Oct 07 '08 - 1382 W - Vote Good + 2 :: Bad - 12 Bicycle Maintenance 101: keeping the wheels turning
Published October 6, 2008 by Tampa Outdoor Adventure Examiner
by Tom Batchelor
Your Outdoor Adventure guy says bicycling here in Florida is big; really big. Just like motorcycling, our fine state and its warm climate is perfect for year-round activities of this type. While meandering around here and there I often see a bicyclist on a nearby sidewalk making a roadside repair, usually tire related. Serious cyclists carry spare stuff like tire tubes and basic tools with them and that's a good thing. I can't help but wonder though, how many breakdowns could be avoided by proper maintenance and inspection.
Problem is that most people don't think about maintaining anything. Heck, my daughter's Toyota Matrix tells her when it's time to change the oil by means of a simple "idiot light." Not that she's an idiot, mind you. Perhaps the proper "PC" vernacular is MIL for "Malfunction Indicator Lamp" (a term Ford loves to use in its service manuals). BMW with their proprietary system and many GM automobiles with "OnStar" service do much more than that; someone in an office a thousand miles away can just about tell how many parts per million of junk is in their motor oil and send you an email or text message that it's time to visit Jiffy Lube or the dealer. I'm waiting for the system to tell the driver they're getting fat or something, by means of monitoring seat weight pressure remotely (which, by the way is done to tell the Airbag system how fast to deploy an airbag device).
But I digress. We're talking about bicycles here. But the same tenants of maintenance apply whether you're on 4 or 2 wheels.
Before you hit the road or the trail, it's important to check your bike out thoroughly. Here's some points to remember:
- Tires: how old are they? Bicycle tires for most of us don't wear out, they "crack" out, literally. Depending on where you store your bike, heat and age takes its toll and the tires start to deteriorate. Get a weak spot around the bead where the tire meets the rim and you're walking.
- Tire pressure: probably the most overlooked thing on bikes, cars, trailers, etc. I can't tell you how many bicycles I've seen with low tire pressures, as evidenced by the flat spot at the contact patch. Excluding fat guys on bikes like me, of course, who tend to crush all but the ultra-high pressure jobs. Check your tire pressures before every ride. Use a good tire guage and a good pump.
- Lubrication: if your bike is kinda old, how long has it been since the bearings were looked at and greased? All you need is a bit of grit in a ball bearing race and in short order Sir Isaac Newton's laws of physics regarding friction will pulverize those little guys into powder. Clean and re-grease your bearings in your wheels and crank as appropriate. I'd recommend once a year at a minimum, more often on a cheaper bike model or if you're riding in a very muddy or sandy area regularly. Lube the chain and gears too. I like Silicone spray for these components. It works pretty well and doesn't attract dirt and grit like money does with long-lost relatives as grease and oil will do. Keep an eye on lubricant use around your work area as they'll turn your garage floor into a slippery mess, perhaps causing an acute gravity attack with secondary lumps and bruises that normally come with bouncing off concrete.
- Adjustments: nothing irritates me more than a misaligned derailleur. That "tick tick tick tick" drives me nuts. With modern bikes and indexed shifting, your adjustments have to be spot-on. This will not only save you from being looked at with disgust next time we ride together, but your parts will mesh properly and not wear as fast. This might be tricky, however. So, if you're not up on derailleur adjusting or can't find your "adjusting for dummies" book, hand this task off to the bike shop.
- Brakes: most garden variety bikes from the usual places we buy them have crappy brakes. There are two types mainly: friction pad and disk. Higher end bikes have disk brakes which work like those on a motorcycle. The other style involves those pads which clamp on the rim edge, thereby employing our buddy Isaac's laws again. Either one, make sure the adjustments are good and the friction material is adequate, not dried out and actually stops you. Aftermarket brake pads are great, but be careful. Good, sticky pads on your front wheel may just ruin your outing, but the bright side is you'll be able to test that new helmet out! One point of order here relative to brakes regarding the lubrication thing mentioned above: when spraying any lubricant, it's imperative that you steer clear of the tires and rims. Why? well, slick tires aren't fun in the traction area or lack thereof, and overspraying the very spots where your brakes do their braking thing may precipitate an underwear change as you unwillingly dart into the path of a dumptruck. Use rags or other barriers to protect these areas and if you do get a bit sloppy with the spray can, wipe the rims or disks off immediately with an appropriate solvent like alcohol or similar product. Don't use gasoline either! I know you were thinking it!
- Rim alignment: Rims that are out of adjustment sometimes cause the rim to drag on the brakes as the wheel turns, making your efficiency fall like the stock market. It also may signify you have either loose or broken spokes. Trust me, bike engineers don't put any extra spokes in there when they design a rim, so if you have some spokes doing the limbo, get 'em fixed. A good time to check your spokes is when you're checking your tires out. If you know what you're doing, a spoke wrench is mandatory! Resist the urge to use a pair of pliers or other instrument of death. Use the right tool for the right job.
- Pedals: make sure your pedals are tight on the crank. When tightening or loosening them for removal if you're servicing your crank, for example, note the thread direction. Many will be stamped with an R or L meaning Right Hand or Left Hand thread. This keeps your pedals from coming loose with the rotation of the crank.
- General fastener maintenance: go over your bike and make sure the different fasteners are tight. It's easy to miss a loose bolt or nut (besides the nut riding the thing!).
Overall, what I'm saying here is simply common sense stuff. If you choose to do the work yourself, make sure you have the proper tools. You'll need a decent set of metric and SAE tools for most jobs, but probably mostly metric. Lastly, if you're not handy or mechanically inclined, turf the maintenance tasks off to a good bike shop. You can find one by asking your buddies or joining a local bike club and asking. An online bicycling forum may be just the ticket to finding your local wrench twister. Just about every area has one guy or gal that everyone raves about. For a few bucks they can have your jewel road or trail ready and you'll have peace of mind, plus a warrantee if they screw it up!
Remember, after that long ride, you want to be in good spirits and health, that is, without any personal damage from a failed component so your after ride jaunt at Hooters won't be interrupted by some Paramedic applying an ace bandage or a cervical collar.
Until we meet again, my friends.
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