Yanti & Salty RidiculoSnarky Almost Intelligent-Charming Manatees PART 4 - Full (Page 44)

Woo hoo! 

My question:  Is the McDs' sponsorship in addition to the Starbucks one?

It sounds like you had a great weekend (scary trucker aside).

bcraht - 2012-08-14 12:38 AM I do agree that it is 'take what you like, and leave the rest' when you post a question, but sometimes when a beginner posts a question, sometimes they get the 'are you an idiot' answer.  I realize that many questions have been asked a million times, but patience please .  I just hope it is an ebb and flow type of thing and it goes back to the way it was...

I do hope that it's an ebb and flow thing

Me personally?  I pump the tires every time to the appropriate pressure (for me, ~95 psi).  I clean the chain every 100 miles or so which works to weekly in the summer (if it's on the trainer that this is much much less frequent).  To do this I oil it (every joint) and wipe it with either a rag that was once a t-shirt or the industrial shop towels/rags that you get at a home center.  At this time, I also check the cassette.  If that is full of gunk, I fold the rag over and go between each of of the sprockets, rotating the wheel as needed.  I also clean the rear derailleur with the rag.

Finally, I wipe the frame down and when it is clean, I wipe it again with Pledge.

Note, if the bike has been out in heavy rain, I try to lube/clean within 24 hours or so (and not leave it in the garage for a week!). 

I bring the bike to a mechanic for tuning, including shifting problems and before races/events.

I'm sure that Reece, Kirk and others have their own routines to share.  I look forward to reading about them!

You might try tightening the cable, they tend to stretch as they age and a little tighter should put you back in proper form.

I clean my bike about twice a month.  I've started using this to clean the chain/cassette: Spray Degreaser  I'll spray it down including derailleur and then use a tooth brush/rag combo to finish cleaning it takes about ten minutes start to finish.  It's probably one of the best things I've found for cleaning a chain.  I also check all the cables and tighten and adjust as necessary.  I also check all the nuts and bolts just to make sure everything is nice and tight.  I'll clean the bike with some simple green and water mixture and shop towels then also use the pledge to give it a nice sheen/some protection.  I usually leave it overnight to make sure all the degreaser has dried then lube a drop or two in each link and wipe the extra the next day.

Before each ride I inflate the tires, check my brakes, and check the drive train.  I also give the headset a shake with the front brake pulled to make sure it is tight, never had an issue on my roadie but my work bike was lose and I ended up taking a spill down some stairs and dislocated my shoulder (not to mention the shattered ego).  Also check the quick release skewers everytime.

Once a month or so I'll bring home a chain stretch checker to see where it is at and once the chain needs replaced, works out to about once a year, I do a full overhaul; replace cables/housing, check wear of cassette and replace that if needed, let derailleurs and cassette (if keeping) do an overnight soak in simple greeen to fully clean and true the wheels if needed although I have to bring those to work to use the truing stand.

Great question! I've been wondering, too. I'm looking forward to the responses.

TriAya - 2012-08-14 10:56 AM Hot damn. Rip van Winklette is finally up. I know I SAID I was going to go sleep for two days ... I just didn't think I'd actually go do it. Okay, time to read the last 100 posts in here ... weak, weak, I think it's only been 50 since I disappeared

I'm glad you're up! I hope you are feeling better.

Yeah, I second this. 

I also feel that some people would rather hear about some fancy piece of equipment that makes their life easier vs working a little harder. Or some really technical prescription vs run lots, mostly easy, sometimes hard or T.I.T.S . Ya know?

Great response. Reminds me. I need to stop neglecting my bike. 

Thanks! What oil/lube do you recommend? I have the one that's in the bottle with the green cap -- I can't remember right now what it's called.

I like Triflow as it holds up well.  I stay away from the wax lubes because while they do work well, keep the chain clean, they do that by collecting the debris and flaking off, usually in your rear derailleur sprokets making cleanup a long process and you have to relube much more often.

