What are some of the basic skills you should have before heading out on tour? On this episode, I cover the 4 things I recommend you know!
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Basic skills you should have before going on tour
- flat repairs
- YouTube videos
- Your local LBS often has “how to” sessions
- Local bike co-ops
- understanding your spokes
- Spokes are *really* necessary – they create equal tension across the wheel to maintain the perfectly round shape
- If one spoke gets loose, the wheel loses its true
- A tool I always recommend you carry: a spoke tensioner.
- You can always notice a loose spoke… if the opposite one is tight, tighten the loose one.
- If the spokes are all over the place, visit a bike shop in the next town
- brake adjustment
- Learn how to adjust the pad placement
- Learn how to adjust the tension on the calipers
- For disc brake people… understand how to replace a pad, and how to handle a bent disc. Also be aware of heating up discs on long decents (a squirt of water is your friend here)
- saddle adjustment
- Generally: the saddle should flat, unless that’s not comfortable for you
- You want the saddle back so you’re pedaling straight down.
- Pain in the knees? Very likely a saddle issue. Do some micro adjustments and knee pain will very likely go away!
- Saddle perfect! Great! Mark it in sharpie so you don’t need to do it again!
Pedalshift Society
Music
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ latest release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And a little birdy tells me Jason’s recording some new music. More when I know…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0N1jMpMTSc