1. Pick a lube

There are dozens and dozens of decent lubes out there depending where you ride. I could write a whole post about the different lubes and when/where to use them. For now consult a good riding buddy or a local mechanic. Here in Charlotte I like to use ProLink for everyday riding, in the winter rainy months or when I head up to Asheville in the winter I swap over to a more wax based lube.

2. Keep old towels/socks/tshirts around

If you want to recycle you can wash them with a good degreaser and reuse!

3. Wipe down the chain

Grasp the chain lightly with your rag, pedal and remove as much old lube/dirt as possible.

4. Clean your pulleys, chainrings, & cassette as needed

If you have tons of grit left over on these moving items it will just go right back on your chain. Clean the chainring with your rag, between the cassette cogs with a flat head & clean the pulleys by gently placing a flat head while back pedaling. Make sure not to whap yourself with the chain or spokes!

5. Apply lube

Squeeze the bottle gently until there is a slow stream coming out the tip of the bottle, back pedal slowly about 4 revolutions to get the whole chain lubed.

6. Wipe off the excess. (Refer to step 3)

This is huge for mountain bikers. If you leave a ton of lube sitting on your chain it is asking to get dirty again. Depending how dry your chain was to begin with you might want to leave on over night but remember to wipe it off before your next ride.

The basics:

Before every ride check the air pressure & adjustments are set correctly. Riding a shock that has an air leak can severely damage the shock. Every 4 to 5 rides or before (and after) any epic ride gently clean all surfaces. While doing this check for any unusual leaking around the seals or bottom of fork. After you clean & check it, tighten down any pivot area. (Torque spec is recommended!)

The more advanced:

Between 40 to 100 hours of ride time depending how aggressive of a rider you are (and how well you take care of your bike) replace the oil and seals. This task gets easier the more you do it. With the proper tools & oil a mechanic can do this under 15 minutes. If you don’t want to invest in tools consult your local shop. Most will do the work in house at this level.

Every season if you are an aggressive rider, or racer I would suggest to get your suspension rebuilt. If the bike only sees use once a week March – October you should be able to get a few seasons. What you are trying to avoid is play in suspension. Around this time also replace any pivots. Again this is something that you can do with the proper tools.

Notes:

Most suspension makers now have PDF’s on how to rebuild suspension on their websites. The only one I know of that recommends to send it back to the manufacture is the Fox rear shocks.

I personally like the Enduro seals for my forks. They seem to last longer and don’t have that break in period that you’ll find with many seals. All local bike shops have the ability to order these parts in or you can order them off line at EnduroForkSeals.com

If you question if you can do this repair I would go to the bike shop. Ruining a $500 fork can ruin your day. If you have any questions about questioning yourself add a comment below!

This was originally posted by myself over at BlueCollarMTB.com which is now static.

Though limited, here are some of my favorite online resources.  Some of these resources are targeted towards women, others are targeted towards cyclist in general but have great knowledge within their .com walls.

Forums

• Team Estrogen – A full range of forums for women.  The forums aren’t very strict so often guys will be able to search/post if they need.  Keep private information just that, private.
• Bike Forums - The moderators will keep tabs on you, and after a few months of them knowing you are “female” they will allow you in their private “women only” section of the site.  This is my used forum online for resources, I used to post often but now use it mainly for its search function.
• RideMonkey - A mountain bike oriented forum and online community.  This is another forum that you’ll have to request to become part of their “women only” section.

How To Advice

• Blue Collar MTB – One of the original sites I wrote for online.  It is no longer active, but a great resource for how to do things on the cheap.  Long term if there is interest in this type of maintenance I maybe persuaded to start writing for it again.
• Park Tool - The leader in bike specific tools, this company also has invested in teaching others.  Check out their how to’s broken down by bike part.

Your Turn

What sites do you frequent or recommend?  Turn us on to other blogs or sites that have helped you become a stronger cyclist.  Better yet, how can Bike Shop Girl become a better resource for you

Step One : Bike fitting

One of the most important things after you pick out your new bike is to make sure it fits you well.  Find a reputable bike fitter in your area, or make the trip to come see me.  A good bike fit takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours, going through many questions, test and movement on the bike.  You should be comfortable on the bike as well as steady when you ride.

Step Two : Saddle type

Once you get over the 5 or 10 mile breaking point, you will quickly learn that a good saddle is going to follow close behind bike fit of importance. Actually, they go pretty hand in hand but without a good bike fit, a good saddle will be useless.   Try out many saddles, and do not settle!

Step Three : Handlebar tape/ grips

The easiest and most inexpensive way to make your bike unique, and yours, is changing out the handlebar tape or grips.  It adds more comfort once your padding has worn down, but it also can spice up your ride with different color options.

Step Four : Bottle cage to match

Continuing with the color importance, pick out a couple bottle cages that match step 3.

Step Five : Tires

Tires can change your performance, bike handling and comfort.  A basic $20 can wear out quickly, and roll very slow.  While a $60 tire can be too slick or fast wearing.  Find a tire that you can trust for whatever type of riding you may be doing.

Originally, I posed this question over at CommuteByBike.com, with amazing feedback, but want to include all the ladies that may not read a commuting targeted blog.

Every so often I’ll be coming to you, the readers, to learn what exactly you want to covered.   Hopefully this will keep you all engaged and excited about the Commute By Bike content.  If you see the words “Open Forum” in the title, stop in and give your feedback!

The Open Forum this week is what type of do it yourself (DIY) projects you would like to see covered.   It could be as basic as changing a flat, setting up your in home mechanic stand or making your bike reflective.

