After nearly half a year of riding the bike without any problems, I had assumed that the service would amount to little less than oiling and tightening some screws and bolts. But it was not that simple at all. The mechanic, a friendly and higly professional man, showed me his measurements with a Rohloff rule. The chain was elongated and needed replacement. He also found that the smallest sprocket had worn out and did not work any more. His explanation: probably poor chain maintenance on my part, i.e. insufficient cleaning and greasing. I was disappointed, granted, I am not a semi-professional and definitely not a bicycle racer who looks after his bike with meticulous care every day, whiping off every little piece of dust and dirt, but I have ridden bicycles all my life and never had a sprocket and a chain worn out in the first half year. He called the Flyer company in Switzerland to find out if they would give me a free new sprocket. They declined. When I learnt that the dealer had no spare sprocket on stock to fix the problem immediately, I was disappointed again. In a reproachful manner, the manager and owner of my service station told me I could not expect him to have all kinds of sprockets on stock. At that, he lectured me that chain and sprockets are parts that wear out depending on the maintenance quality provided by the user. And he was certainly right. - I had learnt my lesson.Once the proud owner of a Flyer model "i:sy", I left the service station`s yard, unamused and dissatisfied.
Could it not be that the electric drive is putting chain and gears under more stress than an unelectrified bike? Should a new electric bike customer not be cautioned to avoid putting in the highest gear when starting the bike in order to prevent a premature wear-out of the sprocket? Shouldn`t customer and dealer cooperate and find a solution together?
One thing has become clear to me. If you are a pleasure rider who is willing to pay an almost luxury price for a pedelec like the "i:sy", don`t buy it with a chain derailleur. Spend more money and get one with a hub gear system.
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