For most of us the season is over. We put the bikes away till the snow melts and we can ride outdoors again. But alot of endurance athlete’s miss the advantages of this time of year.
Those advantages are that bike shops are slower with business. And because of this it is the perfect time to get the BB replaced, headset repacked, or hub bearings replaced. See when Spring comes every body runs down to the shop to get their bike fixed now. And when everyone is wanting to get their bike done at the same time creates delays that are longer then normal. At some points it can be almost 2 weeks.
In line with this is that this is also the perfect time to get those wheels built. Why? Because the mechanic building your wheels can focus on getting the job done. They aren’t being interrupted by the million questions they will get in the Spring.
The areas that need to be dealt with are,
Headset- pull apart, degrease and inspect the races for damages any damage to the races will increase wear nd tear on the bearings. And will wear out bearings at a faster rate. Then repack with fresh new grease.
Hubs- Same reasons as headset. Though it is especially important as the hubs are the closet to the ground and therefore all the water and sludge. It is recommended to do this once a year but if it is a really wet year or a mountain bike then it needs to be done twice a year.
Seatpost- Pull and clean. Regrease with the appropriate grease for frame materiel.
Bottom bracket- Have it pulled from frame and clean both BB shell and BB. Then with fresh grease reinstall. This is important as if a BB seizes in your frame you may lose your frame as the mechanic may not be able to get it out.
Cranks- Undo and regrease all chain ring bolts.
Pedals- Pull from cranks and regrease. If this isn’t done you may discover they have seized and have to pay for new cranks as well.
Nuts and Bolts- It is a good idea to once a year undo all the various bolts on stem, saddles, bottle cages, and such. And apply greas then re install.
While to most it seems like alot of work but in the end it’s simply prevention. It is far cheaper to do this then it is to replace frames and other parts.
By doing this now it allows you to have one less thing to worry about at the beginning of the new season. No stress of trying to get the bike in the shop with 50 plus other late comers. This means there is no delay of 3 weeks that will impact your season or other plans. And more importantly you will be able to talk to the mechanic when they aren’t stressed trying to get a bike out that is apparently due a week ago and grouchy due to no caffine and beer. The mechanic will actually be able to take time to answer your questions and have a conversation.
Friendly tip, coffee and beer are the best offerings to a mechanic in the world.
