Fifty thousand mile warranty

It's uncanny. After forty or fifty thousand miles over more than thirty
years (most of it the first four years and the last two),
everything seems to be going to pot in the past few months.

Free-wheel locked up, left pedal locked up, derailleurs are getting
unreliable, and now the bearings in the crank are crapping out.

I don't recall any mention of a warranty when I bought it, but it is odd
that it all happens so close together.

It is a bit of a nuisance to fix so much in a short time, but compared
to how long it was trouble-free, a few months of chaos has t be put in
perspective.

--
Wes Groleau

Words of the Wild Wes
http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.org/WWW

Wes Groleau wrote:
:It's uncanny. After forty or fifty thousand miles over more than thirty
:years (most of it the first four years and the last two),
:everything seems to be going to pot in the past few months.

:Free-wheel locked up, left pedal locked up, derailleurs are getting
:unreliable, and now the bearings in the crank are crapping out.

:I don't recall any mention of a warranty when I bought it, but it is odd
:that it all happens so close together.

:It is a bit of a nuisance to fix so much in a short time, but compared
:to how long it was trouble-free, a few months of chaos has t be put in
erspective.

Did it get any maintance during the period it was ridden hard, or
after it came out of the dusty garage? I'm kind of wondering if with
a bit of grease, and maybe a few ball bearings, it would run pretty
well even now.

--
sig 111

On Fri, 12 Oct 2012 22:18:32 -0400, Wes Groleau
wrote:

It's uncanny. After forty or fifty thousand miles over more than thirty
years (most of it the first four years and the last two),
everything seems to be going to pot in the past few months.

Free-wheel locked up, left pedal locked up, derailleurs are getting
unreliable, and now the bearings in the crank are crapping out.

I don't recall any mention of a warranty when I bought it, but it is odd
that it all happens so close together.

It is a bit of a nuisance to fix so much in a short time, but compared
to how long it was trouble-free, a few months of chaos has t be put in
perspective.

Obviously the poor thing got all upset after 30 years of neglect. Had
you been a caring person and laved the poor thing with grease, rubbed
its flanks with wax and anointed it with oil it would still be
furnishing good service.
--
Cheers,
John B.

On Friday, October 12, 2012 8:18:34 PM UTC-6, Wes Groleau wrote:
It's uncanny. After forty or fifty thousand miles over more than thirty

years (most of it the first four years and the last two),

everything seems to be going to pot in the past few months.



Free-wheel locked up, left pedal locked up, derailleurs are getting

unreliable, and now the bearings in the crank are crapping out.



I don't recall any mention of a warranty when I bought it, but it is odd

that it all happens so close together.



It is a bit of a nuisance to fix so much in a short time, but compared

to how long it was trouble-free, a few months of chaos has t be put in

perspective.



--

Wes Groleau



Words of the Wild Wes

http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.org/WWW

Steel frames used to have a lifetime warranty. If the frame fails under normal use, you can exchange it for a new one. Parts usually have a one year warranty on defects. Proof of purchase?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/i...70_470x315.jpg

On Oct 12, 7:18 pm, Wes Groleau wrote:
It's uncanny. After forty or fifty thousand miles over more than thirty
years (most of it the first four years and the last two),
everything seems to be going to pot in the past few months.

Free-wheel locked up, left pedal locked up, derailleurs are getting
unreliable, and now the bearings in the crank are crapping out.

I don't recall any mention of a warranty when I bought it, but it is odd
that it all happens so close together.

It is a bit of a nuisance to fix so much in a short time, but compared
to how long it was trouble-free, a few months of chaos has t be put in
perspective.


The clue may be "most of it in the... last two [years]" (of "more than
thirty").

Machines like to be running regularly. Okay, that's my
anthropomorphism showing, but only in the terminolgy, "like". Wear
patterns initiate, and if tuning is dialed in and tolerances
maintained, good quality parts will wear to the ~end of their usable
life (there I go again :-).

It's possible that these parts *are* reaching their end if service, in
whihc case it's actually kind of nice that everything's going all at
once (the cosmic consciousness is telling Wes, "Get a new bike.")

It's also possible that the parts could have kept going, but initiated
wear patterns under different circumstances (rider weight, speed,
style, etc., etc.) then sat forlorn and everything chemically
equilibriated into things that don't wear so well, then the return to
heavy sercive sisn't match the initial wear pattern and it's like if
you go off the road edge and the camber takes you the rest of the way
on to the bottom of the ditch. (Am I sounding crazy enough yet?)

