2017/12/08 - Replacing a bicycle casette

I bought my latest mountain bike about this time last year for 6K after Boulder tax, pedals, and a new helmet.

The bad thing about buying an expensive bike is that the maintenance is expensive, especially if you insist on replacing components with the original ones. As a result, I’ve gone through many years of $400 plus expenses on my Stumperjumper FRS Expert 29er. 

So last year when I bought my new Stumperjumper FRS Expert Carbon 29er, I promised myself that I would learn to do all the maintenance myself.

So far after 5,000 miles so good, but I’ve only had to replace tires, tubes, pedals, disk brake pads, and a chain. 

Today I tried to replace a casette. For those of you who may not know what a cassette is, it’s the group of gears on the back wheel of your bike. 

I watched multiple YouTube videos showing how to replace my type of casette, and in each one, it looked so easy!

So I bought the casette for $110, and the tools for $40, thinking that I was saving a fortune over the shop repair price. But when I tried to turn the casette tool, it wouldn’t budge. And I tried, and tried, and tried. 

And now my shoulder screams if I hold my arm up above my head. 

It really sucks being 67. Twenty years ago I could tumble down a snow slope laughingstock the way, today I can’t play pickleball without tearing a bicep, or working on my bike without hurting myself. 

Wa wa wa...