By Robert Ariail

    • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
      361·
      6 days ago

      Bikes are meant to be bought used. They are so dead simple to repair and maintain. All you need is a handful of basic tools and youtube.

      • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de
        142·
        6 days ago

        Bikes are meant to be bought used.

        That’s solid advice for your occasional short range bike.
        But when talking about substituting a car for a bike with the thereby associated mileage (which the comic implies), in most cases this will be less true.

        Main reason for this is that, apart from the frame, bikes mostly consist of wear-and-tear parts.
        That is especially true for many used bikes that still have rim brakes and on top may have obsolete parts that are not easy to come by (had that once for my bar-end gear-levers that Shimano decided not to produce any more, because old-fashioned…)

        Also a used bike comes as it is, so not really optimized for easy maintenance as you could choose a new bike to be.
        I have learned by now (after switching to new bikes every few years and ~20000km before), that the most stressless (and also cheap in the long run) path is to buy a custom bike with robustness and easy maintenance in mind.

        So steel frame, no suspension fork but fat 29’’ tires instead, mechanical disk brake, standard lower mid range components (less optimized for weight, but often more robust), lowest number of gears possible (less finicky and typically less chain wear).

        The initial cost when doing so will be higher, but in the long run will pay itself of when doing 5000km+ per year.

        • kurikai@lemmy.world
          4·
          6 days ago

          if you are taking the cost of petrol and using it to buy the bike instead. then the cost for the bike is free as you would have used that money on single use petrol.

          • Tujio@lemmy.world
            2·
            6 days ago

            I did that math when I bought my bike. “How many times do I have to bike to work to even this out?”

            Once I hit it I never touched that bike again.

      • Aneb@lemmy.world
        6·
        6 days ago

        I just cleaned my brakes for the first time. From a two min video on YT. Bikes are the best

      • merc@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        5 days ago

        I have to disagree with that.

        I’ve been working on my own bikes for decades. I bought a used bike recently and it’s been a nightmare. I know how to adjust a rear derailleur, but this one just won’t work. I suspect whoever last owned it did something like replace the indexed shifter with an incompatible model. In the past I’ve also had to deal with wheels that were wonky. I have trued wheels before, and I’m pretty good at taking a wheel that’s slightly out of true and getting it back to straight. But, fixing a wheel that’s significantly taco-shaped is a whole different matter. Plus, most people don’t have a truing stand.

        I also didn’t realize just how worn some of the parts were on this bike before I got it. The chain just snapped while I was pedalling up a steep hill. I took a closer look and some of the chainrings are pretty worn, so I might have to replace them too. Plus the brakes need a re-work, and the cables should all be replaced.

        By the time I’m done with this bike, I probably will have replaced the chain, chain rings, brake pads, cables, tires, tubes, and maybe an indexed shifter pedal. Even after buying all those parts it will probably have been cheaper than buying a new bike, but if you count the hours and hours of labour, I’m not sure I’m coming out ahead. And, what’s really frustrating is that with a new bike you get to feel it while it’s at its best right after you bought it. With this one, every time I take it out, I realize there’s something else wrong with it, and sometimes I end up walking home, like I did when the chain snapped.

    • birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      7·
      6 days ago

      Last I checked you can buy them for as cheap as €50.

      Or if you want something that doesn’t break quickly, still only €300-700 total. In ten years I’ve only spent like €100 on repairs.

        • Impractical_Island@lemmy.world
          4·
          6 days ago

          You win! You get a cookie! Just send me your banking information, SSN, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, blood n stool sample, a scrapbook of your foot prints, as well as a sample of your writing, and you will find a cookie in the trash over the next week. I’ve done this literally a trillion times, and half the time it works like 37% of the time, so it’s real, dude. Statistics like that are God, obviously.

            • Impractical_Island@lemmy.world
              2·
              6 days ago

              The intent of your second sentence requires no comma.

              Adding the pause after now slightly changes the connotation of the implied meaning.

              Now I’m going to become an artist.

              Now, I’m going to become an artist, if XYZ.

              That pause implies you’re going to follow it up with a conditional clause or similar.

              But the path to the top of the mountain is made through regular, consistent effort rather than bursts of motivation and inspiration, but those definitely can help bring you to your destination. Best of luck! Consistency makes the lottery of gaining exposure a sure thing over the long run. The more seeds planted, inside and in medium, the more fruit can be harvested.

    • merc@sh.itjust.works
      2·
      5 days ago

      Just cheat a bit and add a line connecting the seat post to the back wheel’s hub, like this guy did.

      But, don’t worry, drawing a bike is hard. I’ve seen bike lane markers drawn with a stencil that made absolutely no sense. Some city worker actually painted this on the ground and thought it was ok:

      Terrible bike stencil

  • epicthundercat@lemmy.world
    6·
    6 days ago

    If Americans had access to Chinese EVs and had more affordable EV options it would be better. Their range is great now days. They can get up to 350 range depending on the car now. Comparible to gas cars. I think local governments should install charging stations as well to recieve some of the profits and to keep it affordable / voted on instead of it all being privatized again as we KNOW ALL COMPANIES EVENTUALLY JACK UP COST no matter what the product. America never learns.

      • But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world
        51·
        6 days ago

        Yeah downtown Lemmy users think everyone should be on a bike. It’s not realistic.

        The EV argument against Chinese vehicles is hilarious. Everything is already made in china. And the cars might spy on me? And the Americans won’t? I trust the Americans less than the Chinese at this point, I rather be spied by china

        • epicthundercat@lemmy.world
          1·
          6 days ago

          They have them in Europe and Canada just approved Chinese EVs. America is being left behind and it’s gross. Open market my American ass. The lies.

        • Joelk111@lemmy.world
          1·
          6 days ago

          I think everyone should be on a bike, but I don’t blame people if they aren’t, as the infrastructure for it does not exist in a lot of places. As part of thinking that everyone should be on a bike, I also think that the infrastructure for that should be built. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper to build and maintain that car roads.

        • TwoBeeSan@lemmy.world
          12·
          6 days ago

          They don’t live in reality. Or their reality is not everyone else’s is a better way to say it.

          My rural ass town with not a sidewalk in site?

          Yeah the main road through people do 65 on id fucking get splat.