Anyway, since you're riding so much now, I'd recommend a new bike (or
two or three or four). If you love this one, that's fine - it'll get
a rest as you restore it.

On Oct 13, 10:10 am, Dan O wrote:
On Oct 12, 7:18 pm, Wes Groleau wrote:

It's uncanny. After forty or fifty thousand miles over more than thirty
years (most of it the first four years and the last two),
everything seems to be going to pot in the past few months.

Free-wheel locked up, left pedal locked up, derailleurs are getting
unreliable, and now the bearings in the crank are crapping out.

I don't recall any mention of a warranty when I bought it, but it is odd
that it all happens so close together.

It is a bit of a nuisance to fix so much in a short time, but compared
to how long it was trouble-free, a few months of chaos has t be put in
perspective.

The clue may be "most of it in the... last two [years]" (of "more than
thirty").

Machines like to be running regularly. Okay, that's my
anthropomorphism showing, but only in the terminolgy, "like". Wear
patterns initiate, and if tuning is dialed in and tolerances
maintained, good quality parts will wear to the ~end of their usable
life (there I go again :-).

It's possible that these parts *are* reaching their end if service, in
whihc case it's actually kind of nice that everything's going all at
once (the cosmic consciousness is telling Wes, "Get a new bike.")

It's also possible that the parts could have kept going, but initiated
wear patterns under different circumstances (rider weight, speed,
style, etc., etc.) then sat forlorn and everything chemically
equilibriated into things that don't wear so well, then the return to
heavy sercive sisn't match the initial wear pattern and it's like if
you go off the road edge and the camber takes you the rest of the way
on to the bottom of the ditch. (Am I sounding crazy enough yet?)

Anyway, since you're riding so much now, I'd recommend a new bike (or
two or three or four). If you love this one, that's fine - it'll get
a rest as you restore it.

When I bought my '86 Trek 400 in ~2006, it still had most original
parts. I rode it a fair bit, and it held up admirably - being a
~fairly high quality bike (vs. e.g. a BSO). But when I *really*
started putting the long daily miles on it in all kinds of weather, it
needed more and more maintenace all the time and too often.

It was my only bike, though, so I did the work (out in the garage at
10:30 PM on a weekday servicing hubs and BB for the next morning's
ride). I upgraded wheels and BB and pedals - all with very high
quality used parts - and new rear derailer and NOS shifters and gave
it new cables and bar tape and cleaned and lubed and caressed the
bike. By the time I finally wrecked the bike in one utterly stupid
moment, it was beginning to run smooth and straight and nimble and
happy - and going longer between maintenance.

On 10-12-2012 22:51, David Scheidt wrote:
Did it get any maintance during the period it was ridden hard, or
after it came out of the dusty garage? I'm kind of wondering if with
a bit of grease, and maybe a few ball bearings, it would run pretty
well even now.

"Dusty garage" isn't accurate. It did MOST of those miles (not ALL)
1980-1984 and 2010-2012.

But no, it had no maintenance at all any of that time. Well, no
significant maintenance like disassembly for greasing.

--
Wes Groleau

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...gs/pants-fire/

On 10-13-2012 08:37, wrote:
Steel frames used to have a lifetime warranty. If the frame fails under normal use, you can exchange it for a new one. Parts usually have a one year warranty on defects. Proof of purchase?

I didn't say anything about the frame. No, I cannot produce a
thirty-two year-old proof of purchase for a bike shop 2,200 miles away.

Nor would a one-year warranty help with the failures of 32-year-old
bearings.

The broken axle on the tricycle, however....well, it's closer to two
years than one. And the manufacturer's excuse would probably be,
"Right here in print: 210 pound weight limit. Since the trike weighs
fifty pounds and you weigh 185, you clearly abused it."

(Not to mention I occasionally put sixteen pounds of milk in it.)

--
Wes Groleau

Change is inevitable.
Liberals need to learn that “inevitable" is not a synonym for “good."
Conservatives should learn that “inevitable" is not a synonym for “bad.�

On Oct 13, 11:24 am, Wes Groleau wrote:
On 10-13-2012 08:37, wrote:

Steel frames used to have a lifetime warranty. If the frame fails under normal use, you can exchange it for a new one. Parts usually have a one year warranty on defects. Proof of purchase?

I didn't say anything about the frame. No, I cannot produce a
thirty-two year-old proof of purchase for a bike shop 2,200 miles away.

Nor would a one-year warranty help with the failures of 32-year-old
bearings.


No warranty does a lick of good when something breaks - only when you
(would otherwise) whip out your wallet later, which has zero to do
with Ride Bike!