Simple Bike Care Tips
Simple Bike Care Tips
BY JIM LANGLEY
Apart from the few minutes required, no great effort or mechanical expertise is needed to keep a bike in great shape. And there are big payoffs. A well-maintained bike rides better and is safer and more reliable. It will last longer and then have greater resale value. When you learn how your bike works and how to keep it adjusted, you ride with greater confidence. If there should be a problem during a ride, you'll probably know how to make an emergency repair.
All of these benefits arise from simply attending to your bike's mechanical needs about once a week or month (depending on how frequently you ride and the weather conditions). It will still need a professional overhaul occasionally--every bike does--but the shop mechanics will love working on your clean machine. And your bill may be less because it saves them time.
Sold? Okay, here are eight home-maintenance recommendations designed to keep your bike running as good as new.
1. Store it. Parking your bike inside is the easiest way to keep it working and looking like new. Nothing is worse for a bike than constant exposure to the elements. | Tools and Supplies - loor pump with gauge
- minipump
- bucket
- etergent
- sponges
- brushes
- bio degradable solvent
- rags
- emery cloth
- awl
- drip or spray lubricant
- bike wax
- 12-inch ruler
- assorted small wrenches
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In coastal areas, the air is so caustic that it will actually eat the metal and rubber. If you're strapped for room, buy a plastic-coated bike hook at any shop and screw it into a ceiling stud in a corner. Then the bike can hang vertically. Or you can suspend it upside down by the wheels from two hooks in the ceiling. Be creative, or even decorative. Maybe there's enough space in a closet, over a stairwell, or over your bed. If you can't put hooks in your ceiling or walls, consider a free-standing rack that will hold your bike up and out of the way. 2. Inflate it. Most tubes are made of butyl rubber, a porous material that allows gradual loss of air. If you ride on soft tires, you risk damage 
to both them and the rims should you hit a pothole or rock. Mushy tires also make it harder to pedal. Buy a floor pump with a built-in gauge and check tire pressure at least once per week. Keep it in the recommended range that's listed on the tire sidewall or label (see photo). In addition, buy a pump to carry on your bike. You'll need it to fix a flat or keep you rolling on a slow leak until you get home.
3. Clean it. All it takes is dishwashing detergent, warm water, and a couple of sponges and brushes. Wash the entire bike from top to bottom, including the tires and rims. If the chain is grimy, clean it by brushing it with a biodegradable solvent, wiping it with a rag, then washing it with soap and water. Rinse the bike with a hose or pail of clean water, but don't direct it at the headset, bottom bracket, hubs, or pedals, because water can enter their bearings and break down the grease. If you can't get the braking surfaces on the rim sidewalls completely clean, lightly sand them with emery cloth. Look at the faces of the brake pads, too, and pick out any pebbles or deposits with an awl so that they can't gouge the rims.
4. Lube it. A bike will corrode and work poorly if not lubricated. After washing and drying, use a bike-specific drip or spray lube on the chain, derailleur and brake pivots, and places where cables enter or exit housings. Wipe off any overspray or excess. If the cable stops on your frame are slotted, you can also lube the gear and brake cables. Do this to the former by shifting onto the largest cog, then moving the lever 
back to its starting position without pedaling. This creates cable slack, allowing you to pull the housing from the cable stops and slide it to expose and lube the hidden sections (see photo). For brakes, open the quick-release to create cable slack, then follow the same procedure. To minimize dirt's adherence to the frame, use a bike-specific wax. Unlike most car waxes, it won't cause a chalky buildup in tight areas.
5. Inspect it. A bike lasts longest if you keep an eye on the components and replace things before they become too worn. Start with the frame. Look for rippled paint or bulges near the tube intersections. These are signs of damage or impending failure, usually caused by rough treatment. Such signs should be checked professionally. Check the tire treads and brake pads for wear. If pads are worn to the point that their grooves are gone, replace them. Check the handlebar tape or grips for slipping, cracking, or peeling. Study the cable housing for damage where it enters the brakes, derailleurs, levers, and guides on the frame. Squeeze and hold the brake levers to see if the cables are rusted or frayed anywhere along their run. Measure the chain. A new one is exactly 12 inches from the center of any pin to the center of another. If the second pin exceeds the 12-inch mark by 1/8 inch or more, the chain is worn and should be replaced.
6. Tighten it. Components may loosen with use, which can lead to premature wear or even an accident. Every month, check the tightness of the pedals (the left one has backward threads, so it tightens counterclockwise), crankarm bolts, chainring bolts, stem and handlebar binder bolts, seat and seatpost binder bolts, suspension bolts, derailleur and brake-cable anchor bolts, and accessory mounting bolts. If a bolt is snug, stop. Overtightening a bike's small bolts can cause them to strip or break.
