Thursday, July 24, 2008

Being good to my bike

My bike has carried me to school and now work for over 12,000 miles. It's been good to me. But I've been pretty tough on it. I recently took it into a shop for repairs. They put on a new crank set, new chain, new cassette, new cables and cable housings and a new set of pedals, clips and straps. They also replaced a broken spoke on my rear wheel that I didn't even know about.

So I have pledged to keep my new chain in top condition. Traditionally I have cleaned my chain only about once a month if even that, which is a horrible thing to do to a chain. I plan to clean my chain every night. Just a quick swipe with a paper towel and some degreaser and then re-lube it a couple hours later. Additionally, on the weekends I will take it off the bike and give it a nice bath. I never took my last chain off my bike, and eventually the master link froze in place.

Boxing My Bike Last Summer



2 comments:

Me said...

I've never cleaned my chain! (I've had my bike for 10 years) I didn't know you were suppose to.

Jamie said...

I didn't know that you had a bike. (well, maybe I did). It's a good idea to keep your chain clean. A lot of people don't though, especially if they are casual riders.

Of course if you're a casual rider your chain might not get very dirty. Just make sure that it doesn't get rusty.

One of the main problems with a dirty chain is that it wears a lot faster. The other one is that it can stain clothing and other things.

 

blogger templates | Make Money Online