Dusting off the gears
A tune-up and some springtime TLC will keep your hip ride rolling smoothly all year long.
Thursday, February 28th, 2008
It’s been a long winter. If you feel weary of the endless days of rain, sleet and snow, rest assured that your bicycle suffers with you. Whether you neglected your trusty steed by leaving it locked outside your dorm or actually braved the ice and salt-covered streets, your bike will last longer if you give it a little care each spring.
Years of working in bicycle shops have taught me the value of preventive maintenance. Spending a little time and money to keep your bike rolling and shifting smoothly keeps your bike from becoming a money pit. Andrew Slater, Overland Park junior, is one of those intrepid souls who brave the elements to commute to class each day. To cut down on maintenance, he wipes down his bicycle’s drivetrain with warm water after each ride and lubes his chain once a week.
Photo by Alex Bonham-Carter
Jordan Ferrand-Sapsis, a bicycle mechanic at Sunflower Outdoor and Bike, adjusts a customer's mountain bike on Feb. 24. Jordan says her interest in bike repair started when she was using a bicycle for transportation and decided it would be a worthwhile investment because she didn't own a car.
If you store your bike outside, at the very least you’ll need to lube the chain and probably pump up the tires. Additionally, when exposed to harsh winter weather, many parts of your bike will rust. It’s very common to have to replace chains on bicycles at the beginning of each season because of rust. Rusty chains squeak and can develop stiff links that, if left unchecked, will ruin the rest of your bike’s drivetrain—forcing you to spend significantly more money. A replacement chain will set you back $10-20. Expect to pay another $8-10 in labor fees to have the chain installed.
Many times, people bring their bikes to repair shops after they’ve been stored all winter and the first thing they’ll say is, “My tires are flat, I need new tires.” Ninety percent of the time the tires are fine. Unlike a car, bicycles rely on tubes within the tires. Your bicycle’s inner tubes have lost air, but the tires themselves are fine—the distinction matters when you talk to your bike mechanic. Keep in mind the inner tubes are made of rubber, which is porous. Over the course of several months it is natural for the tubes in your tires to lose air pressure. Nick Gardener, mechanic at Cycle Works, 2121 Kasold, notes that bicycle tubes lose an average of 5 psi a week naturally, whether they sit or are being ridden. I always told customers, if they were unsure if their flats were caused by a puncture or if they’d just been sitting too long, to start by airing the tubes up. If they hold air overnight they’re fine. If not, then your inner tubes must be replaced.
The ability to make your bicycle stop on your terms is good. Without brakes, your bike is less a method of transport and enjoyment than it is a vehicle with kamikaze tendencies. Winter riding tends to wear down your bike’s brake pads. “Road grit and grime gets onto your rim and really sands the pads down,” says Gardener. So, to prevent a possible “Oh, shit!” scenario, please, have your brakes checked as well.
Adam Hess, service manager at Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, sees a lot of weather-beaten bicycles this time of year. Most of the bikes he’s been servicing need new chains and some kind of lube and tune-up. If your bike has been fighting the elements all winter, Adam recommends getting a brake service tune-up. It costs $30 and includes servicing your bike’s brakes, adjusting the gears, and lubing the cables and drivetrain.
There are three bike shops in Lawrence, and they all provide free estimates. Customers can expect to be without their bikes for two to three days. Or, if you use your bike for daily transport, make an appointment and pick your bike up the same day you drop it off.
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