It was affectionately called, “Bike Maintenance for Chicks.”  A nerd in high school, I didn’t really consider myself a “chick.”  That connoted some sense of toughness and confidence.  Little did I know back in 2002 when I enrolled in Erik West’s class in Kennedy Park that I would learn how to fix my bike and so much more.

The basic methodology was to work in teams to take your bicycle apart - and then put it back together. Tightening the brakes, changing a flat tire, fixing a broken chain.  Not only had I never used bike tools before, my Trek 400 was totally out of commission after my first flat tire ever on the road.  I had bought a patch repair kit and opened the manual that came with the bike, but no amount of silverware in my kitchen drawer would loosen that tire’s firm grip on the rim.  I didn’t even get far enough to realize there was a tube inside that tire.  Indeed, I considered having to buy a whole new bicycle altogether.

Through the class, I learned that when you have absolutely no idea what to do first, look for the parts that move.  Ok, that seems really simple.  But I come from Southern California, where if it doesn’t work, you buy a new one.  That Yankee ethic of “doing it yourself” had not permeated my modus operandi even after 9 years in the Pine Tree State.  Fortunately, we had a whole set of bike tools right there in the shop that we could try to match to the moving parts.  My heart leaped the first time I fixed a flat tire without popping the tube.  Still, this was a controlled environment - a bike shop with an instructor, students, and lots of tools.  Who would ever try to do this “in the field”?  Not me, but I packed an emergency repair kit “just in case.”

About a year later, my then boyfriend and I spent the weekend in Acadia National Park.  I brought my trusty Trek, and Peter, a $50 hybrid bike from Marden’s.  We rode around Eagle Lake, tied up our bikes at the foot of the Bubbles, hiked the mountain, gorged on popovers at the Jordan Pond House, and then, instead of hiking back, got on the free Island Explorer to complete the loop.  What a great day…until we got back to the bikes.  The Marden’s special had a flat tire.  It probably would have been easier to walk our bikes to the bus stop and take the shuttle back to the village.  But I crinkled my face, and in a true chick Superhero moment, boasted, “I WILL FIX IT.”  With mosquitoes swarming, darkness falling, and thunderclaps rolling in the distance, I whipped out my emergency repair kit and went to work.  With the pressure on (mostly Peter yelling, hurry, “it’s going to rain!”), I changed the tire and off we raced back to Bar Harbor on pedal power.

The story could end right there.  But I got increasingly braver.  I had bought my first house just months before.  With my “fix anything father” 3,000 miles away in California, I had to unleash my inner Yankee to figure out how to do things I would have asked the men in my life to do.  Ok, so I’m not exactly Mrs. Bob Vila, but my attitude has changed…from “let’s buy a new one,” to, “hmmmm, let’s see if I can figure out how to fix this.”  And in the process, I’ve grown into a “chick.”

Get the gunk out of your drivetrain and your ridin’ will be easy

It’s mid-season so chances are your bike is looking a little grungy. Maybe it doesn’t shift as well, and maybe it just leaves a big black chain mark on your leg. Congratulations! It means you are riding. And now you probably ought to get around to cleaning it. To begin with don’t make it a big chore or you will be less likely to do it. You don’t need to clean it after each ride and you don’t even have to clean the whole thing. So here are the basics:Look at it

Look at the chain, the chainrings on the front and sprockets on the rear. Together, this is your drivetrain. The drivetrain functions best when it is clean and oiled. The more gunk it accumulates, the more issues you will notice. And who wants a bike with issues? Bike issues include shifting poorly, shifting on it’s own or grinding. If the chain is oily but not gunky and there are no issues, leave it alone and go for a ride. If it’s getting gunky, you need to address it. If the rest of your bike is dirty, go for it. It wont affect it’s performance, but it might make you smile.

