Crank It Cycles

When winter sets in, and endurance events like the N-DURO series and Round Taupo looming, it's time to look at bike prep and maintenance. Having your bike running at its best and minimising the chance of mechanical failure makes a ride more enjoyable for you and your riding buddies. Here's what I check before just about every ride, it doesn't take much longer to do it than read it:

Cables

Commonly skimped on, freely moving cables keep the shifters working best and reduce wear. After every bike clean, slide the housings off and lube the cable. As soon as a lube and adjustment doesn't fix sluggish shifting replace cables. Always replace housings at the same time, it's false economy not to.

Brake Pads    

Check for wear, brakes for operation. Always have a spare pair of pads for your bike in your toolbox.

Chain

Check for wear regularly, especially after really muddy rides. Another article covers this in detail. Replace in time and you'll maintain crisp shifting and make the rest of the drive train last longer. If you install your own chain, make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions, e.g. Shimano chains must be joined with a new special pin and installing them in the wrong direction decreases strength by 20%. Always have a spare chain in your toolbox.

Bearings    

Pedals, crank, headset, hubs. Check for slop and excessive noise. Fix by adjusting and/or lubricating. Have your mechanic do it if unsure. They last heaps longer if well maintained.

Forks    

Clean and lube seals from time to time (check your manual), check for leaks, pressure if you have air shocks, normal operation and settings. You need your own pump to maintain air forks and shocks at the correct pressure - it's normal for them to lose pressure.

Frame    

Clean from time to time and inspect joins for cracks. Better to know before your ride about this stuff and most bikes carry a lifetime warranties on the frame these days. Check for slop in the suspension if you have a fully. If worn, getting it fixed is like getting a new bike - service or overhaul the shock at the same time, while your bike's out of commission.

Finally, if your bike needs an overhaul before a major ride or event, get it done at least a couple of weeks in advance just in case you have trouble getting parts and so you can take it for a decent test ride beforehand and iron out any troubles with new cables, worn cassettes, etc.

For when the above fails, what tools should you have? A future article will cover that.