Guy at the co-op showed me a cracked chainring after I said I was fine skipping a tune-up

He was swapping pedals on a beat-up hybrid and I mentioned I'd been putting off basic work on my own bike. He just pointed to his chainring and said "this crack started after I ignored a loose bolt for two weeks." That ring had a hairline fracture running from the bolt hole to the tooth edge. I looked closer and realized it would've snapped under load on a hill climb. He said he caught it by chance while checking his chain for wear last Tuesday. Have any of you found hidden damage like that from just skipping routine checks?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade_hunt483d ago

Found a cracked chainstay once on a beater bike I was restoring for a friend. I was just wiping down the frame and saw a little paint bubble near the weld. Dug at it with my fingernail and there was a hairline crack running maybe an inch down the stay. Caught it before it snapped on a hard pedal stroke. Now I always run a rag over the frame after every wet ride. Catches stuff like that before it gets serious.

christopher_hunt1d ago

Ngl, do you really think a casual rag wipe after every wet ride is practical for most people, or just for serious builders who have time for that level of detail?