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Written by Zach Magoon
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Tuesday, 26 February 2008 |
As I've mentioned several times, it's been a rough year for commuting. And not just for me, for my poor bike. I was able to do some much needed cleaning of the Redline this week as I actually had some "down time." My wife and I are celebrating the birth of another baby girl! So I am at home this week. In between diaper changes and naps, I managed to sneak into the garage to clean of the trusty steed. My seemingly new bike is looking pretty beat.
Cleaning a bike in the wintertime is pretty hard. The hose has been put in storage for the winter so that means filling up a bucket and lugging it outside. Bleck. There has been so much salting and sanding of the roads this year and it's quite evident over all the parts. My freewheel has seen the most damage. That has visible signs of rust permeating from the inside, so I know that the bearings are shot. I really just need to replace it with a White Industries freewheel. Those are the best in the biz. It's nice that I don't have to clean up a derailleur or get in between the spaces of a cassette, that would be a pain in the ass. I just wipe off the chain with a little orange degreaser and lube it up with some Slick Willy products. I may replace the chain when I get a new cassette. The current one is a little rusty already. I just can't be cleaning it constantly. I must say though it is important to at least wipe the chain down after particularly sloppy rides. This will reduce some wear on the important moving parts. There are just days I'm running late and get to work and just leave it wet. Not cool, but sometimes it happens. I carry a rag in my bike bag to wipe down the bike at work, but some days I just don't do it. Sorry dude.
My brake is getting a little warn too. One reason is that I only have the front brake so I have to use it exclusively to slow down. The rims are just covered in salt and grime which acts like sandpaper to brake pads. Those may need to be replaced very soon. For now, I will tighten up the cable and lube it up as best I can.
I'm starting a new job this week so I didn't want to scare them with my filthy bike. So now it looks presentable and will ride nice and smooth. I must say, I'm very pleased with my purchase of the 925. I've got several hundred hard miles on it and it's holding up like a champ. I can't wait to get those studs off though--pushing those things is getting old. Not this week though as we're expecting another snow/rain event on Tuesday. I'll give the old girl another day off, but after that it's back to the grind.
Clean up your act, you'll be glad you did.
Zm |
