Turn to Chapter 16 for instructions on how to properly lube the moving parts and pivot points on your bike.
Tightening up
The monthly checkup is a good time to inspect the tightness of your cables. While you’re examining the cables, also look for kinks or fraying, which may signal that they need to be replaced.
Check all the fasteners on your bike for looseness. Don’t forgot to include any accessories like racks or bottle cages in your list. If you leave a fastener loose, it may fall out and, in its place, rust may appear.
Finally, check the cranks and crank bolts or nuts for tightness. While inspecting the cranks, grab a crank arm in each hand and try to wiggle them to check for looseness. If there is play in the cranks, the nuts or bolts may need to be tightened or you may have a problem with the bottom bracket (see Chapter 13).
Checking the brakes
Of all the parts on a bike that you don’t want to give out when you’re riding, the brakes are at the top of the list. Make sure you inspect them monthly, checking for wear in the brake pads and replacing them as needed. (If you need to replace brake pads or make adjustments to the brakes, see Chapter 8.)
Confirm that the cable clamp has the cable securely in place.
Give your brake levers a firm squeeze to confirm that the brakes evenly and firmly grab the rim.
Check the brake pads for even wear. (You may need to take the wheel off for this.) If any debris is lodged in the pads, remove it with the tip of a key or a knife.
While you’re looking at the brakes, rub down the rims with rubbing alcohol. Clean, grease-free rims will increase your braking power and extend the life of your brake pads.
Examining the chain, cogs, and chainrings
Over time, a chain will stretch as it wears and, eventually, it’ll need to be replaced. A stretched chain will cause the chainrings and cogs to wear out more quickly.
How do you know if your chain is stretched? Pull a chain link away from the chainring, and see if you can expose a gap between the chain and the chainring. If you can, the chain is stretched. You can also measure the chain to confirm that 12 links measure 12 inches. If the link measures between 121/8 to 121/4 inches, it’s time to replace the chain (see Chapter 10).
Some companies offer a special tool that accurately indicates the amount of chain stretch.
Also, examine the teeth of the chainrings and cogs for excessive wear. If the teeth are no longer symmetrical and look like an ocean wave or as though they’ve been filed down on one side, it’s time to replace the part.
Protecting your saddle
If you have a leather saddle, use a leather treatment to clean the leather and replenish its natural oils. These oils help the leather repel dirt and water, both of which can break down the integrity of the leather. Although a number of products are on the market, Brooks Proofide is a wax-based treatment that is very popular with bikers. (For more information on saddles, see Chapter 9.)
Inspecting the suspension
If you have suspension on your bike, inspect all suspension pivot and linkage bolts for correct tightness. Proper tightness is critical in order for the suspension to work properly. Follow the directions in your owner’s manual and consider using a torque wrench or taking your bike to your local bike shop for adjustment.
Also, inspect the suspension forks. If they use oil, examine them for leaks and follow your owner’s manual for how often the oil should be changed. If they’re air-sprung, check the air pressure. (For more information on suspension, see Chapter 12.)
Annual Maintenance
After cleaning and lubricating your bike regularly, the next most important thing you can do to extend the life of your bike is to give it a yearly overhaul. You wouldn’t think of driving your car year after year without taking it in for service — you have to think about your bike the same way, especially if you’ve invested money in a quality bike and you want to have many years of comfortable, accident-free biking.
Annual maintenance is not difficult if you follow the directions in this section — however unlike preventive and monthly maintenance, it does take some time. Overhauling a bike is not something you can do in 30 minutes, especially the first time. To do it right, you should set aside an afternoon when you can focus on your bike and nothing else.
Deep-cleaning the chain
Even if you’ve been fastidiously cleaning your chain on a regular basis, once a year you should give it a deep cleaning by removing it and soaking it in a solvent like Finish Line Citrus Degreaser or another environmentally safe product.
Try putting the solvent of your choice, along with the chain, in a soda bottle, giving the bottle a few shakes, and letting it sit for a few hours. Soaking your chain will enable the solvent to penetrate into the links, giving you deeper clean than if you had used a chain cleaning tool. When it’s finished soaking, brush off the chain and rinse with water. Dry off the chain with a towel, and let it air-dry for a few hours. Don’t apply lubricant until the solvent has completely evaporated.
For more chain cleaning tips, check out Chapter 10.
Truing the wheels
Over the course of the year, your wheels are going to absorb a lot of impact. The accumulation of bumps and jolts that are normal when you ride may start to loosen spokes causing your wheels to start to wobble. To counteract this, at least once a year have your wheels trued. Truing is the process of adjusting the tension in the spokes so that the wheel spins straight.
Wheel truing is a lot like golf: The basic concept is easy, but it takes a lot of practice to master. The process of truing is best left to an expert, but you should be able to make a few minor spoke adjustments to eliminate some of the imperfections in the wheel — all you’ll need is a spoke wrench.
Although professionals use a special truing stand that provides greater precision, enabling them to correct up-and-down and side-to-side wobbles, you can leave your wheels in the frame when you true them. Just make sure you remove the tires so that you can see any distortions in the rim.