| A Woman's Guide to Front Suspension Most suspension forks on mountain bikes come from the factory adjusted for a 150- to 170-pound rider, which means that anyone weighing less than that should change the setup. If you don't, the fork won't soak up bumps well enough to give you the benefits of greater comfort and control. Also, women have special needs thanks to our anatomy. Because we carry more of our weight in our hips, we have less weight over a bike's front end than do men of the same size. This is compounded by the short, high-rise stems many women prefer. These further unweight the bike's front end and make it more difficult to initiate the fork's movement. Our generally less aggressive riding style also dictates that we adjust our forks differently--for little and medium bumps rather than big hits. A good solution if you're shopping for a mountain bike is to get one that has an elastomer fork. This type is quick and supple--best for lighter riders because it suffers less "stiction" (static friction) than hydraulic (air/oil) forks. In other words, an elastomer fork moves more readily. In addition, it can easily be tuned--adjusted for your weight. Fortunately, the forks that are found most often on mountain bikes in the low- and mid-price ranges are elastomer models. These forks can be tuned by changing the elastomers or adjusting preload. CHANGE ELASTOMERS Crudely put, elastomers are rubber bumpers that compress to absorb impacts. Often, there are several stacked like doughnuts in each fork leg. They come in different hardnesses ("durometers"). Most manufacturers use a color code. "I recommend that you go as light as possible," says Jamie Griffis, a mechanic and founder of a women's mountain biking club in California. "From the get-go, put in the softest bumpers. A woman should do that before she even leaves the shop with her new bike." Fork makers Rock Shox and Answer produce soft-ride kits with replacement elastomers, priced between $20 and $35. Changing elastomers is easy. At the top of each fork leg is one knob. For example, on the Answer Manitou Mach 5 SX, the knobs adjust preload, which is the adjustable spring tension in a suspension fork or rear suspension. It determines how far the suspension compresses under body weight and how much travel remains to absorb impacts. The knobs sit on top caps, which are what you need to unscrew. Turn each top cap fully counterclockwise (with Channel-lock pliers if necessary, after protecting the cap with a rag) and pull out the attached elastomers. The Manitou Mach 5 Comp has only a single long one. Remove it (you may have to turn the bike upside-down) and replace it with a soft blue one. The SX and the Manitou Mach 5 Pro have a stack of three elastomers on a skewer. Remove them, lightly grease the skewer, and replace them with softer ones. ADJUST PRELOAD After you install the softer elastomers, adjust preload to fine-tune your fork. Less preload means easier fork movement. "Start at the easiest setting and work your way harder, if you need to," advises Robin Stuart, author of Mountain Biking for Women and a mountain biking instructor. For example, there's a knob atop Rock Shox fork legs in some models. Unscrew it fully counterclockwise to decrease preload. It's that simple. Older Rock Shox Quadra models have a black plastic plug at the top of each fork leg instead of a knob. Pull out the plug using your fingernail. Underneath is a 4-mm allen bolt set inside an 8-mm allen bolt. Use a 4-mm allen wrench to adjust preload and an 8-mm allen wrench to unscrew the top cap for elastomer replacement. The Manitou Mach 5 SX has a preload knob like that of the Rock Shox. Simply unscrew it fully counterclockwise. Other Answer forks require that you remove the top caps to make preload adjustments. At the base of each cap are five grooves. A C-shaped metal ring ("circlip") sits in the middle groove. To lessen preload, remove the circlip and slide it into one of the lower grooves. How do you know when you have your fork set up correctly? Most elastomer models should have at least 2 inches of travel. To check this, push the protective rubber boot up to the top of the fork leg. Place a zip-tie snugly around the bottom of the exposed stanchion tube. Cut off any excess, then pull the boot back down over the zip-tie. Go for a ride, making sure to include some serious bumps. When the fork compresses, the tie will be pushed up the stanchion and stay there. Afterward, carefully peel the boot up and measure how far the tie has moved. This indicates maximum travel. If it doesn't approach 2 inches, soften your fork some more. On the other hand, if the fork moves too readily and you feel it bottom out with a harsh thunk on big bumps, it's too soft. If your fork brand and model isn't mentioned here, don't fret. The tuning procedure is probably similar. For specifics, read the owner's manual supplied by your bike's fork manufacturer. If you don't have it, check with a shop that sells your brand or check the Internet, as many companies have sites devoted to their products. |
7. Adjust it. Most bikes rely on cable-operated brakes and gears. In time, these cables stretch, reducing responsiveness and precision. Fortunately, most brake and derailleur systems have barrel adjusters so you can 
retension cables without tools. You can find these barrels where the cables enter the component or the lever. Simply turn the barrels counterclockwise to remove slack. On a rear derailleur, the barrel is found where the cable enters at the rear (see photo). Adjust in half-turn increments until shifts are quick and quiet again. A front derailleur may not have a barrel. For brakes, turn the barrels to compensate for cable stretch or pad wear, or to get the lever action that you like. The barrels on most mountain bike levers have separate lockrings that you can screw down to retain the adjustment.
8. Baby it. Like all machines, a bicycle will work best and last a long time if it's used with some respect. Sure, a mountain bike is built for hard riding, but this doesn't mean it's okay to thrash it. With practice, you'll learn to "ride light," getting off the saddle in rough terrain to let your knees and elbows absorb the beating that otherwise would be concentrated on the wheels and frame. When it's necessary to jump obstacles, make the landing soft by again absorbing the blow with bent legs and arms. Don't run head on into curbs, logs, or rocks until you develop the ability to lift the front wheel first, then shift your weight forward to lighten rear impact. Make gear changes only when you have light or moderate pressure on the pedals, thereby reducing the chance of drivetrain damage or excessive wear. Prevent skids so you save the wheels and tires (as well as the environment when riding off-road). And try to avoid crashing. It's not only hard on your body, it's tough on your wheels and frame.
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