There’s a change in the air; it’s called spring. Remember? It’s when the sun comes back, birds reappear, and you start hearing a cry for help from behind that pile of sleds and skis in the garage. You know the voice. It’s an old friend. And with a tinge of guilt, you realize just how far you’ve let the relationship deteriorate. After all, you were practically attached at the hip just a few short months ago. Now it’s come to this: your beautiful bike, prostrate on the cement floor, covered in dust and your kids’ old snow pants. Will it ever forgive you?
Thankfully, it will, but not without a little tender loving care on your part:
- Make sure you have the right supplies. Do you have a repair stand? How about a bike cleaning kit? Both will make the spring tune-up much easier. Oh yeah, the right bike tools really help, as well.
- Give it a safety inspection.The good folks over Total Bike have put together a great little inspection guide for you, along with a shorter pre-ride checklist to help you get it running smooth and safe to ride.
- Give it some grease. Unfortunately, WD-40 alone won’t cut it if you really want your bike to be at its best and keep working well. You’ll need some heavy-duty bike grease as well as some thinner, specialized lubricants for your chain and its friends.
As always, check out Bikewagon’s guides and video tutorials for extra help on the tune-up. And if you have any tried-and-true tips for getting your bike ready for spring, share the love and leave a comment below.
Filed under: Tutorials
Have you gone outside lately? It’s getting cold! That doesn’t mean you have to put the bike away for the year, though. When it comes to clothing and gear that will keep you warm, there are plenty of options out there. Besides the obvious jackets and gloves, here are a few cycling-specific items you might want to try:
- Balaclava: Excuse me? a ball of what? No, no. A balaclava is one of those cool, tight-fitting face masks that covers your nose, mouth (don’t worry, there are breathing vents), ears, neck and head. Basically the only things left open to the wind are your eyes. They are usually neoprene, or a combination of neoprene and fleece. Intense, huh. You can also get face masks that just cover the bottom half of the face.
- Arm warmers: Sometimes a full undershirt is just too much. Cover your core with a couple of layers of clothing and you’ll be too hot. But without layers, your arms are left exposed to the chill. Cycling arm warmers are tight-fitting sleeves that block out the wind and cold. And if it starts to warm up mid-ride, they’re super easy to remove.
- Knee warmers: It’s the same idea as the arm warmers. You want to keep your joints nice and warm, so you can pedal smoothly and avoid pain. And if it gets too hot, just take them off.
- Booties: These booties aint for babies. They’re big neoprene overshoes that keep the wind and cold out of your cycling shoes. Cycling booties have holes for cleats, so you can still use your clipless pedals, and they come in various lengths when it comes to ankle coverage.
If you’re an expert in cold-weather riding, let us know your secrets and leave a comment below.
Filed under: Tutorials
I happened upon this little article in the Deseret News that explains how to lubricate your bike chain and thought it might be useful for our dear reader(s).
Filed under: Tutorials
If you haven’t, you’re really missing out! The number is growing day by day, so go check out our guides page and see what you learn. You can also leave comments at the end of each guide, so if you feel like we need to learn a thing or two, share your knowledge.
