Here’s the setup. You know your bike will work better, and be more reliable, if it is maintained. Stop to examine that word for a moment. Maintained. That doesn’t mean “fixed when something breaks.” It means, “Attended to on a regular basis. Kept in adjustment, cleaned, lubricated, and inspected regularly, with preventive work done in advance of breakdowns.”
With respect to bike maintenance, there are basically two types of bike owners. And each of these types can be further divided into two sub types.
Type 1) You like to get your hand dirty and work on your own bike.
Sub-type A) You are very good at it, as evidenced by your shiny bike that almost never breaks
down, or has problems of any sort.
Sub-type B) You are not very good at it. You lack knowledge. Every time you work on your bike
it seems to perform a bit worse.
Type 2) You would just as soon never touch your bike, but you want it to run well whenever you ride it.
Sub-type A) You would like to have your bike maintained for you, but you are just not sure how to
go about this. You are willing to pay for the privilege of having a good, reliable ride.
Sub-type B) Your position is that you paid a lot for it, and it should, by-golly, work!
Now we know that there are infinite shades and variations, but those four groups are pretty generally valid. It can be further argued that three of those four types would like to do a better and more accurate job of maintaining their rides. I should like to suggest two tools which will help in that enormously. They are (cue drum roll)…
Keep Records! And Schedule Tasks!
It’s really about that simple.
(Of course, if you fall into the Type 2 Sub B category, you are just going to wait until it breaks, and then gripe about it a lot. Please note, it will break. It will happen just before that big event. Your local shop will be slammed and will not be able to get to it in time. Parts will need to be ordered. They won’t be available in time. It will cost an unreasonably large amount to fix it.)
Keeping Records: Keep a Maintenance Log for each bike you own. And simply record the mileage and the work done. Of course you can get more detailed than that. You can include copies of receipts, costs, weather conditions, and any number of other data, but if you simply record the mileage of a maintenance action, and what was done, you will be far far ahead of your peers.
In all my many years of bicycle mechanical work, I can only recall two or three times when a customer brought me a written record of his bike’s maintenance. And you know what? It helped locate and fix a problem. Cost the customer a lot less too!
Did you know that the South Side Cycling Club has a provision for this on its website? It’s there, under the Your Bikes navigator. You can list the bikes you own, and then select any of them and note the date, and work done on it. Pretty cool huh?
Scheduling Tasks: Over time, you will find that your Maintenance Log will help you to refine your Task Schedule. But here’s a sample:
Every ride:
- Inspect and inflate tires
- Clean bike (wipe down)
Every 200 to 300 miles
- Lubricate chain
- Inspect brake pads
Monthly
- Lubricate pivots (brakes, deraillers, brake levers, shifters)
Every 500 miles
- Flush and lubricate housings
- Inspect and lubricate pedals
- Inspect cleats
Two to four times per year
- Clean bike (deep clean)
- Check all fasteners
Every 2,000 miles
- Replace shift cables & housings
- True wheels
Every 3,000 to 5,000 miles
- Clean and lubricate rear derailler (including pulley disassembly and lube)
- Replace chain
- Replace tires (When showing deep wear, approx 2,000 to 4,000 miles)
Every 6,000 to 10,000 miles
- Replace cassette
- Replace chainrings
Annually
- Replace brake cables & housings
- Lubricate/Adjust wheel bearings, headset bearing, and bottom bracket
- Remove, clean, grease, and re-install all fasteners
- Install anti-corrosive inside frame (alloy and steel frames only)
- Full and detailed frame inspection
- Unwrap and inspect handlebars, then replace bar tape
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