At first I really did not care about bike maintenance. All I really needed to know is that my bike was getting me to and from work. As long as it could do that, I was happy.
Things are different now. The more I read about bicycles the more I realize that if I take care of my bike it will take care of me. A well maintained bike will ride faster and last longer than a poorly maintained one, and I am all about things going fast and lasting a long time.
As a result, I have decided to overhaul my entire bike. I don't plan to do it all at once, especially since I don't really know what I am doing just yet. I also don't want to spend a really long time working on my bike since my weekends are so precious to me and I want to be able to still use my bike for the daily commute.
Here is my current plan of for working on the bike:
- Overhaul the bottom bracket - I have a lot of wiggle here and I often hear a distinct knocking when my right leg strokes the pedal downward. This is not good and is something I should probably take care of right away.
- Clean up my chain, free wheel, cogs, and derailleur - the drive train of my bike is filthy right now and I have even let my chain get rusty. I am sure I have lost a lot of efficiency because of my laziness and this needs to change.
- Overhaul the front and back hubs - I am also starting to hear a rubbing sound on my back tire that might be from some play in the rear hub, either that or my frame is bent or a spoke is loose. Even if the hubs are not the problem ehre they need to be overhauled anyway.
- Make sure my tires, rims, and spokes are good - This should be semi-simple, but we shall see.
- Check break and shifting lines.
- Misc adjustment and maintenance.
Either way, the goal is to get my bike in top shape for my commuting and learn a little bit more about how to be a wise bike commuter.