Four Easy Bike Tune-Up Tricks -11July12
Want your bike to go faster? Ride easier? Shift smoother? Improvements in these areas are often relatively easy to accomplish with just a few simple steps. Try out these simple tune-up tasks below, which don’t require any special knowledge or tools, and see immediate improvements in your riding.
1. Clean and lubricate your chain
The chain and sprockets on your bike play a key part in the transfer of power in your legs to your wheels, making them go round and round. When they collect dirt and grit and get gummy, not only does it slow you down, but they also wear out faster. Keeping your chain clean and lubricated is one of the best ways to keep your bike working well.
• How to clean your chain – quick and easy
This is not a daily or weekly task by any means. Plan on doing this every thousand miles or so; more often if you ride in dusty or dirty conditions.
Tip: Use a lightweight oil specially designed for bikes. Stay away from motor oil as it is too heavy and will quickly attract dirt and crud. Want a big greasy chain ring mark on your leg? Using too much oil or the wrong kind is a guaranteed way to get one. Light lubrication is the key, and wipe off excess at the end.
2. Lubricate the moving parts of your brakes and derailleurs.
Your bike has quite a few moving metal parts that are vulnerable to dirt and moisture. To keep your bike happy and functioning well, these parts should be lubricated regularly.
Pivot points on the brakes and derailleurs are good examples of the types of places you should target because they are vulnerable to attracting dirt and grit due to their placement on your bike. Here’s a diagram of common lubrication points on a bike, but you can spot many of these places just by watching your bike in action and seeing where metal parts move against and around each other.
For instance, think about your brakes. On most road bikes, they are mounted on a bolt on the frame above your wheel. When you squeeze the lever, the brake pivots around this bolt as it contracts. It’s these places where you want to apply a couple drops of oil.
• Here’s a diagram showing common places where lubricant is needed.
3. Inspect your brake pads.
A quick check of your brake pads will often reveal potential problems that are easy to fix. You want to check:
• Are your brake pads properly aligned?
Brake pads are the little rubber things that clamp down on your rims to slow you when you squeeze the brake levers. Make sure they are hitting the rims evenly, and aren’t either rubbing the tire or missing your rim partially or completely.
• Are the brake pads toed-in?
The bike brake pads should also be “toed-in,” which means the leading edge of the pads should touch the bike rim first when you lightly apply the brakes. The pads squish a little, and when you squeeze down hard, you should get full contact to the rim. This helps prevent squeaking
• Check for junk embedded in the brake pads
Inspect the surface of the brake pads where they meet the rims, and using a pointy sharp instrument like a knife, pick out any bits of sand or metal that may have become embedded in the pad. Removing this grit prevents the pads from wearing and scratching your rims and helps them provide more even and consistent stopping power.
4. Check the pressure on your tires.
One of the simplest things you can do is the one that can have the greatest effect, and that surprisingly, people most often overlook.
Paying attention to keeping the proper level of air pressure in your tires accomplishes many things:
• Makes pedaling easier
• Protects your rims from damage
• Prolongs the life of your tires
• Makes it much less likely that you’ll get flats.
Checking for proper air pressue in your tires before every ride is quick and easy to do. Here’s how to check the air pressure in your tire.
Source: http://bicycling.about.com/od/bikemaintenance/a/fiveeasytuneups.htm
With new golf courses springing up in and around Clark Philippines and an ever-increasing patronage by tourists from neighboring South Korea, Clark Freeport is short on hotel accommodation.
Even with the addition of 27 holes in 2009 and 2010, there is an acute shortage golf tee times for at least 5-6 months each year. Local players compete with frustrated (golf) tourists from Korea and China for tee times. Unfortunately Clark Philippines doesn’t have the luxury of vast tracts of land suitable for this type of development.
Mimosa offers 36 holes of championship golf, visitors can pay and play, busy during the weekends but not that difficult to get on or join up with a group to form a 4-ball. The new FAKCC offers 27 holes of world-class golf.
What many tourists and residents of Manila, Subic, Pampanga Angeles City and Clark Philippines found out over the holidays when they traveled out of town going north to Pampanga for a short getaway and a nice vacation was that there is a highly recommended hotel in Clark is also a very night out place.
This web site contains articles and information that will be helpful to visitors, residents and tourists traveling out of town from Manila on a short getaway to Subic, Angeles City, Pampanga and Clark Philippines. There are several web sites that contain information that might also be pertinent to what is happening in North Luzon, Subic, Tarlac, Pampanga, Clark Freeport Philippines.
Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:
For assistance with lodgings, accommodations, hotels and resorts near Manila in Subic, Pampanga, Angels City and Clark Philippines log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.
