Tech Tips

Is Your Bike as Fit as You?

By Morgan Fluhrer; Southern Regional Sales Manager, Endura Cycling Apparel; Former bike mechanic for several Upstate shops

It's race day. You've trained right and eaten right. You're feeling great, and you’re ready to drop your flashlight in the pain cave, but what about your bike? Is your bike "fit"? Here are three areas on your bike you should look at in order to keep it fast and riding smoothly as you head into the riding season.
An ounce of prevention makes you win… or you get a pound of winning... or something like that. Anyway, chances are your bike couldn’t be getting all that wattage and power out of it that you deserve.
Look at your chain. When was the last time you checked it for wear or replaced it? The last time you cleaned or lubed it? A new and/or cleaned and lubed chain will make your bike shift better, run smoother, and will help you eek out some extra power. A couple watts can translate to being a few seconds ahead of your competitors! So go to your local bike shop, and have them put a chain wear indicator on your chain to see how stretched it is. Depending on style of riding, and weather elements – if you have 5,000 or more miles on your steed, you’ll need a replacement. This could also mean you need to replace your chainrings and/or cassette, but that could be determined by you and your mechanic. A basic chain costs about $25, and goes up from there for nicer versions – definitely worth the cost to keep your ride rolling efficiently. A couple things to remember here – keep your chain clean and lubed; check your chain for wear and replace it often. Yeah it costs more, but you’ll save more in the long run.
What about the bearings in your hubs? Often overlooked, they need to be checked and maintained. Sure, Eddy Merckx used to have his mechanics remove all grease from his bearings and use motor oil instead, to make his bike ride faster. That’s overkill, unless you have a swath of bikes and a personal team of mechanics. Before heading for the shop, test your bearings at home. Do they roll smoothly? Or are they gritty, loose, and noisy? Unless you have the knowledge and tools to do it yourself, swing by your trusty local bike shop and have your mechanic look at it. Depending on the type of hub you have, overhauls run about $20 in labor – not including parts – but will make your bike run faster and smoother.
The same thing applies to the bearings in your bottom bracket. This part of your bike that accounts for about 95% of noisy creaks and clunks typical cyclists complain about on a group ride. A bottom bracket goes through quite a pounding in its life, because it endures so many different types of loads and stress. Most modern types can’t be pulled apart and rebuilt; these days you end up spending around $40+ in parts plus labor to get a brand new one installed by your mechanic. Check your bottom bracket for smoothness and wear often as well. You’d be amazed by how much drag can come from having a worn out bottom bracket. While you’re replacing this part, be sure to ask your shop to add Teflon tape to the threads – this ensures a nice tight fit that should eliminate or quiet a creaky bottom bracket.
Remember to spend some quality time with your bike to be sure you’re getting the most out of the power you put into it. It pays to get to know your bike mechanic. He or she will help you keep your bike fit – plus it will last longer and you’ll have less mechanical hassles out on the road, the trail or the triathlon course.