Tips to start bike season, part 3

In the third part of an Outdoors page series on biking in the Okanagan, Garry Norkum, owner of Cyclepath in Kelowna, provides more point-form tips for bike riding, maintenance and repair:

— Using a gear change technique called “overshoot,” you push the gear change lever past its usual point which snaps the chain onto the next gear ring.

— Some bikes have gear number displays on the handlebars but you don’t need them. “Shift by feel,” says Norkum. You should try and maintain a “spin or cadence” of at least 60 revolutions per minute for recreational riding. If pedalling gets more difficult, then shift to a lower (easier) gear. If pedalling get easier, then shift to a higher gear.

— Always use both brakes. Remember right rear. Same with shifters: right rear. Don’t lock up the front brake, especially when coming downhill. Instead, push your weight to the rear and use more rear brake.

— Rim (caliper) brakes can slip when wet, muddy or inadvertently lubricated with chain lube. “Definitely disc brakes are more consistent and don’t fade,” says Norkum.

— Make bike security a high priority. The mall is the worst place for bike thieves. “They are like rats. They cruise around looking for bikes,” says Norkum. Even shops aren’t immune; there is not a bike shop in Kelowna which hasn’t had a break-in or attempted break-in.

— One bumper sticker seen around the Okanagan warns: “Cable locks are a thief’s best friend.” They can be cut in seconds with a wire cutter or boltcutter. Friends have had bikes stolen when only left for a matter of minutes with a cable lock.

— Chain locks are better and Ulocks are the best but they are not foolproof if a thief has a cordless grinder with cutoff discs even though those are noisy and produce a lot of sparks. “Chains and U-locks are heavy but they are good exercise,” says Norkum with a grin.

— A U-lock can attach the frame and rear wheel to a stationary post. A secondary chain or cable can secure the front wheel as a visual deterrent.

— Use dry lube chain lubrication in the Okanagan. Not WD-40; not cooking oil; not automotive engine oil or motorcycle chain lube (the latter has higher chain speeds). Dry lube is thin, evaporates and leaves a teflon lubricant on the chain.

— Use biodegradable chain cleaner. A plastic chain-degrease chamber with brushes does a decent job of removing grease and dirt buildup. Use often, especially after dry, dusty trails.

— Move the braided edge of a dishcloth soaked in cleaner up and down to clean chain rings. A stiff brush with cleaner can remove built-up grit from the derailleur.

— Don’t use automotive fluids on disc brakes. If you get chain lube or degreaser on a disc, clean it off with rubbing alcohol.

— Use tire levers opposite the valve stem when removing a tire from the rim. When replacing the tire, don’t use the ends of your fingers to roll the tire back onto the rim, use the palms of your hands; you’ll have more power to roll it onto the rim. If the last bit of tire doesn’t want to go over the rim, press with your hands along opposite sides of the tire, pull and stretch the rubber tire like an elastic band.

— Bike frames come in many sizes. The website: bicycle-guider.com/ bike-articles/bike-size-chart/ says there are seven ways to measure a bike.

— Norkum says there are probably 30 different stems to vary not only the height but to bring the handlebars closer to you or further away. There is also an adjustable (heavier) stem that rotates at an angle up and down, and is then tightened at the correct height.

— There is duplication in your gearing so the reality is there are about 12 to 15 usable gear combinations on a 24-speed bike, says Norkum. Having three sprockets or chainrings at the front and eight at the back doesn’t provide 24 different gear ratios. If you upshift in the front and downshift at the back, you can produce the same gear ratio. Some combinations, such as the smallest chainring at the front and the two smallest at the back, means the chain will be at a large angle with lots of wear and noise. It would duplicate using the middle chainring on the front with a middle chainring at the back.