7. Bike Maintenance

 

As you get near the end of your training for the ride, when was the last time you gave your trusty steed some TLC? After your training rides you stop re-fuel and replenish yourself, so why not do the same for your bike?

Your bike is your machine that will assist you to get to the finish of the ride. There is nothing more frustrating than suffering a mechanical failure after all the hours of training you have done.

 

Here are some bike maintenance tips to help you get your bike feeling like new again:

• Worn Tires - Tyres wear out in a number of fashions. Natural loss of rubber causing a flat top surface of the tyre. Another might be that you haven’t ridden in quite a while and the rubber has hardened causing the tyre to feel dead.
• Cable Corrosion - Wear and Clogging : Cables although made of steel will deteriorate over time. This will cause poor shifting performance.
• Drive-Chain Wear –  Wear on the Chain, Front Chain rings, Rear Cassette and Rear Derailleur can be caused by a couple of things. Poor lubrication, lack of cleaning or purely all the training you’re doing!  A worn drive chain will also cause poor shifting performance.
• Handlebar Tape – This is by far the cheapest cosmetic and comfort upgrade you can do to your bike.
• Cleat and Pedals – Cleats wear very easily. Mainly due to walking around in your cycling shoes. Worn cleats can be dangerous as they do not engage with the pedal the way they should.

 

We recommend you take your bike to your local bike shop for a service before the ride.