Maintenance for life 自転車のメンテナンス
There is nothing more that I can stress about bicycles than keeping a good maintenance schedule. It doesn't matter if you ride a mama-chari to the supermarket or if you put 300 kilometers on your road bike every week. Maintaining your bicycle will not only keep your bike happy but also your wallet. It is better to spend a little time and money on maintaining your bicycle than spending a whole lot of time and money on buying new parts because they broke due to poor maintenance.Here are a few basic maintenance tips to keep your bike in good condition:
1. Check your tire pressure! Having proper tire pressure will not only allow you roll easily but it also reduces wear on your tires. Flat or under inflated tires cause increased friction that wears down the rubber quickly. Flat or under inflated tires also does a lot of damage to the side wall of your tire causing cracking or even blow outs! It's best to check your pressure every 2 or 3 days just to make sure they are inflated properly. (>_0)v
2. Keep you chain clean and oiled! The chain is one of the main parts that transfer the power from your legs to your wheel. Keeping the chain clean will reduce resistance and allow it to work smoothly, transferring as much of your power as possible. A dry chain is an unhappy chain. Keeping your chain well lubricated will reduce friction and heat. Friction and heat will cause your chain to wear and in some cases, prolonged neglect will cause a chain to break. A clean and oiled chain will rarely ever need to be replaced. (^o^)
3. Grease your Bottom Bracket and wheel hubs! There is no real set time for when this should be done, but if you start to hear clicking noises when you put a lot of power into your pedaling, that is when it is time to apply new grease to your Bottom Bracket. Having a well greased Bottom Bracket will keep if from accumulating any unnecessary wear. When you grease your Bottom Bracket it is also a good idea to grease your hubs as well. Having clean grease will mean your hub bearings will be running clean and nearly friction free. (0_o)
4. Keep your cables tight, oiled and capped! Without the cables on your bike you cannot brake or shift. As small as they are, cables are as important as the wheels on your bike. Make sure your cables are tight and adjusted properly as this is a major safety issue. Oiling your cables periodically will protect them from wearing due to friction and prevent them from rusting. Always make sure your cables have their ends capped. Without a cap, the cable will start to fray. A cable that is fraying will begin to brake as a single wire is not as strong as a neatly wound cable. (>_<)
5. Give your bike a bath! A clean bike is always a happy bike. d(0_<)
エリック
2011.6.10
