Tried fixing my own bike chain for the first time. Ended up with oil all over my living room rug.

Thought I'd save $40 at the shop near downtown Portland. Now I have a $200 cleaning bill and the chain still skips. Anyone else have a DIY repair go totally sideways like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren63823d ago

Did you ever think you'd be the person who ruins a rug trying to fix a bike? I used to think anyone could handle simple bike repairs at home, but after watching my roommate snap a derailleur in half and spray oil everywhere, I totally changed my mind. Some things are just worth paying the pros for, especially when you factor in the cleanup.

ellioth3722d ago

You really think a snapped derailleur is worth calling a pro over, @wren638? I've done plenty of bike fixes at home and yeah, sometimes stuff goes wrong but you learn from it. That roommate's mistake wasn't because bike repairs are hard, it was because they didn't watch a quick YouTube video first. A new derailleur is like 30 bucks and some oil cleanup takes ten minutes with paper towels, way cheaper than a shop bill. Isn't it better to mess up a few times and get the hang of it than pay someone every time a chain pops off?

tessa_murray22d agoMost Upvoted

The real lesson here is knowing which repairs are worth your time.