Prerace Maintenance

I decided to give my bike some prerace maintenance and a good cleaning before the race this weekend. I typically don't like to fool with my bike in the days before a race since something can go wrong and there won't be time to correct the problem before the race.

Working on my bike would be much easier if I had a bike workstand. In fact, working on any bike is easier with a workstand because you don't have to wrestle and fight with the bike as you are trying to work on it. That will probably be my next big purchase. I often use my trunk rack as a stand, but it has its limitations.


My first order of business was to detach the housings and give the cables a good cleaning and a healthy dose of lube.


This is an easy fix for slow shifting and a good opportunity to check the cables for fraying.


After dealing with the cables, I cleaned and lubed the chain, lubed all the pivots and and cleaned the derailleurs. I also decided to tackle a sticky brake lever. For this, I just removed the adjustment screw and popped out a small cylinder that holds the adjustment screw in place. Once out, this allowed me to clean all the grit from inside the lever.


When I finished working on the bike, I gave the frame a good washing and now she's ready to get dirty again. :)