For instructions on how to true a wheel, turn to Chapter 7.
Replacing cables and housing
Considering the important role that cables play on your bike, especially when it comes to braking and stopping, we recommend that you think about replacing the cables and the housing in which they sit every year — or, at a minimum, give both a very thorough inspection. If you notice any kinks, rusting, fraying, or a buildup of dirt and grime, it probably is time to install new ones. If you do install new ones, we recommend that longer-lasting stainless steels cables be used. Follow the instructions in Chapter 8 and Chapter 15 to install cables for brakes and derailleurs, respectively.
Most bikes use one type of cable housing for shifters and another for brakes. Cable housing for shifting should not be used for brakes, because it may not be able to handle the higher force applied during severe breaking.
When you go to your local bike shop to purchase cables, remember to bring along the old cable. This way, you’ll find the right cable for your bike and won’t buy more length of cable than is necessary.
If, after inspecting the cables, you feel they don’t need to be replaced, give them a proper cleaning. Remove the inner wire and flush the cable housing with a light oil, and remove cable grit with a rag while the cable is removed from the housing. Clean the inner wire with the same solvent before inserting it back into the cable housing.
Most cable housings have an inner plastic or Teflon liner, which means that the cable doesn’t have to be lubricated. If you aren’t sure about your cable housing, ask your local bike shop.
Overhauling the hubs
In order to extend the life of your hubs, it’s good practice to overhaul them at least once a year — especially if they’ve been exposed to a lot water, which can cause them to rust from the inside.
One way to test whether an overhaul is needed is to elevate the wheel off the ground and give it a good spin. It should rotate freely, with the valve comin
g to a stop at the bottom, because this is the heaviest part of the wheel. Another test is to lift the wheel, grabbing the wheel with one hand and grabbing the frame with the other. If there is play in the wheel when you move it side to side, this is another sign that an overhaul, or at least an adjustment, is in order. Another test is to rotate the axle with your fingers with the wheel stationary; the hub should feel butter smooth.
If you have traditional hubs with bearings held in place by a cup and cone, you’ll want to inspect the bearings, replace them if needed, and repack the bearings in fresh grease.
If you have cartridge bearing hubs, you’re in luck. These require less maintenance because the bearings are sealed inside the cartridge. With some sealed cartridges, you can squirt degreaser into the cartridge followed by an injection of fresh grease as part of your servicing, although this is probably not something you need to do on a yearly basis unless you’re riding in severe conditions such as crossing a river.
You can find step-by-step instructions for overhauling the hubs in Chapter 7.
Overhauling the headset
Wear and tear will cause a headset to come loose over time, which may cause the steering to feel wobbly or the breaking to vibrate the bike. Looseness in the headset also causes the bearings inside the headset to be impacted each time you hit a bump, which will lead them to deteriorate faster. If you think the headset may be loose, turn to Chapter 16 and follow the steps for checking for looseness in the handlebars.
Yearly maintenance is a good time to inspect, clean, adjust, and overhaul the headset. As is the case with all parts that rely on bearings, you’ll want to clean and degrease each part, if possible; replace and pack the bearings in fresh grease; and then reinstall the parts following the instructions in Chapter 15.
Don’t try to install a new headset on your bike unless you know what you’re doing. Most bike shops have special tools that they use to fit a headset.
Overhauling the pedals
The sign that it’s time for a pedal adjustment are similar to those of other parts that rely on bearings to spin smoothly. If pedals don’t rotate effortlessly, or they wobble or feel loose, you should overhaul them. You’ll have your tools, cleaners, and lubricants out during your annual maintenance, so it’s a convenient time to take care of the pedals.
As with hubs, pedals have traditional cup-and-cone or cartridge bearings. If you have cup-and-cone bearings, you’ll want to replace the bearings before packing them in fresh grease. With cartridge bearing systems, which are found on most clipless pedals, you’ll only have to add fresh grease every few years.
You can find the steps for overhauling pedals in Chapter 13.
Overhauling the bottom bracket
The bottom bracket is the last bearing-dependent component you have to deal with in your annual maintenance. The bottom bracket is designed to stand up to all the hours of rigorous pedaling that your legs can put out, but even so, it’s a good idea to overhaul it once a year.
You may want to leave this task to your local bike shop, especially because it calls for some special hand tools, may entail a lot of force to loosen, and requires the application of the proper amount of torque when tightening. If that isn’t a hurdle for you, follow the instructions in Chapter 13 for inspecting, cleaning, lubing, and reassembling the bottom bracket.
Cleaning the rear derailleur
Where dirt and grime builds up most on a rear derailleur is on the two jockey wheels. The focus of your annual cleaning of the rear derailleur should be on cleaning the overall derailleur, without disassembling it, and cleaning the two jockey wheels.
Whenever you remove the rear derailleur, try to do so without breaking the chain. You can do this by removing the bolt holding the bottom pulley wheel in place and loosening the bolt holding the top pulley. This will allow you to separate the S-shaped cage and slide out the chain. After the chain is removed, you can detach the entire derailleur for a thorough degreasing and lubrication before you reattach it.
