Hello Terry, welcome to BM

so your workmate broke 4 brand new chains in 4 rides. I dont believe it!

Likely causes: A chain could have a manfacturing fault which could cause it to fail. Alternatively shifting gears under full load (ie: entire body-weight pushing down on pedal) can cause them to snap.

 Unlikely causes: your workmate is built like Giant Haystacks or he enjoys 300 mile rides down a sandy beach.

If your workmate is giving the bike away for free, then you have nothing to loose! But bring a chain-tool along with you incase the bike was indeed cursed by an irrate gypsy.

Most chains can be easily repaired if they break. there is no need to replace them. Post another thread if you wanna know how to fix a busted chain.

cheers

2000 miles in less than a year - good effort sir!

I think its perfectable reasonable to expect a set of bearings to fail or go sloppy after that amount of use.

Hello, sounds like you've made up your mind to get a new bike, but.....

I have managed to successfully repair mis-shapped bearing housings by use of carefully cut bits of beer can.

Essentially, if the frame is old and knacked, then you not doing it any more harm by using homemade ali shims. I cut em, bend them to shape then hold them in the housing with a bit of grease and tap the bearing in. As the beer can ali is very soft, it fills any gap very well and get rid of any play in the swing-arm.

 It works for shock bushings too.

You can do several bikes with one can of Henniken. But any time I've done this i never have any beer left by the end of the bodge - strange

echoing BHB, it be nice if Intense knocked out a carbon Socom. I'll have mine with titanium linkages please Jeff!

There's a few 'trail centers'in there that are not actually trail centers - like surrey hills and Delamere forest for example.

Overall, its a fine book. Very comprehensive - and looks great on my coffee table