Yup, people want the magic pill and the want to be advised to that it'll be OK if they take shortcuts.  Will the world end if they don't go to the pool before their sprint tri?  Heck no.  Will they kinda wish they had made the time?  Most likely.

I was advised that it doesn't matter as long as it doesn't contain wax.  Wax will cause more dirt to stick to your chain which is exactly what you don't want.

I use this kind

Dang. I'm never going to catch up ... (except on sleep) ...

My bike's on the trainer so it doesn't get that gross. Every few rides or whenever I remember I lube the chain up with Park Tool's 2-in-1 (it's supposed to de-dirt and lube at the same time, no wax, ingredients just say it's some kind of synthetic blend). Whenever I have an event coming up I take it to the bike shop and let the piglets loose on it--thorough cleaning and tune-up for $4. $5 with tip ...

When I lived in the States and was poor, and rode in the rain a lot, I'd wipe the bike down and lube it every week or after every rain. With Pedro's something or other. If there was crust in the chain I'd scrub it out with a toothbrush.

Once a month I'd wash the frame as well as scrub the chain and gears out (toothbrush again to get solution in and dirt loose, wiping with cloth) with a diluted solution of Simple Green, then lube all the moving parts with the same Pedro's lube.

I got pretty good at doing basic maintenance and repair by reading Sheldon Brown (on the Interwebz), Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance (a book), but most of all hanging around watching the shop piglets work on my bike and others, and watching my roadie friends work on their bikes, and working on my bike myself.

I'd strongly recommend reading and being able to do Don Fink's 10-point Bike Check (it's meant for pre-race) as a basic maintenance/diagnostic for your bike.

P.S. I do pump my tyres up before every ride, even on the trainer (the rear one, anyway, the front one every week or so).

amd723 - 2012-08-14 2:11 PM Thanks for the bike responses - unfortunately, it sounds like i'm going to get my hands dirty

Ughhh, me too. Sigh. 

I know this is crazy, but ... it's rolling on to 4am and I think I need to go back to bed.

Gonna sweep through the Intro You forum and then tuck myself in. Perhaps with warm milk and a cookie

I am so much more tolerable and tolerant when well-rested. Why don't I do this ALL the time?

Oh my goodness! I was just reminded registration for Boston opens in less than a month!!! 

Also, made a really good connection this weekend. A woman who ran the trials this past year. She said I can send her questions any time, especially as things get closer and my more specific training starts ramping up. I am really excited to have this resource. 

Nice!  It's always good to have someone in your corner that way.

Pedro's Bike Lust, perchance?  I love that stuff because it works well for keeping the bike clean and shiny.  Thanks, all, for the tips/reminders.  I always refill tires for every ride, check brakes, clean and lube but often overlook checking bolt tightness.

Well carrying an injury and not training run specific I was 30secs slower this year in City2Surf (last year was in the middle of marathon training) so I am pretty happy.  Below a not so flattering pic of me at the finish (no i won't be paying for this one!)  I have a bony chest, when did that happen?  Also thought I'd show you manatees the elevation, no wonder is feels tough!

Today weather looks alright - good enough for a lunchtime run with interval sprints, love it!

(city2surf 2012.jpg)

(city2surf elevation.jpg)

Well I went for a run - instead of my usual 4 laps of the short circuit of the park (1.4km) I did 5!!!!  And for the first four laps I did a 20sec sprint every five minutes.  With that and the little 0.2km to get to the park I did 7.4km in 47 mins which for me (Salty) is really fast.  And I am very happy - like a fast swim it felt slow!  Must be when your technique is right you feel slower because you are more efficient.

Other good news, bought some towels online today - BARGAIN!!!  Retail therapy really is the best, oh and my colleague bought me a bar of expensive French chocolate called Lait Eclats Caramel - it's milk chocolate with chunks of salted caramel, the brand is Michel Cluizel and it's divine.  She bought me this because yesterday she came over very unwell and I got her through that and a panic attack (some candy, potato chips and lemonade my cure all remedy!)

Ah life's good.