For details on cleaning your rear derailleur, refer to Chapter 14.
Replacing the brake pads
The only thing between you and your next emergency stop is a thin rubber pad, so we highly recommend changing your brake pads every year. Brake pads are easy to inspect, cheap to purchase, and simple to install, so don’t wait for the annual maintenance period to change them if they’re worn — keep an eye on them year-round and take caution to make sure pads are properly fit and securely mounted.
As soon as the grooves that are cut into the pads start wearing down, replace them.
For instructions on changing brake pads, turn to Chapter 8.
Replacing the handlebar grips or tape
After a year’s worth of riding, your bike may start looking a little ragged. The annual maintenance of your bike is your chance not just to get it back in working order but to give it back some of that glow that’s lost after many hard miles of working for you.
Replacing dirty or torn handlebar grips or tapes is a simple way to improve the appearance of your bike. You can add a different color of tape or change the style of grips to meet your fancy.
To replace handlebar grips or tape, turn to Chapter 15.
Waxing the frame
Another nice touch when it comes to improving the look of your bike, while protecting its finish and preventing rust, is to wax the frame. If you’re overhauling many of your bike’s components at the same time, you’ll have detached most of the parts from the frame, making cleaning and waxing the frame a simple task.
Although there are waxes designed specifically for higher-end paint finishes on more expensive bikes, car wax works just fine.
Checking your accessories
The annual maintenance check is a good time to inspect accessories for your bike. Verify that your emergency tool kit has everything it needs (see Chapter 16). For example, if you’ve patched a number of flats over the year, you may need to buy another patch kit. If you’ve used your spare inner tube, you should replace it.
If you have lights on your bike, replace the batteries. Do the same for your onboard computer. It’s better to replace batteries now than discover that they don’t work when you’re caught out on the road after dark.
Part V
The Part of Tens
In this part …
In this part, we tell you some practical things you can do to improve safety, comfort, and performance on your next ride. For safety, we offer an inspection checklist of things you should look for before you ride. To increase riding comfort, you find ten steps to make sure your bike fits your body size and riding style. Finally, if you’re looking for an extra performance edge, we provide ten recommendations for cutting weight and improving riding efficiency.
Chapter 18
Ten (Or So) Steps to Take before You Ride
In This Chapter
Recognizing the rules of the road
Adjusting the handlebars and saddle
Checking your tire pressure, brakes, and wheels
Donning helmet and gloves
Making sure people can see you
Bringing your toolkit and emergency gear
One of the themes of this book is that repair and maintenance is not just about keeping your bike in great shape and extending its life, but also making sure you stay safe. Taking a couple of minutes before you ride to prepare for your trip and to inspect your bike will go a long way in increasing the odds that you and your bike return home in one piece. In this chapter, we cover the ten (or so) top steps you can take to reduce strain on your body and improve safety while your ride.
Take a Road Safety Skills Class
The League of American Bicyclists offers road-skills classes throughout the United States to make bicyclists aware of the hazards they face sharing the roadways. The classes teach you how to avoid collisions with automobiles and dodge road hazards. You can find a class near you at www.bikeleague.org/programs/education. Contact the League of American Bicyclists at 1612 K St. N
W, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20006-2850 (phone: 202-822-1333; e-mail: [email protected]”>[email protected]; Web: www.bikeleague.org).
Adjust the Handlebars
If you’re going to be spending any amount of time on your bike, you should try to make it as comfortable an experience as possible. You can do a number of things to improve the riding experience, and one of these things is to adjust the handlebars.
For road bikes, the old-school approach to positioning the handlebars was to have the handlebar ends run parallel to the top tube in the frame. Although being bent over like the Hunchback of Notre Dame may be good for aerodynamics, having your weight supported on outstretched arms is not very comfortable for everyday riding.
To position your handlebars for a more enjoyable ride, set them such that they leave your back at a 45-degree angle (see Figure 18-1). You may need to rotate the handlebars within the clamp that holds them or change or adjust the stem as described in Chapter 15. With the proper adjustment, you can ensure that the weight of your upper body will be distributed between your torso and your arms.
Figure 18-1: The proper handlebar angle.
Another consideration for the handlebars is the position of the brake levers. You want to be able to squeeze the levers while your hands are resting comfortably on the handlebar. If you have to reach or curl your wrists to use the brakes, they aren’t positioned properly.
Adjust the Saddle
Just as important as adjusting the handlebars is finding the right position for your saddle. If your saddle is set too high or too low, you’ll lose efficiency as you pedal and may even cause strain or injury to your body. We can’t tell you how often we see people riding with an improperly positioned saddle — in many cases, a saddle set too low with the person’s legs in a bow-legged position, which causes strain on the knees.
You know that your saddle is set to the right height if you can just barely place your toes and the balls of your feet on the ground when you sit on the saddle (see Figure 18-2). Go for the maximum leg extension without locking out your knees or bobbing your hips in order to reach low. Pain in the back of the kneecaps results from seats too low; pain in the front, from seats too high. Your leg should be bent at a slight angle when your foot is on the pedal at its lowest position.
Bike Repair & Maintenance For Dummies® Page 25