Clean it

Chain cleaners rock. They are little plastic gadgets full of brushes and pointy bits that whirl around and clean the gunk out of the chain. They snap together around the chain, you put in a little cleaning liquid and pedal the bike backwards. As you pedal, the chain passes through the machine and after a few passes, it’s clean. Great stuff. If you want to use a toothbrush instead, go for it. But it takes longer and makes a mess. For the chainrings and sprockets, bike shops sell a long stiff brush that will get in and do a great job in there. As for cleaning the rest of your bike, a soapy sponge with dish soap and a garden hose works great. Just spray your bike from the top down, like rain. If you blast water at it sideways, you might get it into the bearings, which is a bad thing.

Lube it

Once your bike is clean, you have to lube the drivetrain. There are two ideas for that. One is good old oil. Bike oil is essentially thin motor oil. Tried and true. And as you might expect, it gets your chain oily. But keep in mind, your drivetrain was designed to work with oil on it. The other method is a “Dry Lube.” I don’t like this stuff but lots of folks do. The benefit is it doesn’t attract gunk like oil. The drawback is it is more likely to give your bike issues and it doesn’t last that long, so you have to keep reapplying it. If you use it, read the bottle first. It usually tells you to wait a few hours before you ride.

You are done!

It’s that simple. The best time to do it is after your ride, so it goes away clean and ready for next ride. Enjoy.

Whether riding or maintaining your bike, you have support

2007-05-30
Someone recently asked me to write an article on how to fix a flat tire and another on how to bike commute. I thought about if for a few minutes and then realized that reading an article on how to fix a flat would pale in comparison to learning it hands-on. And I knew commuting would make a better conversation than an article. So with that in mind, here are some resources where you can find people to help you be more confident riding a bike, fixing a bike, finding a good bike route, choosing equipment or whatever other bike question you may have.Fixing a bike: For this, I think a hands-on experience is the best. I find it helps students remember what they learned, especially if it is done on their own bike. If you are new to the sport, start with learning how to maintain your bike so it doesn’t break down on the road. Learn what to check before you ride. Then focus on the simple roadside repairs that can keep you riding rather than walking back. Ask your local bike shop if they offer these. Several of them do and they are done in different formats so check around. You can also check out www.TheBicycleWorkshop.com (yes, that is a shameless plug for my own bike school!) and find a class there.

Riding a bike: The Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM) is the leader in offering riding classes throughout the state. These classes are top notch and modeled on the national cycling standards. You can start with their website at www.bikemaine.org. A less formal approach is to connect with the local bike group, Portland Maine Bicycle Commuting, which is gaining members through a website-based message board. Their home page is at bike.meetup.com/132. They are folks who commute by bike or want to try and, among other things, get together periodically to exchange ideas or offer guest speakers and such. Another option is to check the listing of the shops or cycling clubs that offer weekly group rides. The Casco Bay Bike Club comes to mind (www.cascobaybicycleclub.org) and the complete list is on the BCM website.

Commuter support: If you are truly commuting, you’ll want to sign up with Go Maine (www.gomaine.org). This is a statewide program that offers carpool matches, vanpools and bike commuting support. As a bike commuter you can take advantage of the “Guaranteed Ride Home,” which will provide taxi or car rental reimbursement if you get stuck. You can’t beat that! It’s the same service they offer to folks in carpools and vanpools.

So if you are feeling like you want to hit the road riding, you don’t have to go it alone.

Erik West is a certified bicycle riding instructor and mechanic, who teaches alternative transportation for the Greater Portland Council of Governments, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and The Bicycle Workshop. He generally has his nose in most things related to promoting pollution-free transportation in Maine.

Fallen out of love? It may be time to change partners.
A bike is not merely a machine, it’s a partner in a relationship. It may bring you freedom or utility or adrenaline or boasting rights. And like most relationships, there’s an ebb and flow.So, let’s say you find the spark you once held for it has faded. Suddenly, the bike feels sluggish, not as nimble. And it’s not as shiny as you remembered either. And worst of all, that seat that you hated when you first met it, is still there. All of the idiosyncrasies you thought would change, never did. Now they’ve gone beyond pet-peeves and are full fledged issues.

