Resolve This!

2010... What wisdom for 2010? It is the new year. Time for resolutions. Perhaps, then a suggestion for five resolutions for cyclists who love their bikes. Consider these:

1: I will ride more.
If this resolution does not make sense to you, you may need it more than anything else. Seriously. Ride. More. Pedaling. Rubber on the road. Chalk it up to being ecogreen, gas-sipping, fitnessing, what have you. I'm going to chalk it up to an untainted love of riding my bicycle(s).

2: I will keep my chain and jockey pulleys clean and lubricated.
Someone somewhere said that you can make a five-watt improvement in your game by keeping your chain clean. Great if you're racing, who cares if you're not. The truth is, that, especially this time of year when the salt trucks roll and the cold soup of dirt, motor oil, salt, chain lube, and snot coagulate like Aunt Gert's tomato aspic. Nasty. That crap makes it hard to pedal because it acts like paste in all those little moving parts. It also wears your gear out faster. Ever complain to your mecanic that "golly, darn-it, I just replaced that chain and cogset..."? Ever hear your mechanic say, "Oh god!" after he takes a look at your drive train? Well, get on the cleaning program and save the both of you some grief. Your bike will be nicer to ride, too, which aids in the keeping of resolution #1, and it also puts you about halfway there for resolution #5.

3: I will not half-wheel.
Seriously. Don't ride like a jerk. Keep yourself and others out of the ditch. Crashing damages your bike about the same when it is cold out, but it sure hurts worse.

4: I will not over-tighten anything.
Carbon fiber and other lightweight parts have been on the market for years now. So have torque wrenches. The excuses for breaking overtightened clamped parts are dwindling.
Here's a good solution: Get yourself some assembly compound. This stuff is a grease-like paste that has tiny gritty particles in it. The particles help distribute the clamping force around whatever it is you need to clamp--seatpost, handlebar, etcetera. The required clamping force drops, thus the required torque drops. Less slippage. More security. Works like a champ. Of course, a torque wrench helps, too.

5: I will wash my bike.
Love your bike, love your mechanic and love yourself enough to ride a clean rig. A little love goes a long way.

Cheers
-Jeff

Jeff Donaldson is a pro race mechanic from the USA. He has experienced all disciplines of bicycle racing in one way or another and has been to two Olympic Games as mechanic for USA Triathlon. most recently he has enjoyed working as ITU Sport Development's lead mechanic. He is currently riding a Redline Conquest Pro.

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Coming up: Resolutions and riding when it is bloody cold out.
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