Cleanliness IS Next to Godliness: Bike Maintenance on the Road

Tina waiting for David to finish cleaning her front wheel.

David is in charge of bike maintenance and he is rather fastidious.  This of course is a good thing as a clean bike runs better and the components last longer – there is nothing worse than grit in the drive train wearing it out like sandpaper on soft wood.  As we meet other touring cyclists, more than one has commented on the cleanliness of the bicycles and we have noticed that many don’t really take care of their bikes much.

But we are on the road and one might wonder how he does such a good job.  First, he carries tools for the task – a small container of rubbing alcohol used as a solvent, a few rags, fresh lube for the chain, and a pump.  We also carry other tools for fixing things too, but these are the necessary items for basic maintenance.  Every other day or so he cleans the chain, puts on fresh lube and pumps up the tires.  However, there are times when the bikes need a REAL cleaning.

For instance, imagine the state of the bikes after the day we were stuck in the rain and the mud.  They were a mess.  We did have a chance to hose them off but that just got off the top layer of muck.  That night we stayed in a dumpy motel room, but it had one really nice feature.  It had a bathroom that was large and had a vinyl floor (actually it looked like it hadn’t been touched since 1950 or so).  That evening, while I was at the laundry mat washing all the muddy clothes, David took apart the bikes and washed them in the tub.  After he was done they looked new again – literally. 

In general we both take good care of bicycles – however, being on the road offers new challenges to the process.  I am lucky to have David taking good care of “Tina” as she has taken me over 3300 miles with very few issues and none related to lack of maintenance.  After all, these machines are our lives right now and take care of them we must.  As David says, “Whatever conveys you – take care of it.”