So you have a decision to make: Do you sell the bike you have and look for love in a shiny new model or do you try to rekindle the spark in what you have? As a mechanic, I’ve been the counselor in these relationship struggles many times, and it’s rarely pretty. Here are 3 things I’ve learned along the way:

It’s OK to seek help. Find a counselor (translation: mechanic) who you trust and listen to him or her. Don’t go alone, bring your bike. Remember, it’s a relationship issue and relationships take work. Don’t be afraid to do the regular maintenance on your bike — it can keep it ticking for years to come.

Don’t blame your partner. Bikes don’t go fast, people on bikes go fast. Left to their own devices, bikes will just sit there. So if your love affair is strained because you’re not going fast enough, you might want to talk to the person pushing the pedals.

Know when things just aren’t working. When you start talking about paint jobs or adding more gears, or getting new shifters, you should probably be talking about finding a new bike. This level of upgrades tends to open Pandora’s Box. Do these only if you are madly in love with your bike and will never leave because it will probably cost you what a new bike would have. After all, a lot has changed in bikes in the last 10 years. If the upgrades go beyond getting a good saddle and a few extras, it probably qualifies as irreconcilable differences.

Finally, if you do decide to look for a new 2-wheeled love, be realistic with who you are and what you want. Whether you only have time for the occasional Saturday ride with the kids for 3 miles or you get up at 5 a.m. to go for a 20 mile ride before work, either is fine. Just be honest with the person who is going to introduce you to your future mate so that he or she can find a bike that fits what you really do, not what you wish you did. There are more racing bikes hanging up collecting dust because of this mistake than you might think. Believe me, I know because all of those bikes are 10 years old and their owners come in asking for upgrades.

Erik West is a certified bicycle riding instructor and mechanic, who teaches alternative transportation for the Greater Portland Council of Governments, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and The Bicycle Workshop. He generally has his nose in most things related to promoting pollution-free transportation in Maine. To learn more or make yourself heard, check out www.thebicycleworkhshop.com or e-mail him at ewest@gpcog.org.

If your bike lets out a loud wail when you put on your brakes, you are not alone. Usually this is a simple problem to fix too. The reason most brakes squeal is because the pads are not contacting the rim at the proper angle. This is also referred to as having incorrect “Toe-in”. Most mountain bikes can have the toe-in adjusted. Many bikes can’t be adjusted the usual way and resort to using a file or bending the brake arms. Read on to see where your bike fits in.
First, lets get the terminology straight and then we can walk through fixing the problem.

Toe-in: The angle that the rubber brake pad contacts the rim of the wheel when the brakes are applied. It can be: flat, correct toe-in or reverse toe-in. Flat is when the whole brake pad hits the rim at once. Correct toe-in is when the leading edge of the brake pad hits first. Reverse toe-in is when the trailing edge hits first.

Rim: The part of the wheel that holds the tire and the spokes. Usually made of aluminum, steel, plastic or carbon fiber. It’s the part that gets squished by the brake pads.

Brake Pad: The rubber part of the brake that actually hits the rim and eventually wears out. Sometimes the pad is separate from the pad holder and sometimes it is molded into one piece.

Brake Arm: The two metal arms of the brake that the brake pads clamp to. They connect the brake pads to the bike frame and the brake cable.

Ok, with that out of the way, lets get down to business. The usual problem is the toe-in. Proper toe-in is when the tip of the brake pad that is closest to the front of the bike (the leading edge), hits the rim first, when the brakes are applied. It is a very slight angle because as you squeeze the brake lever, the leading edge hits and then the rest of the pad is squished up against the rim too. You want the leading edge to hit first. You don’t want the leading edge to be the only part that hits. The trailing edge of the pad should be about 1 - 2 mm away from the rim as the leading edge begins to make contact. Take a look at your bike and see what’s happening as you apply the brakes. Do it slowly several times to make sure you are seeing it correctly. It is a subtle adjustment.

