It is gravel week right here at Cyclingnews which implies a give attention to all issues gravel. We have eveything from Unbound tech galleries to the greatest gravel bike footwear and gravel e-bikes.
On this spirit, I’ve pulled collectively a number of suggestions you should use to assist maintain your gravel bike rolling that little bit smoother. It is in all probability truthful to say that gravel using does place some extra calls for on our bikes, because of the rougher terrain we encounter, and the muddy, sandy, rocky circumstances. At this level, I do have to incorporate the by-now virtually compulsory line that gravel using means many various issues to riders all around the world.
This does ring true nevertheless with regards to bike upkeep and the calls for gravel using locations on our bikes. The moist and muddy gravel using of a British winter (and sometimes summer season) will not be the identical because the sandstone and shale present in Colorado as my fellow tech author Wil Jones outlined in his gravel geology article not too long ago.
I’ve tried to record some concepts and recommendation that hopefully show helpful irrespective of the place you journey. I hope there’s a minimum of one thought in right here you discover attention-grabbing and check out sooner or later, they’re all issues I do to take care of my very own bikes. One factor is for positive although, nobody likes ending up stranded on a journey, strolling for miles in the course of nowhere as a consequence of a mechanical, should you take care of your bike typically talking it would take care of you.
Gravel using does improve the possibilities of having a bit of tumble off the bike once in a while, whether or not it is shedding momentum using a steep climb or attempting to barter a barely too difficult descent in your bike while your using mates cheer you on.
If the bike lands on the drive facet, there is a truthful probability the rear hanger shall be bent out of alignment. A badly bent hanger out on a journey can have an effect on your shifting which is an annoyance but in addition poses the danger of the rear mech going into the spokes of your wheel and ripping off, which is usually a actual catastrophe.
Most Co2 cartridge threads are the identical as most derailleur hangers. (M10 x 1.0) In the event you bend your hanger in a spill you possibly can merely unbolt the rear mech (5mm hex key) thread in your co2 cartridge and you’ve got a small and handy hanger alignment software that can assist you gently right your hanger and get it near straight, even when it is simply sufficient to easy your shifting out to get house. This could actually assist should you’re out on a journey and also you or a buddy finally ends up with a bent hanger.
Heavier weight grease will defend bearings
Bikes will find yourself dirtier after gravel using, simply ask the riders who needed to battle the ‘peanut butter mud’ at Unbound. A grimy and or muddy bike means extra washing and cleansing. In case your bike is completely coated in mud you are going to must get the hose or stress washer out.
It’s straightforward to blast water into your bike’s bearings if it’s important to do a number of cleansing. Driving by a lot of standing water or within the rain may also imply water working its means into your body and wheel hubs and previous bearing seals, prematurely carrying them. Utilizing thicker grease on the headset, backside bracket and hub bearings ought to defend them a bit extra and improve their life span and prevent cash.
You should not use the identical slick, skinny grease for headset bearings that you’d on the pawls of your freehub for example. Spend money on a thicker, waterproof grease or have a chat together with your mechanic and ask them to make use of a heavier-weight grease on key bearings the following time they service your bike.
Get the wax out
I prefer to keep away from washing my bikes with a hose or jet wash wherever doable, as an alternative, I desire to make use of a gentle microfiber material and a twig bottle of motorcycle cleaner. This ties into the above level about retaining water away from vital areas of the bike.
I discover making use of a layer of wax to my body and fork actually makes cleansing that little bit simpler with grime and dirt much less inclined to stay and cling to my body’s paint. The wax coating additionally helps maintain the bike cleaner and makes the paint actually pop. I’ve completed damp, mucky rides and my body has been surprisingly clear. It isn’t night time and day however I feel it makes a distinction. In the event you’re competing and your body stays cleaner (and lighter) than your opponents it is a bonus.
There are particular bike wax merchandise available on the market now however I have a tendency to only use common automotive Carnauba wax. You additionally will not actually be capable to do that on matte end frames, however there are matte-specific body finishers out there.
Select the fitting chain lubricant
Gravel using means extra mud and grime typically. This implies you’re opening up your drivetrain to doubtlessly much more contamination and in consequence, chain put on. Choosing the proper chain lubricant for the gravel using you do could actually assist minimise the quantity of contamination your chain picks up and holds onto.
If for example, you employ a moist or poor-quality lubricant in your chain, much more grime and dirt are going to stay to it and grow to be contamination within the chain hyperlinks themselves. Particularly if the chain is over-lubricated and dripping in chain oil.
It is a massive matter, however for starters you possibly can take into account waxing your chain for gravel using, you possibly can examine our greatest chain wax information for more information. Alternatively, among the greatest chain lube will give your chain the very best combating probability in difficult circumstances.
Carry the right spares and know find out how to use them
This is not a lot of a hack or trick but it surely’s price together with right here I feel. Gravel using could take you to extra distant and out-of-the-way areas while asking that little bit extra of your bike, growing the chance of a mechanical downside or concern.
Take a while to analysis the right spares and instruments in your bike/s and take into account investing in a lot of the necessities it’s worthwhile to get you out of hassle. It is comforting and saves psychological vitality to know you’re carrying precisely what it’s worthwhile to repair a flat, restore a snapped chain and even zip-tie a damaged half again onto your bike to get house. Tubeless does not imply you are coated in opposition to flats and new bikes can develop issues too, so figuring out find out how to repair a mechanical and what spares you have to is all the time transfer.
Being self-sufficient on a journey or journey might help get you out of hassle but in addition a using associate of fellow cyclists out on the highway. Ask different skilled riders, your native store or bike producer for recommendation on spares and necessities should you aren’t too positive.
