Thu, Nov 30, 2023Rick’s Tricks: How to maintain your trainer bike

Back for another edition of “Rick's Tricks” is Rick Hellard. He was a professional triathlete for over a decade, has organized over 100 local events, and has coached thousands of athletes. He’s a wealth of knowledge and we’re grateful to have him sharing his wisdom with us. Today he’ll talk about how indoor cycling and how to keep your trainer bike in top shape this winter.

Take it away, Rick! 

With the indoor cycling season now upon us, I thought it would be a good idea to send out some bike maintenance tips that should be on your “to do list’.   Just because you won’t likely get flat tires, or ride in the rain, there are still some things that you should do to take care of your bike so it stays in good shape and is ready to go when the weather is to your liking.  This will also, quite likely, save you some repair bills in the spring.

1. Ride with some type of towel or cover over your handlebars and/or frame to absorb sweat/water/gel drippings.
2. Wipe your bike down after each ride.  Pay special attention to the head tube, brake hoods and the front wheel under the handlebars.  
3. Weekly or bi-weekly
4. Clean and lube 
5. Exposed shift cables under the bottom bracket.  If you are a big sweater, consider removing any covering over internally routed cables under the BB to let sweat drip out.  I have found salt mines down there on a few bikes I have tuned up.
6. The front derailleur – sweat drips straight down onto it, and if you don’t use it that often, it can seize up.
7. The chain–use a dry lube every 300-400km.  Clean the chain every 1000km and re-apply lube.
8. Quick release skewers or thru axles, rims and spoke nipples can get seriously covered in sweat and corrode.  Don’t forget them.
9. inspect/clean water bottles regularly for mold.  Use a solution of bleach and water.  
10. spin tubeless set-up wheels a few times weekly to avoid sealant congeling.  This will avoid clumping in one location on the wheel and throwing off the balance when you get back outside.  I recommend this especially for race wheels that may sit unused for weeks or months.

In terms of setting up your indoor cycling area, or ‘pain cave’, make sure of the following:

1. your screen is as close to directly in front as possible to avoid any constant twist in your neck or shoulders.
2. your screen is not too high in front, to avoid a kink in your neck.  This is especially important if you ride aerobars a lot.
3. Everything you need is convenient and within easy reach.  Everything you need would include:
4. Remotes
5. Nutrition
6. Fans
7. Towels

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does cover the important aspects of indoor cycling.  Do you have anything to add? If so, reach out to Adam@somersault.ca and you might see your suggestion on their social media pages in the near future. 

If you ride on Zwift, I invite you to join me on a free weekly group ride. We ride on Wednesday mornings, from 6-7:30.  The ‘keep everyone together’ function is on, so it is very accommodating to all levels.  Contact zone3sports@gmail.com for more details.