Given the number of bikes I need to do to keep me and my household happily pedaling along, I can spend a good chunk of a Sunday afternoon with what is, for me, the pleasant task of getting things ready for the season. Note, that if you have been keeping your bike "in good nick" (as the Brits would say) you may not have to do some of the more detailed things, or may spend only a moment or two on them. Ideally, you did this stuff before putting the bike away for the winter, or have been doing it monthly if you ride in winter weather.
As time permits, I will stick in links to other articles that serve as a "how to" for the repair aspects. If you have time to peruse the best resources of bike-mechanic lore on the interwebs, you will do well to start with one of these two:
- http://www.sheldonbrown.com/ One of the wise old heads of cycling, who started putting his knowledge into basic web pages back when html was a new thing. I never met him in person, but conversed with him via e-mail and web forums, and was glad to be one of the many called "a friend of Sheldon's." His kind demeanor and willingness to help even the annoyingly clueless won him many friends, even among those who disagreed with him about some detail or another. Sadly, he first was struck with Multiple Sclerosis some years back, then passed away in 2008. However friends and family keep the site up-to-date with the latest changes in technology.
- http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help The official site of one of the big names in bicycle-specific tools, they produce some of the finest bike-specific tools available. (The only exception is the equipment produced by Campagnolo for working on their own stuff, which is both exquisitely crafted and insanely expensive, but I digress...) The link above is to their website for repair techniques.
Four notes:
- If any of these inspection items turn up a problem, make a note of it and follow-up later. If you haven't been regular about this stuff, you may find so many issues that it will be cheaper to replace the bicycle than to fix it, particularly if you're paying a mechanic!
- This order isn't necessary, but it is helpful and time-saving, because each task serves as a preliminary to the next.
- Lubricants: "regular" WD-40 is not a lubricant, but it has two good uses on a bicycle: (a) getting water off of parts (WD stands for Water Dispersant, after all) and (b) getting stickers and tape residue off. For anything else, use a proper grease or oil, as is suitable.
- Solvents: Petroleum-based solvents (Kerosene, engine cleaner, etc. but NEVER GASOLINE) are nasty, but effective, metal-safe and reusable. Water-based solvents (Simple Green, Purple Power) are eco-friendly, but generally corrosive to metals and just as harsh to skin as the petroleum stuff, so you need to flush them thoroughly with water, then follow up with getting the water off [See (3)(a) above]. I use both with equal success (and nitrile gloves.)
Wash the bike
This is pretty much like washing your car, and in fact I use the same rags, sponges, soap and whatnot on the bikes as I use on the cars. I know some people who even wax the paint, which makes cleaning easier next time.Bar Tape / Grips
This is a primary interface with your bike, and you would be surprised how much having these in good order improves control and increases the fun of riding. Scrub them clean (or as clean as you can), and if they're ragged or uncleanably grody, note the need for replacement.Headset
This is a simple test that can point up a host of troubles. With the bike on the ground, grab the handlebars as though you were riding, and clamp down on the front brake. Push the bike forwards and backwards, and turn the bars side to side. Feel any clunkiness, looseness, or notchiness (like there are notches or click stops in the bars)? Make a note to check, lube and adjust the headset.Bike Stand
If you have a repair stand or a bike rack on the back of your car, now is the time to get the wheels off the ground. No repair stand or bike rack? How about a hunk of rope over a beam or tree branch? You can do the rest of this stuff with the bike on the ground, but it'll be easier and more comfortable with it up a bit.Inspect the frame for cracks
During the wash cycle, you may have noticed places where the rag snagged on the finish, or other flaws. Go back to those places and look at them carefully. If it's a paint chip or scratch, note it and plan on touching it up later. If it's a crack in the paint, STOP! The paint is flexible enough that there is a good chance that a crack in the paint means a crack in the underlying metal or carbon fiber. This is not something to mess with. Get an experienced eye on it. Frame or fork failures at best can leave you stranded a long way from home, and at worst can put you in the ER. Particularly check:- Headset area at the top tube and down tube.
- Bottom Bracket area.
- Around where the seat clamps in.
Wheels
Give each wheel a spin and watch where it passes between the brake pads. You are looking for wobble or bounce. See any? The wheels need to be trued. Make a note.
Spin it again with your other hand on the handlebars or frame near the seatpost. Feel any vibration? Does the wheel seem to drag (and it isn't the brakes dragging?) The bearings are too tight or worn.
Wiggle the rim back and forth. Feel any clunkiness or wiggle? The bearings are too loose.
Look at the rim where the brake pads run (if you have rim brakes). Dirt? Clean carefully. Wear? Scratches? Gouges? Have an experienced eye check it out.
Tires
Look at the tires for wear, cracks in the rubber, cuts, nicks, gouges.
Brakes
Check the pads for wear, alignment, how well they meet the rim. If the pads have embedded metal bits (pretty common) dig them out before they damage your rim. They should be soft enough that you can mark them with a fingernail, if not, replace them. They should still have grooves left in the braking surface, if not, replace them.Drivetrain
Grab the lower section of the chain with a solvent-soaked rag (firmly, but not tightly) and hold the rag there while you crank the pedals backwards a dozen turns. Repeat until there's no new dirt being picked up by the rag. If there seems to always be new crud being produced, consider removing the chain and giving it a solvent bath, or using an "on bike" chain cleaner.
