Lets face it, most of us don't give our bikes the respect that they deserve. While simple machines, they are based on moving parts which in turn, move our parts along the road. Our bikes may not complain as much as we do climbing a hill or coming in that last 10 miles on a long ride, but they do require a little bit of TLC to keep them happy for the long haul. This entry is all about simple things that you can do to keep your bike in good shape mile after mile, and to keep some of those typical noises at bay. We won't be discussing any tune up topics here, or component replacement beyond your typical wear items. This is just basic information that applies not only to the endurance riders, but also the Saturday warriors. The information presented here is a combination of the accepted rules of thumb and my own personal experience. As of the time of this writing, my bike is sitting at 10,932 miles on the odometer and still looks as good as it did on the day I bought it. I'm going to share with you some of my tricks that have served me well over the past two years while I added those miles up.
There is a certain routine that I follow after pretty much every ride that I take, or at least every other ride (not to exceed 100 miles). This routine addresses all of the basic maintenance issues of my bike as well as keeping things all clean and grit free. While I realize that my typical ride of 50+ miles is a little longer than most want to ride, the information here is also applicable to other riders on a weekly basis rather than a per ride basis.
First things first....what are we trying to address with this basic maintenance. Well, if you pay attention to what is moving on your bike, you will notice that the whole drive system is based on metal to metal contact. Obviously, this creates wear over time as well as performance robbing friction. Lubrication is the only way to combat this, and just as in a motor vehicle, it is arguably the most important thing that you can do to prolong the life of your components. So....how often and how do you lubricate the driveline on your bike?
How often is a complex and simple answer all at the same time. You have to take into account the conditions you operate in most of all. If you are riding a mountain bike, your service interval will be more often than a road bike which operates on the asphalt primarily. Since I am a roadie, I will leave the specifics to mountain bikes for somebody else to discuss. For a road bike, the best rule of thumb is to apply fresh lubricant to the chain every 100 miles, or once a week, whichever comes first. Unless you riding in Seattle, a dry lube is your best bet as it will attract less grit than a wet lube. However, a wet lube will stand up to water assaults much longer.
The application of the lube is relatively simple. For the average rider, you can take a rag soaked in a good quality citrus degreaser and wipe the chain off until the rag comes away mostly clean. You can check the internals of the chain by twisting against the natural bends of the chain. If you hear or feel grittiness, the chain needs to be more thoroughly cleaned (more on that in a moment). Once you have wiped your chain off and then taken a dry rag to dry it off, you are ready to apply your lubricant. The best way is to apply it on the lower chain (low tension side) while rotating the pedals backward. You will apply a single drop of lube to each roller and allow it to soak into the sides as you rotate the crank. Once the entire chain is lubed, allow it to dry until the solvent is all gone leaving just the lubricant. This is what you will wipe off with a clean rag so that it will not attract any dirt, but the rollers will still be lubricated. This is all you need to do to keep a chain in good order for many miles. However, if you are a little OCD like me, and want to go even further to ensure that the chain is in tip top shape, continue reading.
This contraption is a chain machine. It is designed to deep clean your chain, getting into places that a degreaser soaked rag just can't. I would say that for most folks, running your chain through this about every 600-1000 miles will be just fine. Personally, this is how I clean my chain every time I do a service on it. I just think that a total clean is much better than a partial clean any day. Using this machine is simple. You have to shift into the small chainring, and one of the smaller cogs on the rear cassette. This will allow enough slack in the chain for it to be snaked through the machine. There are three brush wheels inside and two wipers on the exit side that the chain has to go though. The degreaser is poured directly into the machine up to the fill line which isn't that much at all really.
With the degreaser splashing around in the machine and the wet chain spinning around, you can imagine that this can get a little messy. I will put a sheet of cardboard on the floor below the bike to catch the drips and save the floor. The old shirt is a newer addition after I realized that a constant barrage of degreaser was causing my wheel decals to start peeling off. The shirt protects the wheels very well while still allowing full chain movement. I will run the chain backwards through the machine for about one minute which seems to do an excellent job of cleaning the chain.
Once I'm done with the machine, I remove it and grab several paper towels. The chain is usually dripping at this point so I will run the chain backwards through the paper towels until it is dry. Since I am running hollow pins in my chain, one of the last steps is to blow the pins out as I rotate the crank. This keeps you from having degreaser hiding in the chain to come out on your first ride after a service. While drying the chain, I will also wipe off the large chainring to get any grit off of those teeth. Its also a good time to clean in between the cogs on the rear cassette as well. There are several different techniques that work, but my favorite is to fold up a paper town and put it in between the cogs while rotating the cassette. It drys and cleans the cogs quite well. I will then shift into the large chainring and one of the larger cogs in the back. Now I have access to the idler pulley and jockey pulley which I wipe with one of the paper towels which has some degreaser soaked in from wiping the chain down. I will also wipe down the small chainring on both sides to get that last bit of road grit off of the teeth. Cleaning a chain is no good if you are running it through dirty components!
With everything wiped down, and all the degreaser removed it is time to let the chain dry before applying the lube. While I'm sure many of you would say this is a time for a refreshing beverage, I would suggest using this time to address another cause of component failure, and corrosion....salt! No, I'm not singling out those who like to ride at the beach, or after a show storm. Your sweat produces a lot of salt, and that sweat is all over your fame, and components. If it isn't, you need to take your bike out and ride it again until you are sweating.
