My attempt to kill my bike, or, what 15k miles looks like

[Harry Meatmotor]

For fun I decided to build a commuter bike (Surly CrossCheck, aka, TheFerd) with the sole intention of not maintaining it properly, to see what breaks or fails or just falls off a bike due to relentless abuse. In roughly 15,000 miles of potholes, snow, ice, mud, dirt, 1x Hilly Billy Roubaix, 1x the full Fairfax CCT, and pretty much daily commuting duty, my bike has eaten the following:

• 5 Ultegra 10 speed chains
• 4 Ultegra 10 speed 11-28T cassettes
• 4 sets of tires: 3 pairs of Specialized Armadillos, 1 pair Conti Gatorskins (all 700x32c)
• 4 sets (2 pairs each) Cool Stop Salmon brake pad cartidges/inserts
• 3 inner and outer SRAM cheapo 34T-50T chainrings
• 2 SRAM pulley wheel sets
• 2 Thompson stem faceplates
• 1 Thompson stem
• 1 Chris King NoThreadset
• 1 cheapo GXP bottom bracket
• 1 Shimano 105 rear hub (bent axle, ruined bearing races)
• 1 H+Son TB14 32h rim
• 1 pair Hudz brake hoods

Currently the headset top bearing cap is cracked and the bearing races are dented, resulting in what we mechanics jokingly refer to as “indexed steering.” Need to decide on what color replacement King HS I’ll pick up.

Shockingly original parts include:

• White Fizik bar tape
• White Specialized Romin saddle
• Gore RideOn Sealed Cables

Also, TheFerd has only been intentionally washed once, following Hilly Billy Roubaix, 2015, mostly because I didn’t want it to leach crud onto the roof of my car on the drive home.

Pics for clicks:

Cracked stem thanks to corrosion
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More cracks
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Even more cracks
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Pretty good for a $30 FD
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SHARK ATTACK
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Topic

[Harry Meatmotor]

So, when we last left our reckless (or feckless?) crusader, he was in a world of hurt. Broken, bruised, and filthy. Could anything be done to save him?

Well, to quote Dr. Weird, “GENTLEMEN. BEHOLD.”

So fresh and so clean. Approx. 109.9 miles on rebuild.
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I ride a girl’s bike now.
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It’s almost like the flogging didn’t happen!
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Still only $30.
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APEK? nah, bro. APeX.
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Thanks for tuning in!

[ian74]

I recognize this bike, it passes me many mornings at Gravelly Pt. Less so now that I’m leaving earlier, but for most of the spring you were blowing by me every day! Even though you said it was beat to hell, I never heard it rattle or creak as it passed.

[huskerdont]

@ian74 142892 wrote:

I recognize this bike, it passes me many mornings at Gravelly Pt. Less so now that I’m leaving earlier, but for most of the spring you were blowing by me every day! Even though you said it was beat to hell, I never heard it rattle or creak as it passed.

He probably wouldn’t ride it if it made any noise. A mechanic has to have his pride, and an experiment can only be taken so far.

It is a pretty bike. Only thing I’d add is corks from Belgian dubbels or tequila bottles in the bar ends. And what are those metal things wrapped around the tires? Seems like they must be there to catch the wind or something.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@huskerdont 142893 wrote:

He probably wouldn’t ride it if it made any noise. A mechanic has to have his pride, and an experiment can only be taken so far.

It is a pretty bike. Only thing I’d add is corks from Belgian dubbels or tequila bottles in the bar ends. And what are those metal things wrapped around the tires? Seems like they must be there to catch the wind or something.

I want to try and get some “UCI-approved” stickers for my anti-wind cheating devices.

but, I believe the bars are corked with Bogel, The Essential Red Zinfandel corks. so tasty!

oddly, TheFerd partially abides by Rule #65. Noisy bikes kill babies, truth.

[huskerdont]

When the corks are Belgian, you can proudly leave them protruding:[ATTACH=CONFIG]12109[/ATTACH]

[KLizotte]

So Harry, did you ever get an answer to your original question that started this whole experiment?

