Overhauling the headset

Wear and tear will cause a headset to come loose over time, which may cause the steering to feel wobbly or the breaking to vibrate the bike. Looseness in the headset also causes the bearings inside the headset to be impacted each time you hit a bump, which will lead them to deteriorate faster. If you think the headset may be loose, turn to Chapter 16 and follow the steps for check­ing for looseness in the handlebars.

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Yearly maintenance is a good time to inspect, clean, adjust, and overhaul the headset. As is the case with all parts that rely on bearings, you’ll want to clean and degrease each part, if possible; replace and pack the bearings in fresh grease; and then reinstall the parts following the instructions in Chapter 15.

Don’t try to install a new headset on your bike unless you know what you’re doing. Most bike shops have special tools that they use to fit a headset.

Overhauling the pedals

The sign that it’s time for a pedal adjustment are similar to those of other parts that rely on bearings to spin smoothly. If pedals don’t rotate effort­lessly, or they wobble or feel loose, you should overhaul them. You’ll have your tools, cleaners, and lubricants out during your annual maintenance, so it’s a convenient time to take care of the pedals.

As with hubs, pedals have traditional cup-and-cone or cartridge bearings. If you have cup-and-cone bearings, you’ll want to replace the bearings before packing them in fresh grease. With cartridge bearing systems, which are found on most clipless pedals, you’ll only have to add fresh grease every few years.

You can find the steps for overhauling pedals in Chapter 13.

The bottom bracket is the last bearing-dependent component you have to deal with in your annual maintenance. The bottom bracket is designed to stand up to all the hours of rigorous pedaling that your legs can put out, but even so, it’s a good idea to overhaul it once a year.

You may want to leave this task to your local bike shop, especially because it calls for some special hand tools, may entail a lot of force to loosen, and requires the application of the proper amount of torque when tightening. If that isn’t a hurdle for you, follow the instructions in Chapter 13 for inspecting, cleaning, lubing, and reassembling the bottom bracket.

Cleaning the rear derailleur

Where dirt and grime builds up most on a rear derailleur is on the two jockey wheels. The focus of your annual cleaning of the rear derailleur should be on cleaning the overall derailleur, without disassembling it, and cleaning the two jockey wheels.

Whenever you remove the rear derailleur, try to do so without breaking the chain. You can do this by removing the bolt holding the bottom pulley wheel in place and loosening the bolt holding the top pulley. This will allow you to separate the S-shaped cage and slide out the chain. After the chain is removed, you can detach the entire derailleur for a thorough degreasing and lubrication before you reattach it.

For details on cleaning your rear derailleur, refer to Chapter 14.

Replacing the brake pads

The only thing between you and your next emergency stop is a thin rubber pad, so we highly recommend changing your brake pads every year. Brake pads are easy to inspect, cheap to purchase, and simple to install, so don’t wait for the annual maintenance period to change them if they’re worn — keep an eye on them year-round and take caution to make sure pads are properly fit and securely mounted.

As soon as the grooves that are cut into the pads start wearing down, replace them.

For instructions on changing brake pads, turn to Chapter 8.

Replacing the handlebar grips or tape

After a year’s worth of riding, your bike may start looking a little ragged.

The annual maintenance of your bike is your chance not just to get it back in working order but to give it back some of that glow that’s lost after many hard miles of working for you.

Replacing dirty or torn handlebar grips or tapes is a simple way to improve the appearance of your bike. You can add a different color of tape or change the style of grips to meet your fancy.

To replace handlebar grips or tape, turn to Chapter 15.

Waxing the frame

Another nice touch when it comes to improving the look of your bike, while protecting its finish and preventing rust, is to wax the frame. If you’re overhauling many of your bike’s components at the same time, you’ll have detached most of the parts from the frame, making cleaning and waxing the frame a simple task.

Although there are waxes designed specifically for higher-end paint finishes on more expensive bikes, car wax works just fine.

Checking your accessories

The annual maintenance check is a good time to inspect accessories for your bike. Verify that your emergency tool kit has everything it needs (see Chapter 16). For example, if you’ve patched a number of flats over the year, you may need to buy another patch kit. If you’ve used your spare inner tube, you should replace it.

If you have lights on your bike, replace the batteries. Do the same for your onboard computer. It’s better to replace batteries now than discover that they don’t work when you’re caught out on the road after dark.