Component wear is inevitable if a bicycle is in service for a long period of time, especially if ridden hard in all weathers on lousy road/trail surfaces.
Chains, cassettes, cables, brake pads, grips/tape, bearings, grease, tires, tubes, sealant, saddles, rims, batteries, fluids, rotors, spokes and much else all have reasonable but finite service lives.
Regular maintenance and component replacement are required for safe reliable operation. This is not news.
-Bandera