There is a great feeling of freedom that a person gets when they are riding a new bike. This is because a person is able to use a simple vehicle made of two wheels and a few bars to go anywhere they would like. The feeling does not go away especially for the true bike lovers.
No other vehicle that has been invented by man can offer an awesome journeying feeling where a person uses their own muscle power as well as balancing skills. Cyclists feel the independence and power that make them the envy of other people who want to learn more about the incredible vehicle that landed in the market hundreds of years ago.
If you love bikes, you have probably thought of learning the mastery of the basic bike repair essentials. This is important because it helps to learn the framework of how the vehicle operates to be truly proficient and independent when using the bike.
Making repairs is not something that people like especially when you are out on the road. Some of the tips that you can follow to minimize damage to your treasured bike as well as help reduce repair incidences such as:
a) Inspect the bike thoroughly before going for a ride. Check out the wheels, brakes, steering mechanism, tires, and the gear system before sitting on it. The inspection should be done even when you think that everything is in place because you never really know when you are going to spot signs of wear and tear.
b) When you reach an incline, it is a common belief that it is recommended you shift the gears of the bike up so that you do not have to pedal as hard because the chains are normally wiser implying that fewer strokes will be required to reach full revolution.
Avoid using a higher gear when you have just arrived on an inclined area as this causes a lot of strain on the chain drive of the bike. This means that you should never use the highest gears for incline. Instead, use your momentum to climb after gearing down the bike. This helps to make the life of the derailleurs longer since replacing them can be quite a tricky experience unless you really need to because they are worn out by weather and age.
c) The shock absorbers are put in place to distribute impact that is generated by movement. When used for a long time, they also wear out. If you would like to use the shock system for a long time, some of the things that you can do include: distributing personal weight when riding over rough terrain so that it does not have to carry all the weight when it is managing the bumps on the terrain.
This can be done by raising yourself and using your arms and legs equally for a few seconds so that your weight can be distributed evenly as the bike is passing through rocks and bumps. This will help save the shock system from being worn down excessively. If you still do not know how to achieve the split second balancing you can learn it another day.