Most likely, your brakes are hitting flat. As the pads wear down, they will eventually hit flat and need to be toed-in again. For most brakes this is simply a matter of loosening the bolt that holds the pads on and moving the pad in the proper place and then tightening it back down. Be careful though, because the pad will move in every-which-way and you can tighten it down in a worse position than you found it. If you follow these rules, you should be fine. But, some bikes have pads that can’t be adjusted. If that is the case, read this whole article, but then follow the second set of steps below.

Rules

1. Make sure your wheels are centered in the frame or fork.
2. When you loosen up the brake pads, do one side at a time.
3. See how much pad is left. You may need to get new ones and this is a good time to do it.
4. When you put the pad back on, make sure it hits ONLY the rim and not the tire. Make sure it doesn’t hit below the rim, toward the spokes. Make sure you tighten it up so the leading edge hits first.

This is easier said than done for the first few times. To get the right toe-in, I put a match- book cover under the back of the brake pad and then squeeze the brake lever to push the pad against the rim, catching the match book under the rear edge of the pad. This tilts it out to the right angle. Some new pads have a built-in “toe-guage” in the trailing edge of the pad to do the same thing. If it is built-in, don’t bother with the match book.

Before you go further, try this:

· Wipe off the black gunk on your rim. Use a little steel wool, fine sandpaper or a rag. See if that solved the problem. It often does.

· Take a file and file the shiny part off your brake pads. That often quiets them down. Make sure you check the toe-in before and after you do it. It still needs to be toed-in properly.

If these didn’t help, continue.

Steps for adjustable brake pads:

1. Loosen up the brake pad but don’t take it off completely. Put a few drops of oil on the nuts and washers and wiggle them around to get it on all the surfaces. DON’T get the oil on the part of the pad that hits the rim. (If you do, just wipe it off. No biggie.)

2. If you have a used or otherwise flat pad, put a match-book cover under the trailing-edge of the pad. Slowly squeeze the brake lever to put the brakes on. Watch the pad to make sure it doesn’t violate rule #4 above.

3. Be patient. It will take many tries to get it just right. Wiggle the pad around until you have it in the right position. Then slowly tighten the nut or bolt to lock it in place. It may twist out of line as you tighten it. That’s OK. Just try it again. You may need to have someone else squeeze the brakes while you hold the pad and tighten the bolt at the same time.

Steps for non-adjustable brake pads:

1. Make sure the pad is in good condition.

2. If the brakes are on nice quality brakes, use a file to cut the angle you need into the rubber of the brake pad. This usually does the trick.

3. If your brakes are BMX brakes or not super high quality, you are left to the old-school method of bending the brake arms to give you the toe in. Try using an adjustable wrench on the arm to bend them how you need to. Don’t bend them too much because you can effect their integrity if you go to far. Aluminum is especially prone to cracking if bent several times. This method is ugly but it has been used for many years successfully.

Final tips of the trade:

· Steel or chrome plated rims love to squeal and don’t let your bike stop very well no matter what you do.

· Wet rims like to squeal no matter what also.

· Brake arms that are wimpy and flexy or have too much play in them will also like to squeal. If they have too much play, they will make the toe-in procedure nearly impossible because they move in ways they shouldn’t. Time to upgrade.

· Buy pads with replaceable rubber “brake shoes”. Linear pull, otherwise known as “V-brakes” use ultra thin pads that are nearly worn out from the day you by them. You will replace these often. Replaceable shoes are cheaper in the long run.

· In worst-case squeal problems getting the pad dirty actually helps. I’ve used soda, grape jelly, and even oil, in small quantities on the rim to make the brakes shut-up. I’ve also had all these methods make things worse or just make a mess. In a few cases, reverse toe of the brakes actually helped too. Don’t ask me why.