Finally Riding Again

Now that the winter is finally over, although today is rainy and 3 degrees Celcius, and Spring has sprung, time to get the bike out of storage and get serviced for another riding season.

Photo © Tony Bursey - All rights reserved.
My Ride, originally uploaded by Tony's Outdoors.

If you have ridden throughout the winter, at the very least you need to clean and lube everything. Make sure you have your chain checked for being within spec. One of the worst things for your drive train is a stretched chain. It will start carving out the grooves in all your chain rings and eventually you will not only have to replace the chain, but all you rings as well which could get real costly.

Last year, when I spent a boat load on a full service (because it had been years since it was done last), the technician suggested the chain be replaced every two years at least. You will spend about $50 each time, but it is peanuts compared to having to replace your whole drive train. And if you are going to ride during the winter, you might even consider a low-cost "beater" chain.

If you had your main ride stored or were riding a beater for the winter, a simple tune-up would suffice just to make sure everything is optimal.

One thing that may be overlooked is the condition of your tires. I know I have to get new rubber this year. The sidewalls on my trail tires are all cracking. These were kelvar bead tires (meaning you could fold them as opposed to wire bead which you cannot fold) they were more expensive. It depends on your needs. I got a deal on them years ago so I cannot complain.

Above all the objective is to have fun and a little preventative maintenance ahead of time will go a long way on the trail.