This stage is an often overlooked stage in bike care...but it is a very important one when you are talking about protecting your investment. More than likely, you have at least four digits invested in your trusty steed...You should take care of it. I like using a auto detailing product for this stage. There are many different versions, but you are looking for a quick detailer which is a spray that is designed to clean light dirt without water. Maguires is what I use, it comes in a burgandy bottle and is called Quick Detailer. use is simple....spray on, wipe off. I will clean everything from the bars to the frame/fork, and wheels with this spray. It removes all of the sweat, light road grit, and even dead bugs if you are that fast. It will leave your bike nice and shiny as well as leaving it slick to the touch similar to a wax. This will keep dirt from sticking in the future.
After you are done wiping down your bike, your chain will be dry and ready to apply the lube as described above. Just as a precaution, I would suggest a final wipe of the chain to make sure that any overspray from the quick detailer is removed. Then apply your lube. While drying, this is the time to take a rag with some isopropyl alcohol and clean the brake tracks on the wheels. This removes aluminum oxidation, pad residue, and allows for a better stopping surface. While doing this, carefully check the condition of the tires. Look for debris that is stuck in the rubber, or any new tears. What you find today, could have been a flat tomorrow. Make sure that all debris is wiped away and everything is clear from the rubber. Now its time to do a final wipe on the chain to remove the excess lube. Voila!!!! You are the proud owner of a properly cleaned and serviced bike ready for the next week of riding, or the next 100 miles.
Not so fast!!! You need to do some cleat and pedal maintenance as well. This is simple though. Just take a rag and wipe down all of the grease and grit from the surfaces of the cleats and pedals. I have Speedplay pedals so that is what the pictures will show, but all pedals will need some sort of lubrication to avoid squeaks and to allow proper engagement. If you look closely, I have highlighted several key areas that require lubrication every 100 miles per Speedplay. This is part of my regular routine so it usually gets done every 50 miles or so. You are looking at any metal to metal contact which includes the springs and the locking portion of the cleats. You also want to dab a drop of lubrication on the flat surfaces of the cleats which will keep squeaking at a minimum while under pressure. This part of the service only takes about 3 minutes to complete. While on the topic of pedals, Speedplay recommends new grease in the spindles every 1000 miles. This requires a special grease gun which can be purchased, but your local bike shop can take care of that for you as well. Since 1000 miles is about every other month, it was worth the investment for me to get the grease gun in my tool collection.
There you have it....your guide to basic maintenance on a road bike. Its simple, and the process only takes about 45 minutes to complete. While you are doing it, you are able to check the frame for cracks or other damage. Its also a good time to check and make sure that everything is in tune and working correctly. Its just a great excuse to give the bike a good once over for safety and functionality so you are ready to ride the next time.
Something else you want to keep an eye on is the chain stretch. I know....its metal and does not really stretch, but over time, even on a properly maintained chain, the pins will start to wear out causing the links to essentially get longer. You can purchase any number of chain checkers that will tell you when its time to replace your chain. A good rule of thumb is every 1000 miles according to most bike shops. However, if properly maintained, and a good quality chain, there is no reason you can't stretch that interval a good bit. I usually get about 2400-2700 miles of life out of a chain before it registers 75% wear on my Park Tools chain checker. You have to remember to check the chain in several different places as it does not wear uniformly. I've found that the wear is more pronounced at the Powerlock points on my SRAM chains. For instance, on my last chain replacement, the chain mostly read 50% but at the Powerlock it was showing a solid 75% which indicated it was time to replace it.
So, what happens if you don't replace your chain when its time? Simple, you will get sloppy shifting, and more importantly, you will start to wear the teeth on your cassette and your chainrings. These items should last you many thousands of miles before the chain starts slipping on the teeth. However, if you allow your chain to stretch beyond that 75% mark, the teeth will start to prematurely wear out causing you to have to buy another cassette or chainring (in extreme circumstances). A chain will cost you about $50, while a cassette will run you $75 and up. The one pictured here is $250 so you know I am on top of chain wear to keep from having to buy another one of those!!!
So far we have covered the basic maintenance items on a bike for regular rides. What happens if you get caught in the rain. Well, first of all, you learn to watch the forecast better. Second of all, you find out that wet roads introduce a whole different set of issues to address. No longer will the quick detailer work to clean the bike. You have road grit in every nook and crannie of your bike after a wet road ride. The only way to adequately deal with this is to wash the bike with soap and water. I've had my fair share of experience with a totally grimy bike before, and really hate the cleanup!!
Towel dry the whole bike and make sure that you have all the water out of every crevice. Its a good idea to strip the tires off of the rims to get the water out that has seeped in through the air valve hole, and nipples. Once everything is dry and clean, you can put the wheels back on, lube the chain as well as the front and rear derailleurs. Washing them will take the lube off and they may no longer shift smoothly. A few drops at all of the hinge points will keep them very happy for a long time. If you don't have a drain hole at the bottom of the bottom bracket, you should remove the seat post and turn the bike upside down to allow any excess water to drain out for a few hours.
Obviously, there is a lot to washing a bike, but it is pretty simple once you know how to do it. it does take a while though. I'm usually looking at about two hours every time I ride in the rain. This is why I really tend to shy away from wet weather riding!
I hope that this helps everyone enjoy their bikes a little bit more, and get a lot more service life out of them. I've found it very beneficial to do this type of work on the bike regularly. Its the best way to prevent problems, as well as identifying them before they sideline you on a ride. The OCD approach may not be for everyone, but keeping on top of your maintenance plan will pay dividends in the future...this I can promise!
Happy Cycling!!!!!