[huskerdont]

Also, noisy bikes prolly do make the baby jeebus cry, but ever since I’ve had that ticking in the rear wheel on the one bike, I find I don’t need to call my passes as much. People are turning their heads as I approach.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@KLizotte 142908 wrote:

So Harry, did you ever get an answer to your original question that started this whole experiment?

SortaKinda… the things that surprised me were the things that failed non-catastrophically, but were parts from highly respected manufacturers, namely King and Thomson. I’m sure I could have bitched a little and gotten some warranty replacements (I did for the stem faceplates – those absolutely shouldn’t have failed the way they did; and no, I didn’t overtighten the fixing bolts. Both faceplates failed in exactly the same way, too, cracking around the fixing bolt hole, so I’m inclined to say it’s a design failure more than anything else.), but seeking out warranty stuff kinda wasn’t the point.

I’m still quite befuddled by some of the bikes that passed through the shops I’ve worked at, seemingly constantly in need of some kind of repair. I have seen much more drivetrain wear on some bikes than I ever had on mine, which leads me to respect those bike’s owners a bit more because they’re probably putting in some serious miles.

I will say that there were a few things that never gave me trouble that I’d poo-poo’ed a little in the past: machine-built wheels being one of them. I was expecting broken spokes all over the place because the stock spoke tension was so low. Surprisingly the one (rear) wheel that was machine built held up admirable until I taco’d it after I got side-swiped by a Metro Bus.

Also, approx. 9,000 miles on a single pair of Conti Gatorskins. Not one flat. (and I think I can get away with saying that cause I got a flat yesterday, so the Karma-Counter has reset).

[hozn]

@Harry Meatmotor 142902 wrote:

but, I believe the bars are corked with Bogel, The Essential Red Zinfandel corks. so tasty!

Do you use a corkscrew to remove them when (someday eventually!) re-taping?

I was also really surprised to learn that your CK headset failed. That seems like a very short lifespan for a headset. Given my experience, with CK bottom brackets, I suspect CK’s reputation is more driven by how much folks are paying (and the pretty colors) as opposed to how much they’re riding. I was gonna use a CK Inset 7 for my road bike, but given this performance have decided to get a Hope mix-and-match headset for my upcoming ti road bike. The Hope is also less than 1/2 the price. Heck, I have gotten more than 15k miles out of a Cane Creek 40-series headset — and it’s still going strong on my son’s mtb.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@hozn 142912 wrote:

Do you use a corkscrew to remove them when (someday eventually!) re-taping?

Seriously?

yes.

lol.

@hozn 142912 wrote:

I was also really surprised to learn that your CK headset failed. That seems like a very short lifespan for a headset. Given my experience, with CK bottom brackets, I suspect CK’s reputation is more driven by how much folks are paying (and the pretty colors) as opposed to how much they’re riding. I was gonna use a CK Inset 7 for my road bike, but given this performance have decided to get a Hope mix-and-match headset for my upcoming ti road bike. The Hope is also less than 1/2 the price. Heck, I have gotten more than 15k miles out of a Cane Creek 40-series headset — and it’s still going strong on my son’s mtb.

Hope stuff is pretty bombproof. Hard to say whether the bearings in a Hope headset would’ve faired any better or worse, but I will say that I’ve resurrected a fair number of crunchy King headset bearings. And I did buy the headset used, mileage unknown, but in good shape. It died from a cracked bearing cap and dented races, so replacing the races/lower bearing cup would have been kind of pointless money wise. Replacement parts were the same $$$ as a whole new headset. I’ll also vouch for King hubs, over 10k miles on a set of classic hubs and the bearings were still nicer than anything, short of cup-and-cone Campy Record.

[hozn]

Maybe the hubs are where it’s at with CK. Certainly have only heard good things there.

Though I have over 13k now on my Hope rear hub and it rolls like new. The Hope hubs aren’t that light, though, and the freehub bodies do get chewed up. Someday I will splurge and get something with a ti freehub body.

[Author]

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