Skip to main content

Easy Steps to Keep Your Bike on Perfect Condition | Part 2

In my previous blog I gave you 3 easy ways to keep your bike in topnotch condition. In this blog i will give you guys some more tips too keep your bike in good shape.


1. Inspect the drivetrain.
We all know drivetrain is one of the most important section in a bike. A bike’s drivetrain includes the pedals, chain, chainring, derailleur (the ingenious little device that moves the chain to make riding easier or harder) and rear-wheel cassette (the set of teeth attached to your rear wheel). The drivetrain is important because it transfers the power generated by your legs to the rear wheel, which moves the bike. So make it a regular routine for your mtb maintenance. 


What to do: You’ll likely need a partner or bike stand to assist with this part of the tune-up. Raise the rear wheel and spin as you did when checking the wheels (task #3 above). This time, shift through all the gears. Shifting should be smooth and easy to perform. Inspect the chain, chainrings, derailleur and cassette for damage (excessive wear, missing teeth, dents, scrapes, etc.). Note that small chainrings wear out sooner than large chainrings, and that the chain is the most frequently replaced component of the drivetrain (should be done every 3000 - 4000 km).

2. Check both tires.
Mountain bike tires offer traction with the ground, allowing travel over a variety of unlikely surfaces, like mud, rocks, roots and ladder bridges. In addition, they form a flexible cushion which helps smooth out bumps and thumps along the way, making for a more comfortable ride.

What to do: First, check your tire pressure. The ideal pressure will vary according to the terrain you’re riding, but as a general rule, you’ll want to keep your tire pressure between 30-45 psi. Lower psi will provide more traction (grip) on technical and loose terrain, but is more prone to flats. Air will escape naturally from your tires, so be sure to invest in a good floor pump with gauge, and check tire pressure often. Second, check your tires for splits, cracks or tears, especially along the side-walls (where the tire doesn’t touch the ground). You’ll also want to check the tread for uneven or excessive wear, in which case you’ll want to have it replaced. Damaged tires are prone to burst, causing a sudden loss of control—a potentially dangerous situation. Changing tubes and tires is a simple fix that requires tire levers and a pump to re-inflate the inner tube.

3. Add lubricant.
Oil lubricant coats the chain and other components of the drivetrain, helping them last longer and work more efficiently. Lube also reduces accumulation of dirt and grime, which helps increase performance of the moving parts.


What to do: Apply lubricant evenly to the chain while slowly rotating the pedals in a counter-clockwise direction. Also, remember to lube moving parts on the derailleur, the pivot point on the brake levers and any exposed cable wire. Remember to wipe off any excess oil with a clean, dry rag, especially on the chain. A properly lubricated bike makes shifting and braking smooth, thereby increasing performance. You can fix minor rust spots by rubbing them with steel wool. You may want to wear work gloves to protect your hands as steel wool can cause splinters in your skin. It is usually too difficult to remove rust from certain components (e.g., the chain), which should be simply be replaced.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fat Bikes

You may see a odd looking mountain bike with really big fat wheel in the streets of Kathmandu in last couple of years. Those bike are known as fat bikes. So let's talk about that. According to Wikipedia "A fatbike (also called fat bike or fat-tire bike) is an off-road bicycle with oversized tires, typically 3.8 in (97 mm) or larger and rims 2.6 in (66 mm) or wider, designed for low ground pressure to allow riding on soft unstable terrain, such as snow, sand, bogs and mud." Personally I haven't rode a fat bike on the trails (if anyone wants to give me a bike for a test ride you can always contact me) but I have taken it for a short test ride. I was a really different experience. Those huge wheels were really difficult to more forward from the neutral position. But once it started to roll it down it was much easier than it was imagined. We would roll really low on PSI because of the huge tire. I will post the full review once I get more time to spent on it.

"Confession of a Cyclist"

"Riding for me is all about Pushing the Limit of my body." Everybody has passion for something for me it's all about riding my bike. Everything started when I got my first cycle at the age of 5. It didn't take me time to remove my training wheels and ride the freedom of two wheels. Time flowed like a river and my first bike was no longer my only ride. I got my first real mountain bike. It was a really a tough time of my life. I was going through mental break down and only thing that hold me together was my ride. Day by day push myself little header to cross my limit. That satisfaction you get after conquering the hill and trill you get while shredding the downhill can't be compared. Going down through those raw and untouched nature, risking you life in unknown hills. With every hill you conquer, with every ride you go longer you feel different kind of satisfaction with in yourself. Balancing in the most raw trails and trying until you win it. Endi

Wheel Size | 26 vs 29

Wheel Size one of the most talked topic in biking community. 26 inch or 27.5 inch or 29 inch which one is the best wheel size? Lets talk about that. PC: Google.com 26 inch: It wasn't long time before when 26 was the only wheel option for the mountain biking universe. Whether riding cross country, enduro, downhill or any other variant of the sport, everyone was riding 26-inch wheels. Riding this wheel size has very its only advantage with their smaller diameter and shorter spokes, all else being equal, a 26-inch wheel will be stronger than a 650B or 29er. he smallest of the big three wheel sizes is the lightest, too, which makes for snappier acceleration. 29 inch: 29er mountain bikes became a popular alternative as they offered multiple advantages over the  then standard 26" mountain bike.  The larger wheels on a 29er gives the rider the ability to reach a higher top end speed.  They also improve overall traction with their larger footprint and they roll over ob