Cycling UK Forum

Was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for pre-departure maintainence jobs.

So far:

1. Greased the headset top and bottom (so grease oozes out when it is all put back together)
2. Greased brake bosses
3. Lube cables
4. Wipe the bike clean with the rag that you have used to wipe your hands!
5. Stand back and admire bike

Any more suggestions ?

grease bb
clean & oil chain
check all spokes ping, rather than dud
check brake blocks continue to go to the rim, and not spokes or tyre.
visually inspect tyres for bulges, thorns glass shards.
check pedals are tight, and seatpost, stem, saddle - in fact any threaded fitting

there'll be more jobs along soon i'm sure, but then you did ask

Both wheels are going to have to come off then, and the tyres; damn I have just washed my hands !

How long are you going away for?
Not that it matters for maintenance - stuff needs doing generally.

Additional to what's been said:
Pull out your seat pin and re-fit with a smear of grease.
Ditto BB cups.
Ditto handle-bar stem if it's quill.
Ditto any threaded fitting - as HGF said!
Fit new tyres.
Ditto brake-blocks.
Clean and inspect jockey wheels.

Who was that Irish comedian? - who's catch-phrase was:
"Come here, there's more!"

Mick F wrote:Clean and inspect jockey wheels.

nah, i wouldn't

frank carsons

How about checking that your wheel bearings are running smoothly?
I didn't a couple of years back and ended up with horrible noises and non-sperical bearings and gouged cones.
I've since learnt that wheels can seem to run smoothly on the bike but if you take them off and twiddle the axle it can actually feel quite rough.

jimmy cricket

That's him!
Somehow I didn't think it was Frank Carsons.

Besides the other sensible suggestions, I would suggest a careful examination of brake and gear cables particularly near the nipples for any signs of fraying.
If I am going to tour in a mountainous area I usually replace the brake cables even if they seem in reasonable condition.

I went to see Arsenal beat Middlesborough in a FA Cup semi final at Old Trafford a few years ago and Frank Carson did some sort of charity draw on the pitch at half time.

When it was announced around 60,000 people all said "it's a cracker".

Thanks for the suggestions. Looked at the cables and greased the nipples in the levers. The bike is only a few monts old and looks to have been put together very well, all these little points like the seat pin, brake bosses I found had all been greased.

Tyres off and gently sanded the join in the rims as that was the only imperfection I could find.

All ready to go. Bike looks FANDABIDOZZI - (only funny when said in a Rab C Nesbitt stylee)

Mattie wrote:Thanks for the suggestions. Looked at the cables and greased the nipples in the levers. The bike is only a few monts old and looks to have been put together very well, all these little points like the seat pin, brake bosses I found had all been greased.

Tyres off and gently sanded the join in the rims as that was the only imperfection I could find.

All ready to go. Bike looks FANDABIDOZZI - (only funny when said in a Rab C Nesbitt stylee)

Fandabidozzi - The Krankies surely?

You never said where you were going and for how long???

Nonetheless, as the bike is fairly new, you could probably have got away with doing nothing!! Of course that is heresy on these august pages.

simonhill wrote:You never said where you were going and for how long???

Nonetheless, as the bike is fairly new, you could probably have got away with doing nothing!! Of course that is heresy on these august pages.

Nowhere exotic; just from St Malo to Amsterdam, via Champagne, Ardenne and Maastricht taking 2.5 weeks to do the trip. I hope the weather warms up !

Mick F wrote:Somehow I didn't think it was Frank Carsons.

that's better. we're back on form.