Categories
- 19th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark
- 2012 Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Philippines Ticket Reservation Form Support Section
- About Angeles City, Pampanga
- About Anti-mosquito patches to prevent Dengue in Philippines
- About Asian cuisine and food of Asia
- About Clark Development Corporation CDC
- About Clark, Freeport Zone
- About Coffee
- About Easter in Clark Philippines
- About Family Bonding and Children
- About Fishing
- About Holy Week and Easter in Philippines
- About Holy Week and Easter in Philippines
- About Hot Air Balloon
- About Italian Food
- About Leisure, Stress and Relaxation
- About Mother's Day and Mother's Day Celebration
- About Nespresso Coffee, Nespresso Coffee Capsules and Pods
- About spa, places to unwind and relax
- About Subic, Baguio and Bulacan
- About the Philippines
- About the Philippines, Pampanga, Clark, and Angeles City
- About Wedding and Receptions
- Advisory and useful travel tips
- Alfresco Outdoor Dining in Clark
- All about Steaks
- All about steaks
- All News & Press Releases Archive
- Articles About Holy Week in Philippines
- Beach resorts and hotels in Clark
- Birthday, debut, baptismal, anniversary etc
- Boating and Kayaking
- Build or buy a house in Clark
- Business and investment in Clark
- Business in Clark
- Business Opportunities in Clark
- Camping and picnic
- Car and Taxi Service in Clark
- Clark
- Clark Events Archive
- Clark Flight schedules
- Clark Hot Air Balloon Festival
- Clark Hot Air Balloon Festival Complaints and Suggestions
- Clark Information
- Clark Investments Archive
- Clark Job Market Archive
- Clark Map
- Company outings and corporate events
- Condominium and Apartment in Clark
- Convenience Stores in Clark
- Corruption in Philippines, Pampanga, Subic, Clark Freeport Zone
- Culinary School in Philippines
- Doing Business in Clark
- Dormitory and Apartment Sharing
- Duty free malls in Clark
- Entertainment
- Event Venues in Clark and Pampanga
- Family outings, reunions and retreats
- Family restaurants and Fast food outlets
- Family retreat, picnics and bonding
- Fine dining Gourmet Foie Gras Cuisine
- Fine Dining Gourmet Kangaroo Cuisine
- Fine Dining Kangaroo Cuisine
- Fine dining restaurants
- Food & Beverage Archive
- Food and Beverage in Clark
- Foreigner and Tourist Assistance in Clark Archive
- Functions and events
- Games and activities for outings and picnics
- Getting around in Clark
- Getting Married in Clark and Pampanga
- Golf
- Gourmet Dining Foie Gras
- Gourmet Dining Venison Cuisine
- Gourmet Venison Cuisine
- Highly Recommended Hotels and Resorts
- Historical sites, places to see and visit
- History of Clark
- Holding a Dinner Party
- Holiday and Vacation in Philippines
- Holy Week and Easter Holiday
- Holy Week and Easter in Clark Philippines
- Holy Week and Easter Packages and Deals
- Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Philippines
- Hot Air Balloon Packages & Deals
- Hotel Accommodations Archive
- HOTEL and RESORTS
- Hotels & Resorts in Angeles Pampanga
- Hotels & Resorts in Clark
- Hotels and Resorts in Pampanga
- Hotels and Resorts in Philippines
- Hotels and Resorts in the North
- Hotels and Resorts near Manila
- Internet WIFI spots in Clark Philippines
- Investing in Philippines
- Investment and business opportunities
- Investment in Philippines
- Italian, French and continental cuisine
- Jobs and Careers
- Jobs in Angeles, Clark, Pampanga
- Jobs in Manila, Philippines
- Korean, Chinese and Japanese Food
- Koreans in Philippines
- Land for development
- Laws and Regulations in Clark
- Learn about wine
- Learn English in Philippines
- Leisure and recreation
- Lifestyle in Asia
- Lifestyle in Clark and Pampanga
- Liquor and Wine Shops in Clark
- Listing of businesses in Clark
- Living in Clark and Pampanga
- Manila Bus Hostage Incident 2010
- More about Holy Week and Easter Holidays
- More About Philippines Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark Pampanga
- More about Weddings and receptions
- Mother's Day in Philippines
- News
- News about Hot Air Balloon
- News in Manila and North Luzon
- News in Pampanga, Angeles City, Clark, Subic
- Nightlife, casinos and entertainment
- Organizing a Cocktail Party
- Organizing company events
- Organizing Company outing
- Organizing Team Building Events
- Organizing Team Building Events
- Other restaurants, café and dining outlets
- Other shopping in Clark
- Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone or Establishment Grievances and Complaints
- Pampanga Information
- Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
- Philippines Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Pampanga
- Places to go in Clark Archive
- Politics and Opinion
- Press Releases
- Product launching and marketing events
- Real Estate, Properties and Deals
- Residential village and subdivision
- Restaurants and Bars in Clark, Pampanga
- Resto Bars, Clubs and Pubs
- Resume Database
- Retirement in Clark
- Retiring in Clark Archive
- Rules & Regulations of Clark Freeport
- Safety, Law and Order in Pampanga
- Scenic spots, tourist destinations in Clark
- School Camp in Clark
- School Camp in Philippines
- Shopping
- Shopping Archive
- Short-term lease
- Sightseeing and Tourist Spots
- Social and company events planning
- Sports and outdoor events
- Sports and Recreation in Clark and Pampanga
- Sports and Recreation in Clark Archive
- Swimming and Water sports
- Teambuilding and planning
- The Clark Lifestyle
- The Green World of Clark Philippines
- THINGS TO DO IN CLARK
- Tourism and Travel
- Tourism in Clark
- Travel Accommodations Archive
- Travel agencies and airline offices
- Trekking and horseback riding
- Vacation Rental
- Vegetarian Food and Vegan Cuisine
- Vegetarian food, vegan restaurants
- Vintners' Hall of Fame
- Visit Angeles City Pampanga
- Visit Clark Philippines
- Visit Manila Philippines
- Wedding Planners, Caterers & Event Venues in Philippines
- Wedding Planning, Organization and Services
- Wedding reception Venues in Clark
- What's Happening in Clark
- Wining & Dining Archive