The microphone is on and let us know what you want to learn!

A Safe, Clean, Bike

Wipe frame and wheels down : This is a pretty important step to make sure structurally your frame and wheels aren’t developing any cracks or chips in the paint or metal.  I use a watered down Simple Green in a spray bottle to do this.

Clean in tight areas : Make sure to wipe down in tight areas, between pivot points or where your cables may wear.  Built up dirt can actually wear into your frame.

Pivot Bolts

Tighten pivot bolts : This applies to mostly full suspension bikes but any part of your bike that moves, like the full suspension linkage, needs to be checked more often.

Check over all bolts : This is pretty self explanatory. My biggest word of advice is to not OVER tighten the bolts.

Go through shifting and braking : Make sure the brakes hit the wheels or rotor evenly and there isn’t any excessively odd wear on the brake pads. The shifting should be crisp and not over shift any cogs or chain rings.

This process, though sounding lengthy, can take only about 5 minutes once you get the hang of it and also if your bike isn’t so dirty.  Soon I’ll go over the proper way to clean off that mucky bike but you are well on your way of a happy bike that will live a long life as your taking good care of it.

Photo from Wikipedia

A schrader valve is the commonly used valve in the U.S for automotive tires and most bikes under $1,000.  The valve has a spring inside of it that opens and closes the valve core.  The valve core is what keeps air from leaking out of your tire.   On a schrader valve it is very important to have a valve cap (plastic top) to cover the valve to keep dirt out, if not the valve could stay open or jam shut.A presta valve is found on higher pressure bicycle tires or higher end wheels.  This valve is much smaller in diameter and has a top nut that controls the valve core.  You need to screw open this nut to let air into and then screw close to shut off the valve.  Due to the fact the valve does not use a spring to control the valve core it is able to hold higher pressure in the tubes, leak less and also not need a valve cap.

Photo from Wikipedia

Depending on your application both valves work great and are easy to use.  The presta valve involves a softer touch to open and close that valve so you don’t damage the valve core but I have faith in you!   We will go over pumping up the tires more in depth next week.

A video on differences between valves with Carlton Reid

Valve Stem’s on Wikipedia

Pump Up Your Tires

Check your air pressure a few times a week.  On a high pressure road tire I’m checking it almost every ride to avoid flats and excessive wear.  Or my mountain bike I get away with less pressure so I only check it once a week or so.

Lube Your Chain

Lubing your chain keeps your drive train shifting well, not squeaking and makes it last a lot longer.

Safety Check

This includes: Checking your tires and brake pads for wear. Making sure your brakes stop and gears shift. Finally check that the wheels are round (not hitting your brakes) and wipe down your frame to look for any cracks or dents in the frame/fork area.

Do you have any questions on how to do the three above?  I plan on going over all of the above in their own articles.

Photo from GetMountainBiking.co.uk/

When you mention mountain biking to a lady that hasn’t tried it before.. you will most likely get a look of horror and confusion.  The sport, growing but not quick enough, is quickly growing for the ladies in the sport.  Across the US there are ladies only mountain bike clubs popping up, allowing you to learn and experience the trails with skill clinics, and other women who will allow you to go as slow as you would like. Mountain biking can sound daunting, trees flying by you, dirt and mud.  Add the technical features and rocks, it would scare any self preserving woman!

Planning Your First Ride:

• Try to find a regional women’s club that would be my first suggestion.  Join their forum, email list or simply email someone off the website.  Ask about skills clinics and beginner group rides.  Check out the sidebar on the right for some links to Girly Bike Clubs.
• No women’s clubs in your area?  Try finding any local mountain bike club.
• Locate the beginner trails in your area
• Visit your local bike shops to see if they lead any beginner rides or have mountain biking girls that work there.
• Don’t go by yourself.

What to Know Before You Ride:

• Helmet! Self explanatory
• Basic padded shorts will keep soft tissues from getting injured
• Gloves are nice to have, they help if your hands get sweaty and will protect you if you fall
• Hydrate as mountain biking really works your heart rate.
• Don’t stress too much, it’s easy to say I know, but wait until you get to the trail or you may convince yourself not to go.
• Make sure your bike is up to snuf.  A mountain bike is needed, depending on the trail you might want more suspension. Brakes work, tires not flat, but not rock hard. Around 35-40psi to start is good.

Technical Speak (please ask questions about these if you have any.)

• Look down the trail and where you want to go, not the opposite
• Raise yourself up and out of the seat over roots or rocks.  Keeping both your pedals level to the ground.
• Push your weight back and over your saddle when going down hills
• Shift before going up a hill so that you don’t shift under load
• Try not death grip the handlebars as your hands will start tingling or going numb
• Practice!

Found at http://www.cyclelicio.us/

Ready? Set… GO!

• Mountain biking can be scary, take it slow
• It’s okay to stop a bunch to get your bearings
• It’s also okay to cry, but please don’t throw the bike.

Comments From Other Women :

Go with women!

Check the difficulty before you go.

Go with someone experienced who has the patience to teach you. My first time on a MTB was at Whitetail, PA with a bunch of guys I worked at a bike shop with. Going on black diamond trails, they’d leave me behind. I went over the handlebars 3 times and kept crashing. I finally picked my brand new bike up over my head and threw it down into a … Read Moreravine. One of my co-workers saw me do it and said, “Aw, what’re you gonna do now? CRY?” No I’m not gonna cry, but I am gonna black your eye. It’s a wonder I ever even got back on that bike.