Smooth Cycling

I have been struggling recently with skipping gears and lots of rattling and grinding when cycling. Using my vast mechanical knowledge I have tried adjusting my front and rear mech to get them running smoothly and I have failed abysmally. So at the weekend I took my bike to my local bike shop (TriUK) and handed it over to the care of the very nice mechanic there.

When I say "very nice" you have to bear in mind that he is a bike mechanic. Which means long hair, loads of piercings, and plenty of tattoos. So I probably wouldn't be happy if my daughter brought him home (apart from the fact that she is six) but he was very friendly and most importantly did a good job on my bike. It is now running nicely, no skipping, no grinding, and I feel much faster.

The bad news is that I was also given a long list of things that need to be replaced in the near future, chain, cassette, cables, rear tyre, etc. More expense. However, I use my bike for commuting to work and I am fairly certain I am saving money overall when I consider parking fees and costs of tube travel.