Eugene

Lots being said about the insurer covering the wheels. The insured paid premiums on a bicycle, which includes all the parts that make up a bicycle. Surely then, the wheels should be covered as they form part of the bike. Does it matter if the wheels were owned by someone else? The only nuance is that the friends wheels may have increased the value of the bike and for that moment, the insured may have been under insured.

What exactly are you saying? So if my car has 150, 000km on it and I hit a pothole and damage my rim. A rim replacement is R5k. Are you saying that the insurance company will state that the wheel is worn and therefore will only cover a percentage of it?

Not sure who you are insured with, but my insurance will replace/repair the wheel if it is damaged from a pothole. Wear and tear won't even be considered.

As mentioned, it sounds like Shimano Sora 8 speed. They are old and entry level, which would explain the poor shifting. If you want the gears "closer together" you will need more gears (cogs) at the back. This could be costly as you will need new shifters, maybe rear derailleur, new chain, new cassette and maybe a free hub. You'll need new chain rings depending on the number of gears you want. It is probably not worth the exercise. Or...... The purists will hate me for this.... Order a LTwoo groupset from Alliexpress. They are cheap, reliable and have smooth shifting. Again, your issue could be the freehub as it may not accommodate any cassette bigger than a 9 speed. Maybe someone here on the hub can advise on this

It's pretty clear it was not assembled properly before being sent to you. Do the 40min drive to the mechanic, it is worth the peace of mind.

Why do you not enjoy the Liv... They are the same quality as the Scott/Momsen. If you don't enjoy it, there must be some other issue (wrong size etc).

First. Let's look at your intended use. You want to follow your 6 year old around the block. You don't need a high end bike for that. You want something you can pedal safely on and stop you when you need too. A bike like this is perfect for that and will not cost you much to fix it up. You don't need expensive parts, entry level stuff will do just fine. Spokes can be replaced for a few hundred Rand. If the wheels are not repairable, at most you'll pay R1.2K for a new set. Unless the fork is going to collapse, leave it as is. You don't need suspension for what you are doing with it. Cassettes are available off Temu for next to nothing The only trick is you have to do most of the work yourself, if you use a bike shop, the labour cost will make it uneconomical to fix. Avalanche is a local brand distributed by Dragons. They have a nice catalogue of parts on their website for this bike along with recommended prices. This will give you an idea on what the parts will cost and you will see just how cheap they are. Most bike shops will sell their products Www.dragons.co.za

Most insurers state in their t&cs that that have the right to repair. They also state that they are not responsible for future values. That means that as long as they get your bike on the road, any future value loss is on you. I would not want my frame to be repaired. There is no industry accreditation or standards authority for carbon repairers. I am not even aware of any apprentice route a person can follow to be a carbon repairer. Many of them are self taught. All you get is word of mouth and reputation to rely on.

I was with Santam. Was hit by a car and my frame was destroyed. Even though the frame was cheaper to replace than a whole bike, they suggested a whole new bike. Got paid within a week and didn't even take the old one from me. Some time later, my front wheel was stolen (long story). We could not find an exact match for the rear wheel, so they covered the cost of a full wheel set. I my experience, Santam is one of the best.

Same name, different people.

I had a floor pump that was about 10 years old, but had a lifetime warranty. I sent them an email to ask if the warranty still covered it and two days later, a replacement part was delivered to a bike shop.

Don't waste your money on upgrading, because there is nothing that you can upgrade to that you will feel the difference on (except maybe a dropper). Wait until the parts wear out and then you can spend money on higher spec parts.

So, I guess I'll change the cassette and chain and see if there is any slippage. If all is well, I save some bucks I didn't mention, it is a road bike

My drive train has some serious mileage on it. My chain checker shows between 0.75 and 1 wear. My plan was to replace the cassette, chain and chainrings. I already have a new cassette and chain and was going to get new chainrings too. I was watching an episode of Bikeapeeds. The bike on the show had similar chain wear to mine and the mechanic said it wasn't necessary to change the chainrings. That got me thinking.... How do you tell if the chainrings are worn? I hate wasting money, but if I'm putting on a new cassette and chain, I still want to replace the rings.

Lorraine Cycle Tour in PE