Remember when you could adjust a derailleur with just a 5mm Allen key?

Last week, a kid brought in a new e-bike with a fried controller, and the whole unit was sealed. Three years ago, I was still fixing up old 10-speeds in my garage in Tacoma, where everything was right there. Now, half the bikes that roll in need a laptop plugged in before I even touch a wrench. Makes me miss the simple mechanical puzzles. What's the most 'computer first, bike second' repair you've had to do lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_beth4d ago

Maybe it's just me, but I don't miss the old days that much. Those simple bikes are still out there to work on if you want. The new tech lets people ride who couldn't before, and it keeps shops busy. A firmware update is just another kind of tool in the box now. It's still about getting someone back on their bike at the end of the day.

nancy_garcia6323d ago

Ever get that sinking feeling you're a tech support guy who just happens to work on bikes? I had to update firmware on a carbon fiber road bike last month before the electronic shifting would even engage. It's a different world now.

thomas78423d ago

My shop had a customer last week who couldn't shift because his derailleur needed a Bluetooth reset. I spent twenty minutes on the phone with the component maker's help desk. It's wild when the fix is a software patch, not a cable adjustment.