Spent 4 hours fixing a bike chain that wasn't even broken

I was trying to save $40 by fixing my rusty old bike myself. Turns out I spent 4 hours messing with the chain and gears, only to realize the tire was just flat. My neighbor walked by and pointed it out in like 10 seconds. Has anyone else gone down a ridiculous rabbit hole over something simple?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlie_roberts875d ago

Oh man, I have totally been there! @the_sage is right though, that 4 hours wasn't wasted. Next time you hear a weird noise or your bike shifts funny, you'll actually know what to look for instead of guessing. I once chased a squeak for two days, replaced the whole pedal set, and it turned out to be my water bottle rattling in the cage. Now I check the simple stuff first and save the deep dives for when I'm sure it's actually the chain or gears. Just buy a bike stand if you don't have one, makes messing around with the drivetrain way less painful.

the_sage6d ago

Wait, am I the only one who thinks that 4 hours learning your way around a bike chain is actually a good thing? I mean yeah, it sucks you fixed the wrong problem, but now you know how your chain and gears work (which is honestly more valuable than the $40). That kind of hands-on knowledge sticks with you way longer than paying someone else to take a quick look. You'll probably save way more than $40 in the long run because next time something real goes wrong with the drivetrain, you'll already have a head start. Plus, you got a funny story out of it, and your neighbor got to feel like a hero for a second. Seems like a win to me, even if it was frustrating in the moment.