Due to the epidemic and the superposition of various factors, the demand in the bicycle industry has shown an increasing trend in recent years, but manufacturers have not been able to keep up with the pace of demand. The shortage of bikes and parts is real. In this case, you may need to use your existing parts for a longer period of time. Here are some suggestions, highlighting some areas that may be overlooked, so that your bike parts can have a longer life.

1. Choose when and where you ride

Not riding in inclement weather will greatly increase the life of your bike's drivetrain, brakes, tires and bearings. Of course, sometimes it's unavoidable, but if you can choose not to ride on wet, muddy, or padded gravel trails, your bike will thank you.

If it is absolutely unavoidable or planned to ride off-road, then you need to consider whether the route you choose will have water accumulation. For example, after a heavy rain, the trails and gravel roads will be wetter than the wide roads. A little adjustment to your route will greatly extend the service life of your bike parts.

2. Clean your bike's drivetrain, lubricate the chain

Keeping your bike's drivetrain clean and lubricated can greatly increase the life of the drivetrain. As an extreme example, in the case of lack of maintenance, the entire drivetrain of the same model is covered with rust after less than 1000 kilometers of use and has to be replaced, while those who keep it clean and use high quality lubricants, the chain can be used at least 5000 kilometers.

In order to pursue marginal benefits, people have developed different chain oils. A well-maintained chain can have a service life of more than 10,000 kilometers, while other bike components are far beyond this category. If you feel the chain load is rough or dry during riding, then it needs to be lubricated as soon as possible. Usually chain oil is divided into wax type (dry) and oil type (wet type). Generally speaking, wax type chain oil is not easy to stain and is suitable for drying. environment, reduce chain wear; oily chain oil is suitable for wet environments, with stronger adhesion, but it is easy to get dirty.

Checking the wear and tear of your bicycle chain in time is another important point to protect the transmission system. You need to replace it in time before your chain wears out and becomes longer, so as not to speed up the wear of the flywheel and disc, or cause unpredictable breakage. damage. A chain ruler is usually required to confirm whether the chain is stretched or not. Some brands of chains come with a chain ruler, which needs to be replaced immediately when the chain exceeds the stretch warning line.

3. Implement preventive maintenance

The drivetrain is just one part of the bike, other things like bottom brackets, headsets, hubs, etc. can also be implemented preventive cleaning and maintenance. Simple cleaning and lubrication of these often-overlooked areas to remove accumulated grit and prevent corrosion will also greatly increase service life.

Also, if your bike has moving parts like shocks or dropper posts, fine dust can get trapped under the seal and gradually damage the surfaces of those telescopic parts. Usually suppliers recommend that similar parts be serviced at 50 or 100 hours of use, and if you can't remember when the last service was, it's definitely time to service.

4. Brake pad inspection

Whether your bike has disc brakes or rim brakes, braking surfaces will wear out over time, but taking precautions can go a long way toward improving part life. For rim brake bikes/wheels, this action can be as simple as cleaning your rims with a clean rag and removing any buildup from the brake pads.

For disc brake bikes/wheels, the most common cause of premature wear is uneven friction caused by improperly installed calipers or by warping the pads. Disc brake road kits are one of the parts most affected by supply chain shortages, and adjustments to the brakes can have a huge impact on wear and braking performance. Usually, when the thickness of the brake pad is less than 1mm, the pad can be replaced. In addition, don't forget that the disc will eventually wear out. Checking the relevant parts in time can find the problem as soon as possible.

5. Avoid getting wet with sweat and take active maintenance

When the weather is cold in winter, many riders choose to use the cycling platform at home. Because of the relatively fixed posture and a lot of sweat dripping, it is very likely that the sweat will penetrate into the interior of the parts, and the salt carried in the sweat will accelerate the metal parts. Oxidation, and the accumulation of salt will also cause damage to parts. There are many pictures of salt-corroded parts on the Internet.

Therefore, when using the riding platform or riding on a muddy road or after riding, you should avoid direct infiltration of sweat and mud into the parts. If it has infiltrated by accident, please actively clean it, which will greatly extend the service life.

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