The Importance of Bike Maintenance

Check it or wreck it. It is extremely important that every rider get into the habit of giving his or her bike a quick visual inspection before riding. Your bike check will ensure that your bike will operate the way it was designed. But more importantly, you are cutting down your chances of personal injury. This is very important because your body just isn't as easy to repair as your bike.

The following is a list of items that you should keep your eye on. Some of these items require a little more effort and time to perform, while others need only seconds to check. Use this checklist to get yourself into the habit of keeping your bike in top form. There is nothing fun about a breakdown while riding with your friends. It is a lot easier to repair your bike at home than at the side of the road or stuck in some mud hole.

What to Check:

	Saddle	Height/Position/Tightness
	Wheels Trued	Straight/Warped
	Wheel Spokes	Tension
	Wheel Hubs	Movement or Binding
	Tires	Inflation
	Tires	Condition Tread
	Tires	Break Rub (Sidewall)
	Brakes	Pad Condition
	Brakes	Tension
	Cables	Condition
	Cables	Lube
	Chain	Lube
	Cranks	Tightness
	Headset	Tightness
	Handlebars	Position/Tightness
	Brake Levers	Position
	Shift Levers	Position

If you keep your bike in top form, your rides will be a lot more successful and you will cut down your chances of injury due to mechanical failure. If in doubt, or the operation is too tricky or difficult, bring your bike to us and have our expert mechanics help you out. Remember, we are bike enthusiasts and are trained in bike repairs. Never be afraid to ask for help or advice because there are little tricks that make the components of the bike work best. By asking questions is one way we all learn.

 Tips
Maintenance Secrets
 Tip #1 - When installing a new inner tube, sprinkle some baby powder on the inside of the tire. Spin the tire around so that the baby powder coats the inner surface of the tire. The baby powder prevents the inner tube from sticking to the tire and this can prevent punctures that can sometimes occur because of the bonding between the rubber of the inner tube and the tire. The coating of the baby powder also makes changing the tire and tube a lot easier. 

 Tip #2 - Here is a secret that many pro-mechanics do to help their racer's bikes from becoming a mud ball when riding in adverse conditions. Take a can of "Pam", the non-stick cooking oil, and spray a fine coat over the frame and lower end components. This fine film of oil will help prevent the mud and dirt from sticking to the frame. Be careful that you do not spray your brake pads or the braking surface of the wheel rims.

 

 Tip #3 - Keeping your shifter cables well lubed and in good condition is critical to achieve peak performance, yet it is surprising how many riders neglect the basic maintenance in this area. This little trick takes only minutes and can make a world of difference in the quality of your shifting. Shift your rear derailleur into the largest cog, then grasp the rear derailleur cable housing and apply pressure to pull it out of the frame's cable stop. Without turning the cranks, shift down as if you are wanting to go to the smallest rear cog. By keeping the pressure on the cable housing as you shift, the tension will be released and the cable housing will come out of the cable stop. This will allow you to move the various sections of the housing along the cable and clean the entire cable. To reinstall the cable housing, place the cable housing sections back in place and take up the tensions by adjusting the shifters to take up the slack in the cables. Repeat the procedure for the front derailleur.

 

 Tip #4 - While on the subject of derailleurs and lubrication, let's take a look at the pivot points of these mechanical wonders that enable us to climb those seemingly impossible hills. Both the front and rear derailleurs have a number of pivot points that rarely, if ever, receive any attention. Take some chain or fine oil and lubricate all of these pivot points, wiping off any excess oil because you do not want to attract any dirt that might impend your shifting. Go through the various gears several times working the oil into the pivot bushings. This simple task will reward you with crisp, spot on shifting!

 

 Tip #5 - Squealing brakes can be one of the most irritating sounds that can emanate from your bike. These "Squealing pigs" can also be an indication of the cause of your poor braking performance. The probable cause of this ear piercing sound is a build-up of brake pad residue on your rims and/or glaze brake pads. One easy and quick method to remove this residue off your rims is to take some fine steel wool and rub it along the surface of the rims where the brake pads make contact. The steel wool will clean off the residue along with any burrs or particles embedded in the rim. Do not use steel wool on expensive ceramic coated rims. To clean the glazed surface of the brake pad, use some fine emery paper. 

Complete Tune-Ups

There are times when a full tune-up is best for your bike and its performance. We offer a complete tune up for $63, not including parts.

Here's what you get with a tune up...

Tighten all brake/shift levers, stem bolts, bars, seat/seat post, accessories

Check derailleur anchor bolts - tighten if needed

Check drop out alignment

Torque crank arms to spec

Check and tighten pedals

Check and adjust bottom bracket

Remove and lubricate brake and shift cables, replace if needed

Wipe down the frame

Check and adjust hubs, tighten all cone nuts

True wheels, if needed

Wipe down rims, spokes and hubs

Air tires to specifications

Check front/rear derailleur alignment

Adjust derailleurs

Test ride

Miscellaneous Repairs

Our expert mechanics can perform many tasks to help keep your bike running optimally. Here is a list of some of our services.

Tire/Tube Replace

Wheel True

Shift/Brake Adjustments

Installations

Upgrades

Fork/Shock Rebuilds

Hub/Headset Overhaul

Wheel Builds

Maintenance Clinic

We offer clinics throughout the year for both men and women. Clinics include cleaning and adjusting your bike. If you are interested in our next clinic, please contact us at santrailbikeshop@aol.com or call (352) 307-BIKE (2453).

We offer clinics throughout the year for both men and women. Clinics include cleaning and adjusting your bike. If you are interested in our next clinic, please contact us at santrailbikeshop@aol.com or call (352) 307-BIKE (2453) in Ocala or (352) 750-4161 in The Villages.