New Wheels

Yesterday I got my commuter back, with new wheels. Hub dynamo and drum brake up front, 8 speed and rollerbrake in the back. The bike sounded awful when I rode it, so I spent the night working on it. The original enclosed chaincase just didn't work anymore, so I finally decided to remove it. It's fantastic now. I'm sad to lose the chaincase.

It's difficult to find an enclosed chaincase in this country, where bikes are mainly used for recreation and sport, not for daily transportation. If you have a bike that you ride everyday, rain or shine, deraillers and exposed chains are not practical. They require way too much maintenance and constantly need to be cleaned and oiled. Dirt gets on the chain and rain washes off the oil and causes rust. If you wear pants on the bike, they will be fouled or destroyed.

Enclose chaincases are available everywhere and inexpensive in the Netherlands, but not in the US. You can see some of them at fietspunt.nl.