Things happen on the road, and your two-wheeled friend, a bicycle, may need help. Repair, of course, is best done in a specialized workshop. To reduce possible troubles on the way to zero, you should constantly and carefully look after your vehicle.
Daily bike maintenance
Look how well pumped up the cameras are. If too much, then it is fraught with tire punctures and, despite improved speed characteristics, reduced handling. Weakly pumped ones will also let you down during the trip - they can bite the camera and break it. It is generally difficult to ride on half-flat tires. Inspect the chain - if it is broken and how tight it is, and knots - how the wheels, seatpost and handlebars are tightened.
Bike care once a week
Gently wipe your vehicle with a soapy sponge, avoiding liquid getting on the bushings, transmission and other parts containing bearings. If water gets on them, the grease will wash out very quickly, which invariably leads to rapid wear of parts. Dry and lubricate the chain. It cannot be washed with water. Apply lubricant sparingly. Due to the small amount, the knot will crunch, and the parts will not survive until the next season. If you apply a lot of lubricant, the chain will “overgrow” with dirt, and this is dangerous for the sprockets and chain links.
Once a month
Monthly bike maintenance is easy. Most often, during this period, the vehicle rolls about two hundred kilometers. So, it's time to inspect the steering column, bottom bracket, fork, frame, the condition of the bushings and the chain.
Useful tips for repair and maintenance
To remove the connecting rod, you need a special puller screwed into it. It may not be on the road. Therefore, unscrew the bolt or nut with which the connecting rod is attached to the axis of the carriage, and at low speed, without pressing the pedals hard, ride several hundred meters. After that, you can easily remove the part by tapping it with a hammer through a piece of wood.
Spraying your disc brakes with an automotive brake cleaner will get rid of the sound of annoyingly squeaky discs. Even designs with clean and new pads sin with this.
Wedge nuts can loosen on the go on older bikes. To prevent trouble, put Grover's washers and a flat one under each of them.
If your vehicle has a hollow seatpost, then you know how dust gets in through the frame and into the bottom bracket bearings. A wooden or rubber plug will take away this problem.
Constant care of your bike will prolong its life. But there are very effectiveprocedures that need only be done once. So that steel frames do not rust from the inside, and aluminum ones do not “mold”, arm yourself with a brush and Movil. And cover the inside of the frame with corrosion protection.
Small fasteners won't vibrate loose if you drop nitro paint or varnish on the threads.
All sorts of little things are conveniently attached to the frame tube with worm clamps, which can be bought at any auto parts kiosk. And the instruments won't make any noise if you wrap each key with a soft cloth.
Attach the rear plastic fender to the saddle with a thin piece of fishing line and you won't hear the slap on the tire anymore over bumps.
Mountain bike care is not complete if you do not try to reduce the amount of dust and dirt that gets on the various components. Slip the oil resistant rubber rings onto the outside of the cones. You can buy them at auto parts stores. And a mudguard from a truck chamber attached to the front wheel will solve the problem of dirt getting on the sprocket.
