This is a message I posted in the PCN
While talking about maintenance and fiddling with your bike and also out of curiosity, would like to know what newbie mistakes did you guys and girls do with your bike?
I have a list of my own that I'd like to share with everyone:
1. Improper Tools.
Back then in the early 1990's, I just bought my bike. Being the careless teener that I was (Now I'm a careless 30-year old), the tools that I use for my "maintenance" are a pair of pliers and a screwdriver. Yes, no allen wrenches. What's funny is I force everything with the use of these two magical tools. Hey, MacGuyver was in during these days. I even take out my inner tubes using the screwdriver. You never know how many flats I had to vulcanize (I didn't use the word "patch" then) because of this.
2. Incorrect Lubes.
Come on. Say it with me. You know what this is. Now, all together - SINGER OIL. Yup, that was was idea of lubricating the chain. What I was thinking was it did well on the door hinges so it will do wonders on my chain. And so I did use this wonderful lubricant and my chain immediately transformed into a gunk magnet (I didn't know you had to wipe off the excess). I only learned about bike lubes when I visited the then-hot bike shops of Marikina.
3. Incorrect Tire Pressure.
To be honest I didn't know what the correct pressure was. As far as I know, as long as the tire feels hard then it's OK. Only learned about the correct pressure (and also how to read those numbers printed on my tires' sidewalls) from other cyclists.
While talking about maintenance and fiddling with your bike and also out of curiosity, would like to know what newbie mistakes did you guys and girls do with your bike?
I have a list of my own that I'd like to share with everyone:
1. Improper Tools.
Back then in the early 1990's, I just bought my bike. Being the careless teener that I was (Now I'm a careless 30-year old), the tools that I use for my "maintenance" are a pair of pliers and a screwdriver. Yes, no allen wrenches. What's funny is I force everything with the use of these two magical tools. Hey, MacGuyver was in during these days. I even take out my inner tubes using the screwdriver. You never know how many flats I had to vulcanize (I didn't use the word "patch" then) because of this.
2. Incorrect Lubes.
Come on. Say it with me. You know what this is. Now, all together - SINGER OIL. Yup, that was was idea of lubricating the chain. What I was thinking was it did well on the door hinges so it will do wonders on my chain. And so I did use this wonderful lubricant and my chain immediately transformed into a gunk magnet (I didn't know you had to wipe off the excess). I only learned about bike lubes when I visited the then-hot bike shops of Marikina.
3. Incorrect Tire Pressure.
To be honest I didn't know what the correct pressure was. As far as I know, as long as the tire feels hard then it's OK. Only learned about the correct pressure (and also how to read those numbers printed on my tires' sidewalls) from other cyclists.
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