Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
GETTINGYOURBIKE READY FOR SPRING
Nikol’s beach cruiser she loves to ride to work.
Kelsey riding a yellow ReRide bike share through Lions Park in Cheyenne
Kelsey touring Washington D.C. by bike
Eric and his Orbea bicycle.
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Linda riding through a bike pass in Leadville, CO
Teresa’s bike that needs fixed up for Spring.
Ridingabicycle isagreat, low impactway toexercise.Eric Nelson,oneofourphysicaltherapists, isabicycleenthusiast. He loves to ride his bike to work when the weather is nice and, enjoys long distance bike rides in his spare time. He has ridden the Copper Triangle (which travels over three mountain passes) in Copper Mountain, CO, many times and plans to do it again this year. Here are a few tips from Eric on getting your bike ready for Spring, whether it is for a long-distance bike ride or just a stroll through Cheyenne. Your bike hasn’t seen daylight in five months.The tires are flat, thechain isstiff&rusty, thebrakesarerubbingagainst thewheel rimsand theseatand framearecovered indust. So the next time the sun is shining and it is a little warmer than usual outside it would be a good time to get that bike in riding shape. Let’s look at those tires. Pump them up to the advised pressure that isembossedon thesideof the tirewall. If the inner tube goes flat immediately, it needs to be replaced. 24 hours later, check the pressure again. If the tire loses more than 75 percent of its air overnight, it’s probably time to replace the tubes. If it has been a year since the inner tubeswerechanged, itmightbeagood ideatoreplacethem for theupcomingseason.Lookat the tire treadsandmake sure they are not too worn or have too many glass cuts. Give thewheelsaspin. Check the tightnessof thespokes by squeezing two spokes together or twisting one spoke.
If a spoke twists or seems loose or if the wheel wobbles from side to side you should take the bike to your favorite bikeshoptohavethewheelsalignedbyatrainedmechanic. Don’tstopnow,checkthebrakes. Squeezethebrake levers andmakesurethebrakepadsmakecontactwiththewheel rimsevenly; theyshouldnotwiggleorbe loose.Thebrakes should not stick and should fully stop the wheel in motion. Frayed or sticky brake cables should be replaced. Replace wornbrakepads immediatelyandadjust thebrakecable if the pads are too far from the rim. Showyourbikesomelovewithawash. Payspecialattention to the chain, gears and derailleur using a quality degreaser tocleanthem.Then lubethechainwithabicyclechain lube youcanfindatanybikeshop.Wipeoff theexcess lubeand shiftthederailleurthroughallthegears.Makesurethechain movessmoothly,withoutanyskipsorstiffspots. Ifthechain does not shift smoothly to the next gear, unless you know how toadjustaderailleur, take thebike toyourbikeshop to have the front and rear derailleur adjusted. Push down on the topof thechain, if itdeflects¼ to½ inch thechainmay also need to be replaced. Thenutsandbolts. Checkallofthenutsandboltstomake sure they haven’t loosened. While you’re doing that, watch out for bolts that have locked up. Even if you decide that yourbike is ingoodworkingorder, itwouldn’thurt to take it into a shop for a complete safety check.
Answer the following trivia question correctly for your chance to win a $10 GIFT CARD! “What is a bicycle mechanism that moves the chain out and up, allowing it to shift to different cogs?” Call In & Win Hotline: 307-634-0298 *Contest for past and present patients ONLY Last Month’s Winners: John Fitch & Kristi Ruben Trivia Question Edition
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