ABC Quick Check: The Rest of the Story

-
The “ABC Quick Check” is a phrase to help you remember how to check your bike for safety and mechanical soundness. Previous posts discussed the first two letters, which stand for Air and Brakes. Today we bring you "the rest of the story".

C is for Chain

Check that the chain is clean and lubricated. If you have a bike that you can pedal backwards (that is, not a coaster brake or "fixed gear"), try running the chain backwards while holding the bike stationary to make sure it runs smoothly. (If the gears have been shifted while stopped, you might have to get the bike properly into gear first by lifting the back wheel and moving the pedals forward until the chain gets onto the correct cog.)

If your chain is too rusty, you will probably need a new one. Otherwise, you can probably just lubricate it. What should you use? There are various opinions on this question, but all mechanics agree on one thing: Do not use WD-40! Why? WD-40 is a de-greasing solvent. It will actually remove any other lubrication your chain may have, and then quickly dry it out.

Beyond that caveat, I don't have a strong preference. Bike shops sell various types of chain lube, and can recommend one for your bike and the type of riding you do. On the lower end, I typically just use 3-in-1 oil available at any hardware store, and I haven't noticed any problems.

If your chain isn't that bad, but it doesn't run well backwards, your gearing equipment may need to be adjusted. Take your bike to the bike shop to have that looked at. Chains can also stretch with use, requiring replacement. Using a stretched chain for too long can also shorten the life of the front and rear cogs.

C is for Cassette

What's a cassette? Besides those compact reel-to-reel audio tapes that my generation listened to music on, it's also the technical term for the set of cogs on the rear wheel.

A bicycle cassette (set of rear cogs)

As with the chain, make sure that the cassette is clean and has some lubrication on it. We can extend this chain/cassette category to include the drivetrain in general, including the front cog(s) (technically called "chain rings"), and all the moving parts of the derailleurs. Keep them all lubricated.

C is for Crank

Hey, how many C's are there, anyway? The "cranks", the arms that extend from the front cog to the pedals, are also part of the drivetrain. ("D" is for drivetrain?) What you want to check here are that the cranks don't have any side-to-side wobble. They should have only the normal  forward and backwards circular movement. If they're loose, get that checked out by your local bike shop. (You may need work on your "bottom bracket" - two more B's!)

Now we finally leave the beginning of the alphabet and skip directly to...

"Quick" is for Quick Release

Many bikes feature quick release seatposts, and some adult bikes also have quick release wheels. The quick release lever makes it easy to take these things on and off without tools. Make sure that each lever is completely closed (close to but not quite touching the frame).
A quick release lever in a properly closed position

How tight? Just shy of so tight that you can't get it off again. The definition I go by is, just tight enough to leave a mark on your palm when you close it, without hurting. That should hold it tight.

Two more meanings for the word "quick":
  1. Finish with a quick general look over the rest of your bike, for any loose screws or other suspicious looking things.
  2. The entire ABC Quick Check is really pretty quick to do! Best to do it every time you use your bike, especially if you don't use it every day. Certainly after having it in storage for a while.
So there it is: How to check your bike for safety using the ABC Quick Check.

Next time: An important street riding safety tip!

<<< Previous Post: B is for Brakes        Why This Blog?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Maine International Bike Ride

-
Image
This week, I'm taking a break from this blog's normal "helpful" content (I hope) to use this site to document a multi-day ride I did this week with my friend Cheryl Drda. We did this as a fund-raiser for our church, Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church/UCC in Westbrook, Maine. To Donate: Online at our GoFundMe page By check to Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church/UCC, 810 Main Street, Westbrook, ME, 04092. Write "bike ride" in the memo line. Thank You's I'm going to do this up front, in case you don't read all the way to the end. We received support from a number of sources, and I apologize in advance if I'm forgetting anyone. Westbrook-Warren Friends Club , for funding our custom jerseys Xtreme Screen & Sportswear of Westbrook, for giving us an excellent deal on printing the jerseys Rev. Dr. Leslie Foley , for being our chauffeur and Sherpa, above and beyond initial planning Her son Kyle for putting up with all that boring tim...
Read more

Five Layers of Bike Safety: Tying it All Together

-
Image
This will be my last post on this blog. It was conceived in the early stages of the Covid pandemic, April 2020, in response to seeing so many new people out on bikes, so early in the season (for Maine). The goal was to provide basic should-know information to people who may be taking up biking for the first time as adults, or in a long time, or ever. I hope that it  has accomplished that. I think that I have covered the basics now, and I'll wrap it all up with a concept known as the Five Layers of Bicycle Safety . This concept was developed by Dan Gutierrez , a bicycle safety educator in California. For this post, I will present each of his slides, with commentary by Mighk Wilson, another long-time bicycle educator, a transportation planner, lifelong cyclist, and co-creator of CyclingSavvy .  The Five Layers of Bicycle Safety In Dan's words, "The important talking point about this diagram is that the layers are cumulative and build upon each other, with the first 4 to elim...
Read more

Children and Bicycles

-
Image
In the months since we went into shutdown mode, I have been noticing a wide variety of bicyclists passing by my house. While I write this blog mostly for adults, I'm mindful that, as always, lots of children are out there too, starting with the crew who live right across the street from me. If you have children in your life, or just in your neighborhood, you may be wondering about advice for them. So this week's post is about children. How Young is Too Young? Parents who are very into cycling themselves usually can't wait to get their babies on bikes, starting with a child trailer. Pediatricians caution that the baby needs to be old enough to hold their head up by themselves, while wearing a small helmet that fits them snugly. The baby must be strapped in. When you are towing a trailer, be aware of your wider turn radius, so that the trailer doesn't hop a curb or go over a grate or debris while turning. Riding in the street will provide a smoother ride than on the ...
Read more