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Observation and Perspective
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| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
16.96 miles
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Time: 01:32:00
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Max Speed:
0.00 mph
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Avg Speed:
11.06 mph
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Temp:
Avg: 25
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Category: training: general -
solo
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Route:
Commuting to and from Hilton
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Weight:
236
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Altitude Gain:
0 ft
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Avg Power: 0 W
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Calories Burned: 1,100
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Avg HR: 0 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Flat
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Bike: Specialized 40lb-Globe 700c Hybrid
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Club: Commuter Cycling Century |
| Weather Conditions: partly to mostly sunny; cold; ENE winds gusting 5-15mph; |
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Another fine afternoon for a ride; Went over 7000 lifetime miles on the "Globe"! That's 7000 miles of wear on the CHAIN, Bottom Bracket, crank, Cassette, generator front hub, headset, all cabling, dérailleurs shifters, brakes, and the hand grips.
I've had a replacement chain and cassette ready to go for over a year and will change out those items for Spring.
In 7000 miles: I have replaced tires 4 times. Early on I replaced the rear wheel. The saddle was changed 3 times. Most recently I replaced the front fork (a converting the worn-out suspension fork to non-suspension), and rear brake pads. The Globe is a great commuter and Winter ride!
O.K., I have learned a few things about wear and maintenance with bikes.
While paying attention to routine maintenance and seeing how other people pay attention to routine maintenance, I've learned that lubrication of the drive chain and other drive components is messy, but essential to the longevity of the drive line components. Proper lubrication of the chain is often a neglected part of bike maintenance. Your chain should always be "well-lubed", preferably "wet-lubed".
As a chain wears it stretches. I have read a lot of opinion about when it's time to replace a chain, and why sooner is supposedly better. I respectfully disagree with the point of necessity to changing a chain at the moment a chain measures +.125" in 12 links. A well-lubed chain stretched .125" in 12 links will not appreciably change dimension beyond that point for several thousand miles more(I can prove 7000 miles)! The most important point is to lubricate your chain regularly and liberally!
Keeping your bike clean looks good but...
A good rinse with room temperature water or a brief spray of hot water on the chain, dérailleurs, cassette and rims, after a dirty ride, can be beneficial. But too much water can hurt your cables and hasten corrosion! Especially if water gets into the cable housings and freezes! Keep your Shifters/Brifters dry! Washing your bike regularly with a hot water soak is a NO-NO! So is putting it away wet! The best way to clean your bike is dry, with brushes and rags.
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