe you bought a lemon.
No point comparing a modern bike w/ old bikes in our memory. Since about 10 years ago, bikes have gotten faster and much lighter. The brakes are much more powerful, and the gear transmission has gotten more complicated. It means the bike probably needs far more attention and maintenance.
I managed to bend the outer chain ring on my old mountain bike (it hit a rock or something). Just a matter of taking it apart and replacing the outer ring. Now how the chain ring on Alec’s leisure road bike got hit is difficult to imagine and explain.
I realize the problem with modern bikes. They are made with much lighter materials and therefore probably not as strong. Unfortunately, it also means replacement parts are also much more expensive.
Hello, world!