So I got a call from Adam in Atom Bike repair to say that my ‘project bike ‘ was ready and he would be delivering it soon (I must say that this happened a few weeks ago , only a short while after he took the Mountain Bike away …i’m only getting around to writing this article now !…so 10/10 for speed of service ) Good news first …,he said that the bike didnt have a lot wrong with it …that its mainly neglect that harms a bike …the same as your car ! It needed a new chain (old one corroded !) , one new gear cable, brake pads for the disc brakes and as we would discover later, a new Gear cassette as the old one kept slipping in the heavy gears (the smaller wheels on the gears ) The main plus was that after Adam did a great clean up of the bike , including getting rid of most of the corrosion , that it was in pretty good shape ! Good saddle , good discs , good tyres , good bodywork …its rain and outside storage thats the threat to a good bike ! Luckily mine was thrown in my shed ! How resourceful am I ? The chain needs to be serviced regularly to discourage slipping , stretching and wear and regular lubrication everywhere (apart from the brakes) is well recommended by Atom . Cost wise ,while preventative maintenance is advised , replacement of equipment is not too expenxive with Atom . Firstly they do a ‘Bronze Silver and Gold service for 25 , 50 and 75 euro …see their website for more details (atombikefixers) but also the gear cables are only €7 each , as are the brake cables ..the brake pads are only €5 per brake .The cassette costs from €7 upwards and .the more expensive item was the chain which can range for €10 – €40 depending on the number of gears on your bike .”Bikes are built to last ” says Adam …you dont need to be replacing a perfectly good bike “!
But all in all ,it pays to have experts look at your pride and joy and thats what Atom are… the Bike Experts!
(Call Adam or Thomas
087-4442112, 08301727503 or visit their Facebook page)
