Check Bike Indicator

Unlike your car (for those of you who have one), which has service reminder and check engine lights, your bike needs you to remember some basic maintenance tasks.

When was the last time you checked these things:

• Tire pressure. More is not always better. I run my road tires in the 80-90psi range.
• Small nicks in your tires. Pieces of glass rarely cause flats immediately. Look for small nicks that have a glass shard hiding in them. Dig them out before they work their way through the tire.
• Battery levels. Check your electronic derailleurs so that next ride doesn’t leave you stranded with a dead derailleur. And plug the lights and bike computer in before they go dead too.
• Chain stretch. Invest in a simple chain checker. Order a new chain before you need it. During this pandemic year even chains have long delivery times. Replace chains before about 0.75% stretch. Your chain rings and cassettes will last much longer. Chains are cheap compared to the other drive train parts.
• Clean and lube your chain. Because a clean chain is far more efficient (won’t suck your precious watts into friction) and will last longer too.
• Wash your bike. Bikes need respect. Give yours some love with a good soapy clean-up before re-lubing that chain. Have a matte paint finish? Club member Scott Kerry gave me a great tip: Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (and any of the generic knock-offs) work great getting greasy marks off your matte paint finish. For the rest of your clean-up job, a bucket of warm water with plain old dish soap works fine.

Did I miss anything? Let me know what you check on a regular basis that I haven’t covered. coaching@velocitycyclingclub.ca

Revised National Race Calendar

Cycling Canada has released new and re-confirmed dates for National events you might be interested in:

• St. Albert Canada Cup BMX – July 17-18
• Calgary BMX Nationals – Aug 28-29
• Victoriaville, QB, Masters Road Nationals and Gran Fondo World Series – Sep 3-6
• Langford, BC, ‘Cross Nationals – Nov 27
• Milton, ON, 2021 Track Nationals – Jan 7-9, 2022

Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. Until it comes to your non-drive-side pedal!

Coach Kevin… Don’t know what I mean here? Ask me!