exo : blah

Among the unsung joys of bicycle ownership is how easy they are to fix; a bit of knowledge and a few allen keys goes a long way with a bike. Not only does this make them cheap to run, or at least potentially cheap, there's also an extra pride in owning something that you maintain.

Most of the maintenance is actually more accurately termed cleaning for which some rags and a toothbrush will suffice. However, even common maintenance like replacing brake pads, tweaking gears and replacing the chain only requires the addition of a chain splitter to the allen keys. A few more tools and you can replace the entire drivetrain when it wears out, one or two more and you can remove and replace the forks and then you can start thinking about building your own wheels.

And with that you've build your own bike which comes with yet another boost to the pride in ownership. If you're really keen you can go on a framebuilding course and come out the other end with a frame you made yourself.

I am not that keen.