The Check down

I have had the chance to put in a lot of miles on my bike during this quarantine. I get to ride multiple times a week and I am have a blast. Biking is a great hobby to be into in a situation like this, it is a great way to exercise and it is great to be able to get out of the house. All while following the rule of being six feet apart from other people. While riding trails you rarely get within the six feet of anybody unless you are passing them, or they are passing you. With all the miles I have been putting gin the past couple of weeks it is time for some routine maintenance. Routine maintenance for me is just a quick check over of the bike doing the maintenance that I know how to do and checking for anything else to make sure I do not need my local bike shop to do anything.

First, I wash my bike because it is nice to work on clean parts. Washing the bike before performing any type of maintenance makes it easier to see the area where you are work and when the surfaces are clean and dirt free, it just makes it easier to work. After my bike is clean and dry, I start the check down. The check down is really just me checking all the bolts to make sure they are tight, checking the air pressure in my tires, checking to make sure drivetrain is still aligned with the cogs, and re-oiling the chain. I normally start the check down at the handlebars an make a back words “W” to make sure I go over every part. At the handlebars I check and make sure the stem is not loose where it connects to the fork and the handlebars. Then I check the shifter and brake levers to make sure they are not loose and in the correct position where I like to ride. Those two steps take care of the handlebar area; next, I move down to the front tire and check the air pressure. I have tubeless tires which meaning instead of having a tube inside my tire like I normal bike I put a liquid solution that plugs up all the areas that let air out making my tires airtight. There are several advantages to going tubeless. Since I do have tubeless tires, I like to run specific air pressure to make sure my tire is stiff enough for the trails but flexible enough where my tire will not leak air. So, I run my front tire between 26-28 psi and my rear tire at 28-30 psi. The rear tire should have more air because when you jump that typically the tire you land on first and also your weight is mostly over your back tire so it should be slightly stiffer. After I check the tires, I move to the rear shock bolts and then the pedals just making sure everything is snug. Finally, I check the drivetrain and chain to make sure everything is properly aligned and lubricated. The drive terrain is the most important part of the bike because if it does not work then you are not moving anywhere. The drivetrain can also be knocked out of place very easily so it important to check or you can end up having a very expensive repair (which I learned the hard way). Luckily on this check it was in the perfect position but so I did not even need to touch it. At the end of my check my bike was in a lot better shape, but there are a couple of things I need to fix so it will be perfect. The first thing I need to do is bleed my brakes and put in more brake fluid. This is the first bike I have had with hydraulic brakes so this will be a first for me so I ordered the bleed kit and am just waiting for it to get here and I’m excited to learn a new skill. The other area that need to be fixed is my rear tire. Just from all the miles and jumps I have put my bike through lately I need to get it trued. Getting a wheel trued is just tightening certain spokes to make the wheel straight and unfortunately a truing stand to do this cost $300 so I will be taking it to my local bike shop.