Landry's Tech Tips
FEATURED TECH TIP: What to do when your bike makes odd noises? Paying attention to the normal operating sounds from your bicycle is essential for keeping your bicycle in top condition. The first sign that your bicycle needs attention will usually manifest as a new noise: a click, creak, squeak, or groan. Listening to your bicycle so that you know what sounds are normal will make identifying new noises easier. When you first notice a new noise, pay attention to it; listen to its pitch, frequency, and rhythm and try to determine what actions cause the noise. These are the first steps in identifying the noise’s source and what steps to take to quiet it. New noises that your bicycle makes are usually the first sign that something needs your attention. Any unusual or new noise should be taken seriously as it may originate from a loose water bottle cage bolt, a dry chain, a loose crank bolt, or a crack forming in your frame. As a general rule noises that are higher in pitch and softer – harder to hear – can be looked into after your ride while noises that are lower in pitch and relatively louder should be taken very seriously. In every case if a new noise starts and then gets progressively louder or changes pitch during the ride you should stop riding immediately and determine the cause. Try to determine the cause of the noise When a new noise begins, try to isolate what conditions cause the noise and, even better, see if you can create the noise on demand. This will simplify identifying the source. Think about the following:
But it's still challenging to diagnose the source Unfortunately noises that your bicycle makes are very hard to isolate directionally. Noises that are coming from the saddle can sound like they are originating from the handlebar. When riding, all the parts of the bicycle are the same distance away from each of our ears, and because the sound waves are traveling such a short distance our directional sense is often fooled. Add to that the ability of the sound-causing vibrations to resonate all through your frame and you have a hopeless situation when trying to hear what part of your bike a noise is originating from. If the noise is loud enough for your riding partner to hear, getting him/her to ride next to you to try to identify where the noise is coming from can be helpful. Usually it is possible to tell if the noise is coming from the front, middle, or back of someone else’s bicycle. Rhythmic noises that keep time with your pedaling cadence are the most common and very difficult to track down. Many times this class of noise originates from the crank/bottom bracket area. However, a rider’s weight will shift from side to side and there is a corresponding push/pull on the handlebars, especially noticeable with a hard pedaling effort. These secondary forces are frequently responsible for causing rhythmic sounds that come from the saddle, seat post, stem, or wheels and not from the crank where we intuitively expect cadence timed rhythmic sounds to come from. We're always here to help If you cannot determine the cause of your bicycle’s new noise and/or need assistance eliminating it, Landry’s Bicycles is here to help. Coming into the shop with answers to the 7 questions above will help us identify and quiet your mystery noise quicker and get you back out on the road sooner – so you can enjoy the quiet operation of your finely tuned bicycle. – Ken McLean, Landry's technical director Questions? Contact or visit your local Landry's Service Department for assistance. Tuning-up your bike before a race or big event  Give your bicycle a thorough tune-up early in the season, and plan final race prep at least 2 weeks before your event. In any competitive endeavor, preparation can make all the difference between success and disappointment. On race day, you will be confronted with many things that are out of your control: the weather, the speed of your competitors, an unfamiliar course, etc. Good preparation will make sure that the things you can control will not be a problem in your race, leaving you able to deal fully with the things outside of your control. The condition of your bicycle is one of the many elements that you can control.Planning your bike's tune-up schedule When you transition from indoor training to riding outside is the best time to have your bicycle fully tuned-up. Getting a full tune-up early in the season will help you get the most out of your training. This is also a good time to make any changes to your position, and combining the tune-up with a professional bike fitting will reduce the cost of making any modifications to the bike that are recommended by the fitting. Then, throughout the season, plan final race prep at least 2 weeks before major events and make any necessary repairs and/or replace or upgrade any components. Extending the "life" of your tune-up As you progress through your training, you can easily extend the life of your bike's full tune-up:
Following these guidelines will ensure that your bicycle performs flawlessly and you can focus your attention on achieving your best performance. When your bicycle is performing, it disappears from your consciousness and becomes an extension of your body. – Ken McLean, Landry's technical director Questions? Contact or visit your local Landry's Service Department for assistance. Chain Replacement and Maintenance  Replace your bike chain regularly for top performance and long-term cost savings on other components. Bicycle chains gradually wear and elongate with use. Once your chain’s wear has progressed beyond a certain point, it does permanent damage to the cassette and chain rings. With average chain maintenance, most cyclists find that a chain replacement interval of around 1500 miles is appropriate. Background info on chain wear A bicycle's chain is composed of more than 400 moving parts. With proper maintenance, a bicycle chain is one of the most efficient energy transfer mechanisms ever invented. The modern bicycle chain is asked to transfer energy in all conditions from wet and muddy to dry and gritty and is expected to move smoothly to different gears under the influence of the derailleurs. Over the miles of use, the parts of a chain are constantly moving against each other. This constant movement will gradually wear down the surfaces under load. As this wear progresses, the chain will elongate or appear to stretch. The gears that are driven by the chain are precisely machined to mesh with the chain. As the chain wears and elongates, it gradually changes the shape of the teeth on the gears that it drives. Once the chain’s wear progresses beyond a certain point not only does it move to different gears less smoothly but the wear causes changes to the gear’s teeth making it impossible to replace the chain without also replacing the gears: the cassette and chain rings. It is not only cost-effective to replace the chain before this point (you can replace many chains for the cost of the cassette and chain rings), but it also keeps the bicycle’s drivetrain working better.  Experience has shown that the point beyond which the accumulated wear causes permanent damage to the gears is reached at different mileages. With excellent maintenance many people find that their chains do not need replacing until after 2000 miles, with average maintenance 1500 miles seems to be the norm, and with poor maintenance or on mountain bikes ridden primarily off-road 500–700 miles is common. The most precise way to determine if a chain is due for replacement is by measurement. Different manufacturers specify different techniques to measure their chains. At Landry’s we have found that the Rohloff Caliber 2 provides a quick and accurate means of measuring most chains. This tool is available at all Landry’s locations for purchase. Campagnolo specifies an alternative technique for their 10 and 11 speed chains, which is detailed on the 12th page of this PDF file. Chain maintenance  Proper chain maintenance is primarily about lubrication and cleaning. Start by selecting a lubricant designed for bicycle-chain use, and check that its formulation is appropriate for the kind of conditions that you will be riding in: wet and muddy or dry and dusty. While some lubricant manufactures suggest less frequent application almost all spray-on lubricants perform best when they are applied before every ride and after every wet ride. Apply the lube at one position while rotating the crank rapidly. Three or four revolutions of the crank should be sufficient to apply a thin coat of lube to the entire chain. Stop applying lube but continue to rotate the crank for a few minutes to allow the lube to work its way in between the moving parts of the chain and loosen any accumulated road grime. After the lube has worked in take a rag and carefully wipe everything you can off the chain while continuing rotate the crank. It is not possible to wipe too much off so continue to do this as long as you can tolerate it or until the rag comes off the chain clean. The method described above will keep your chain clean, running smooth, and maximize the mileage you can get out of each chain. Most chain manufactures recommend that you do not soak a chain in degreaser as this will drive all the lubrication out of the chain and accelerate the wear. Our experience at Landry’s supports that advice not to degrease a chain. If your chain becomes so grimy that you cannot clean it with the lubrication technique described above, then it is better to replace it rather than risk the damage to the gears that a rapidly wearing degreased chain will cause. – Ken McLean, Landry's technical director Questions? Contact or visit your local Landry's Service Department for assistance. |
