Another Major Bike Service
Last month I handed in my bike for another major repair service. It was sorely needed: a slight push on the pedals caused the chain to drop a gear, the front light wiring was broken since forever, and shifting in general always required two good clicks on the handlebar instead of just one. This year, the bike turns ten. The previous one was stolen on a weekday evening after parking it right across the old courthouse—isn’t that ironic? Of course that was entirely my fault: I kind of might have slightly forgotten to lock it. But still, who does that? The local bicycle repair expert had their hands full: the entire back cassette gear together with the chain was replaced, the seat post was replaced (I didn’t even know it was broken), the front light rewired, and the right shifter on the bar got replaced. Everything together cost me about . The result is a spotless gear system that’s lovely to drive: A closeup of the replaced cassette gear and chain. Yes, there once was a chain guard/fender in front of that chain protecting it from mud but that brittle plastic thing broke down long ago. This does mean the chain is open for attacks from road salt after snowy days like last week. I forgot to clean it and in just three days the entire chain was covered in rust—the new chain! After another trip to the bike shop for more mud remover and chain protector/oil, that problem was luckily solved. My wife laughs at me for regularly cleaning and oiling the gears and chain. I hate a squeaky bike. I shudder when encountering other cyclists with poorly maintained bikes that you can hear weeping (weep-weep-weep) as they push their pedals. I want to hear exactly nothing and feel nothing but smoothness when I exert force on my pedals. For some reason, that’s hugely satisfying for me. So yes, I try to keep the mud and sand out. But somehow, I forgot about the road salt: if you zoom in on the above photo you’ll still spot spots (ha!) of rust here and there. I guess that means I’ll be repeating the cleaning process later today. The reason why the entire cassette was replaced is that apparently, the wear and tear on the gears gradually reduce the short edges of the gear that fit into the chain into very spiky ones. As a result, as you push on the pedals to move the chain, the gear no longer consistently “locks” into it, causing slipping. If you sometimes “fall through” when biking, it’s time to inspect the gears. Did a cogwheel transform into a giant shuriken that would make every ninja jealous? Then perhaps it’s time to visit the bike shop. This wasn’t the first time the chain and gear(s) got replaced—the last time was in 2021. The not cheap price tag does raise the question whether buying a new bike is the better option, but I really like my current bike. Besides, spreading the repair cost out on four-ish years makes it much more bearable. Riding the new bike to and from work on a daily basis would deteriorate the cogwheels just as fast unless I buy a very fancy e-bike with a belt drive. Also, small repairs like chain adjustments I can do myself. At least I think I can. I don’t have any fancy biking stats to share: I don’t keep track of that. For me, my bike symbolises simplicity and freedom. I hope to be able to ride the Trek 1 for at least five more years. I just found out that Trek is an American brand, while here in Belgium and The Netherlands we basically drown in excellent bike manufacturers. I’ll take note of that should I ever decide to replace it. ↩︎ Related topics: / bike / By Wouter Groeneveld on 20 January 2026. Reply via email . I just found out that Trek is an American brand, while here in Belgium and The Netherlands we basically drown in excellent bike manufacturers. I’ll take note of that should I ever decide to replace it. ↩︎
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