Cassette & Rear Derailleur
Take that solvent-soaked rag and slide an edge between two of the gears of the rear cassette. Hold it there while you turn the pedals backwards a dozen turns. Repeat for all the other gears, shifting as needed to get access.
Do essentially the same thing for the "bogey" gears in the rear derailleur that hold the chain.
Rings
Same thing again for the front chainrings, but watch your digits. It is easy to nip off a bit of fingertip between chain and chainring, and it hurts!
Pedals
Inspect the pedals for play, wear and general beat-up-ness. However you aren't likely to need to replace them unless there is play between the pedal and pedal axle, roughness between the pedal and pedal axle, or serious wear/damage to the pedal (or binding mechanism, for those using clipless pedals.) If there is any wiggle where the pedal screws into the crank arm, note that the pedals need to be tightened. Be careful with this, because if you rode it that way any distance, you may have trashed the crankarm.
Shifting
Clean off the carrier under the bottom bracket that has the shift cables running through it. Inspect it for wear, and put a couple of drops of oil on and wipe off the excess.
Cables
Inspect the entire length of the shift cables for wear, fraying and other damage. Find damage? Replace the cable.
Inspect the ends of the shift cable housings. Find damage? Replace the housing. Otherwise, a drop or two of oil in the end is good. It will wick down the cable inside the housing.
Derailleurs
Generally, these should have gotten pretty clean in washing the bike. A drop of oil on each pivot point is a good thing, wipe off the excess.
Tension
If you have old-school friction-shifters (without click-stops) you're done with the drivetrain, if you have click stops, read on...
While turning the pedals slowly, shift the bike into the hardest-to-pedal gear. Make sure it's the largest ring in the front, and the smallest in the rear. If it doesn't quite get there, stop and have someone more experienced look at it.
While turning the pedals slowly, shift the rear shifter one click. If the shifter doesn't smoothly move the chain onto the next gear, you need to adjust the tension. Find the rear tension adjuster, it will look like a fluted or knurled barrel. Likely places:
- At the rear shifter (on the handlebars).
- Where the shift cable housings stop on the down tube.
- At the rear derailleur (at the back wheel)
If the chain didn't go far enough, turn the barrel adjuster 1/4 turn counterclockwise.
If the chain went too far, turn the barrel adjuster 1/4 turn clockwise.
Shift back to the highest gear and repeat until it shifts smoothly between the highest and next-highest gear.
Repeat the process all the way up and down the cassette, but be careful as you get to the biggest gear on the cassette. The derailleur will be very close to the wheel, and you don't want them to hit.
Shift the chain to the smallest front chainring and repeat the rear derailleur adjustments. It should generally be OK, but there can be a 1/4 turn difference to get it spot on.
Seatpost
This is preventative maintenance, pure and simple. Mark the seatpost where it goes into the bike frame so you know where to put it back, then loosen the clamp and remove the seatpost and seat. Wipe the seatpost off with a rag, and use the same rag to clean out the tube that the seatpost came from.Smear a thin coating of grease on the seat tube and put it back, tightening the clamp firmly, but not with all your might.
If you can't get the seatpost out no mater how loose you make the clamp, congratulations! The seatpost has corroded and effectively welded itself to the bike frame. You now know why you should have done this every year.
Off-The-Bike
CleatsIf you are using clipless pedals, look for wear in your cleats. Replace them if they are worn, because this is one area where unreliability extracts a serious penalty.
Helmet
Inspect for cracks in the shell and liner, scratches, gouges, etc. Got any? Replace the helmet. Is the helmet more than 3 or 4 years old? Replace the helmet. Pads and straps salt and sweat encrusted, but the helmet is otherwise healthy? Pull the pads and straps and throw them in a mesh lingerie bag in the washer. Don't know what a mesh lingerie bag is? Ask your most trusted female friend.
I don't want to get into the whole "Helmet/No Helmet" debate here. I wear a helmet, though I've never "needed" it. It's never done me any harm (helmet-hair doesn't count as harm.) I also do a lot of charity rides, where a helmet is required.
Gloves
These tend to take a surprising amount of abuse, even if you are light on your hands. Take a look, and replace the ones that are getting frayed, baggy, or uncomfortable.
Shades/Glasses
These are not about looking cool, they're about seeing well and keeping the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune away from your corneas. I use a set that has interchangeable Dark, Amber, & Clear lenses. I rarely use the Clear, using the Dark when it's sunny, and the Amber all the other times (even at night.) These need to be comfortable and easy to see through.
If you ride in the rain, polish the outside of the lenses with Rain-X (car parts stores) and a very soft cloth. Water will sheet off the lenses instead of beading up and obscuring the view. DO NOT USE IT ON THE INSIDE OF THE LENSES. When you get hot, it can let off a vinegar-y fume that, trapped between your glasses and your face, will not be nice. Don't ask me how I know this, OK?
Now go back and start fixing the problems you found.
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