Bike Repair & Maintenance For Dummies®
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Beefing Up Your Bearings
Bearings in the wheels and bottom brackets are designed to reduce friction as you roll on down the road. Higher-quality bearings are made with greater precision and reduce friction due to their smoother surfaces and longer life. Many higher-end bearings are designed with rubber seals to keep contaminants out. The latest breakthrough in bearings are those made of ceramic, a material that is amazingly smooth with almost no resistance.
Pumping Up Your Pedals
Many casual riders think that clipless pedals are difficult to use and are only for professional riders. Unfortunately, this misconception causes a lot of riders to miss out on a significant performance gain. Studies have shown that clipless pedals can improve performance by up to 30 percent, by increasing the efficiency of the pedal stroke. With clipless pedals, you don’t have to expend any energy keeping your foot centered on the pedal during the upstroke of the pedals. As a result, you can pedal in complete circles, in a pattern of push down, pull back, pull up, and push forward — a much more efficient mode of pedaling.
As for the misconception that it’s difficult to disengage clipless pedals, especially in the event of an emergency, nothing could be farther from the truth. After trying clipless pedals, you’ll discover that releasing your foot from the pedal is a very natural movement.
Some pedals have an adjustment for the amount of energy required to release the cleat and shoe from the pedal. This adjustment allows new riders to use a loose setting while adjusting to the pedals. Then, when they’re comfortable using clipless pedals, they can tighten that adjustment to allow for hard pedaling without the fear of releasing the clips.
Casual commuters who want to increase their pedal efficiency may find power straps and conventional toe straps useful. Also, double-sided pedals, which have a normal platform on one side and a clipless pedal on the other, are great for people who like to ride their bikes with whichever shoes they’re wearing at the time.
A Shoe-In: Choosing the Best Shoes for the Job
Shoes are another factor in pedaling efficiency. Many everyday riders use running, cross-training, or basic tennis shoes when riding. These shoes are designed to absorb the impact from running and walking in order to improve comfort. But on a bicycle they absorb a lot of the energy before it gets to the pedals, causing your pedaling to be less efficient. On the other hand, cycling shoes have a very stiff sole and are designed to transfer all your energy to the pedals to get you down the road as efficiently as possible.
Some biking shoes are so stiff that they look like they were cast out of iron. Others shoes are designed with the cleat recessed up into the sole and flexible materials that allow you to walk normally — these are popular with touring or mountain bikers, because they allow you to ride and then get off and walk around town or hike up an un-rideable trail. In contrast, road biking cleats are mounted directly to the sole and are hard to walk in. They’re like having high heals on, because the shoes are designed with the toes set higher than the heals.
Be careful walking in road-biking cleats — they’re very slippery on flat surfaces.
Saddle Up! Taking Your Saddle to the Next Level
A top-notch saddle not only can improve the comfort of your ride but increase your pedaling efficiency. There are many options on the market — enough to fit many different body types. Some saddle manufacturers even make a tool to measure your tail-bone position so you can get the most tailored and comfortable fit. However, the only way to be sure that you’ll be comfortable on a saddle is to try it. Some bicycle stores have test seats to try out in the store; others allow you to try a seat on your own bicycle for a limited time to get a feel for it.
Upgrading Your Handlebars
Handlebars come in many different sizes and styles, so there’s no excuse for not finding a set that fits you. A correctly sized handlebar can greatly improve riding comfort. As a general rule, your handlebars should be as wide as your shoulders. This allows for improved breathing while you ride, while giving you greater control of the bike.
With drop bars or racing-style handlebars, you have options as to the shape. Some have a flat spot for your hands in the middle of a curved drop section to give your hands support when riding. Some have a flat platform on the top section of the bars to give your palms more of a surface ledge to rest on.
Also available are triathlon or aero bars, which are attachments added to the handlebars that have hand grips and elbow rests. They allow you to ride in a bent-over position with your arms and elbows tucked in close to your body to reduce wind resistance.
If you have flat or upright handlebars, you can add bar ends to the handlebars to give you another hand position. Bar ends are small 2- to 5-inch extensions that mount to the end of the handlebars and drastically improve your comfort on longer rides, allowing you to change your body position and shift your weight to get more comfortable.
Boosting Your Brake Levers
Like the handlebars and other parts of the bike, brake levers come in different sizes and styles. Some levers are designed for improved comfort with a larger surface area for your hands when you’re riding on the hoods (the part above the brake levers that serve as another place to rest your hands). Most bikes for women have brake levers that are smaller, with a shorter reach for people with smaller hands. Bicycles with flat or upright bars have brake levers that are adjustable for people with smaller hands as well.
The angle of the lever can also make a significant difference in comfort and performance. The levers should be positioned at an angle so that your hands rest in a natural and comfortable position.
Taking Your Clothing up a Notch
While clothing doesn’t qualify as a bike component, it is an important factor in improving your riding experience. Cycling shorts are made of stretchable material that moves with you as ride your bike. Many biking shorts have panels of material to hold their shape and prevent the material from bunching up. Shorts with eight panels are popular, but basic shorts with four panels will usually suffice. The chamois or crotch liner in cycling shorts greatly improves comfort and performance. Its design helps reduce impact on key pressure points and wicks away moisture. Another advantage of cycling shorts is the fact that you don’t wear any undergarment, which eliminates extra material and eliminates seams that can cause chaffing.
If you’re looking for a different look or style, try bib overalls designed for cyclists. Bibs are preferred by many bikers because of the increased comfort with the elimination of the waistband.
Biking jerseys are another must in the wardrobe of any biker. Designed with special fabric, they wick away perspiration and dry quickly. They fit snug to your body, which reduces wind resistance. And they have pockets in the back for easy access to your iPod or energy bar.
A major factor when it comes to clothing is also visibility. To safely ride on the road, even during the middle of the day, you need to be extremely visible. Wear a neon-colored windbreaker, a bright cyclist jersey, or a reflective vest.
If you commute or go on long-distance rides, wear layers: arm and leg warmers, windbreakers, and sometimes a base layer, and a cover layer of jerseys. Another extremely basic and handy clothing item is a pant-cuff tie or clip, to keep your pant legs from being stained by your chain if you’re riding in street clothes.
Embracing Your Inner Geek with a Cycling Computer
A cycling computer is a great addition for your bike. Most computers tell all sorts of interesting stats about your ride, such as how fast you’re going, how far you’ve gone, your average speed, your max speed, and the time of your ride. Some computers even give you temperature and altitude readings. Others allow you to download the information to a personal computer so that you can track your riding statistics over time.
A cycling computer is like having a personal coach along for the ride. You can set goals for distance and time
, and then it’s off to the races. The computer tracks your progress as you bike, and you may find yourself racing against the clock.