Do you ride a bike? Regularly? Are you under the impression that everything about it should last forever? Reasonably, you don’t expect parts to last forever, but are you convinced that they should last longer than they do? About now, long time readers will be expecting me to launch into a maintenance sermon. Surprise! I’m not going to do that.
The other half of the solution.
Good maintenance most certainly will improve the longevity and function of every part of the bicycle, but it’s only half the battle. What remains? Riding technique.
I know folks who, at best, could be described as indifferent bike keepers. And yet they get excellent mileage from things like chains, cassettes, deraillers, and wheels. On the other hand, I know some highly detail oriented, obsessively thorough, skilled, and absolutely immaculate bicycle maintainers. And these latter have nearly constant troubles, and they leave a trail of broken or worn parts behind them.
The explanation for this apparent contradiction has everything to do with riding style. Rough riding breaks parts, or wears them out. It’s that simple.
First, let’s dispose of some myths.
Myth 1) “I’m heavy so I break wheels and stuff.”
Bologna!! I know plenty of lightweight riders (down in the 150 to 170 pound class) who manage to break far more than their fair share of stuff. Conversely, I know some near 300 pounders, regular and avid riders, who manage to get outstanding longevity.
Myth 2) “I can’t afford the more expensive, higher quality parts. The really good stuff would last me longer.”
‘T-ain’t necessarily so, maggee. If you’re breaking Tiagra™ and 105™ you’re really not going to like the price of tearing up Ultegra™ and Dura Ace™. (You may substitute your favorite SRAM or Campagnolo groupsets as you wish. The principle is the same.) The thing is, the high-end stuff is aimed at racing. Racing parts are, ultimately, designed to go really fast, for a short period of time. The more entry-level stuff is actually a good bit stronger.
Myth 3) “I like to ride hard and fast and get a really good workout, but that puts more strain on the bike.”
Not so. Plenty of fast riders around (some of them extremely fast) who manage to have a minimum of mechanicals.
The heart of the matter.
We’re driving at something here. If maintenance is a given, then the next biggest factor in long and reliable bicycle performance is how the bike is ridden. Simply put, finesse riders get more out of their bikes.
But what is meant by finesse? There are lots of elements. One involves shifting. Are shifts made smoothly? Does the rider ease off on the power during the shift, and then come smoothly back “on the chain”? That would be a good technique. “Power shifting” or “shifting under load” is a fast route to driveline failures. The chain, cassette cogs, chainrings, and to a lesser degree the deraillers all perform better and last longer if they are shifted smoothly and with minimum impact.
Force doesn’t cause damage, impact does.
Try this little thought experiment. Imagine placing your finger on an anvil. Now gently rest a large hammer on the finger. Not comfortable, but not damaging. Leave the hammer resting on the finger for ten minutes. Still no damage. But that is an application of force. Now, suppose that, instead of resting on the finger for ten minutes, the hammer was dropped on the finger from a height of about six feet. Damage and pain! That is force too, but applied with impact. And, oddly, in the second example, the total force was less than in the first. (We’ll spare ourselves the physics and math part of that demonstration, but please accept it. It’s true.)
Limiting Impact while riding:
Shifting: This is a big one. Power shifts hurt the bike. On the upshift, if power is not reduced before and during the shift, the chain slams into place. That’s impact between the chain and gear, and that impact is transferred to the rear wheel, the hub bearings, the spokes, the rim, and to a lesser extent to the chain.
This effect is worse on the upshift (going from an easier gear to a harder one) but is still present on the downshift.
About downshifts. If they are done before they are necessary, as in climbing, then they will be smoother, and less impacting. (They will also yield fewer problems and “mechanicals” as a result.)
Bike handling: Impact occurs when there is any kind of a jolt or bump. Our roads are not everywhere smooth and silky. Expansion joints, broken pavement, potholes, deep milled “wake up rumbles,” any kind of bump or irregularity in the road surface can cause an impact. The force of these impacts can be greatly reduced if the rider exercises good technique.
Good technique requires attention and execution. Look ahead. Note an upcoming jolt and ride around or past it, if at all safely possible. If the jolt has to be taken, flex the legs slightly to raise yourself out of the saddle. (This isn’t the same as standing, but rather, the butt comes just out of contact with the saddle. Allow the arms to relax. Then let the bike “float” as it transits the jolt. The rider should move forward in a straight and unbroken line as the bike moves smoothly up and down over the roughness. If the rider is bumped up or down, the bike has received an impact.
Light hands on the bars. Do not grip, twist, pull, or “row” the bars. Such torsion force eventually fatigues the bars, headset bearings, and frame, and it wastes rider-energy that could be used to move the bike forward.
Smooth is Fast:
Changes in the bike that are applied smoothly, without jerks and jolts, actually are faster than abrupt and impact-generating ones. More, jolts fatigue the rider much faster. The fastest riders are smooth. Their shifts are silent. Their bikes do not rattle and clang over bumps and jolts. They don’t waste precious energy in battering their bikes, but rather use it to move.
But what if one is not interested in speed, per se? I would answer that in two ways. Given no overwhelming concern with speed, then why the need for hurry? Why, in that case would a rider batter the bike? On the other hand, the same smooth, low impact, techniques that are fast, can also be efficient. They result in going farther for the same energy, or completing the intended distance with the least fatigue.
We have all experience it. There are those riders, mounted on older and less advanced equipment, and yet they are nearly silent in their actions. At the same time, there are those who have some of the latest and most fancy stuff, and they constantly sound like a percussion section. Is it the components? Truly, that is unlikely.
Bears a bit of thinking about, doesn’t it?
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