Tech Tip: Proper Chain Lubrication | News | mountain-bike-action

A Penny-Farthing is a great example of the symbiosis between man and machine; a bicycle propelled by nothing more than geometry and a willing participant, often ridden in your Sunday's best.  You'll recognize these bikes by the conspicuously large front wheel and less unusual rear wheel.  The bikes' cranks were mounted directly to the front wheel hub and moved you forward with each rotation of the pedals.

Bikes of course have evolved since then and arguably one of the greatest innovations to influence bicycle design is the drive chain.  Today, a bike without a chain is merely a conveyance and a rather primitive one at that unless pointed downhill.  The modern chain has helped transform the way a bike is engineered and is often one of the most ignored components on a bike.

My history with chain maintenance goes way back.  I grew up about an hour from the coast and if you didn't take the time to care for your chain you'd find yourself riding Fred Flintstone style.  Keeping your chain in good condition has many benefits and will extend the life of your chain.  Personally, I clean mine after every ride especially after a day of water crossings and mud puddles.  I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to cleaning my bikes so don't feel like you have to be as obsessed as I am with it.

What you'll need: a wire brush, chain clean spray or degreaser, shop rag or cloth, gloves, nail polish and of course lubricant.

I'll first spray some chain cleaner over the entire chain.  I use a product by Motorex, works great on motorcycle chains too.  I'll then run a wire brush along all sides of the chain, this tends to send particles and drops flying so watch your eyes.  I like to brush until the chain takes on a bit of a shine before rinsing with water.  Once I'm done rinsing, I'll wipe it down with a soft dry cloth before taking a compressor to it to dry those hard to reach places.  I'll usually let the bike sit for a while before applying any chain lube.  I'll lube each individual link then moisten a rag with a little lube and wipe the chain for a clean shiny finish.  Most chains don't have a master link so I'll take a dab of my wife's nail polish and mark a link with a colorful dot to mark my starting point as I rotate the cranks to lube each link.  Sometimes lube will drip if you applied too much so make sure there's nothing you care to keep clean laying underneath.  You can also use dry lube although I'm not a huge fan.  I use Tri-Flow from a drip bottle on all my bikes because it goes on clean and keeps my chain quiet.  Finally, you might not want to lubricate your chain just before riding because it attracts a lot more dirt.

It doesn't take much time for proper chain maintenance so don't put it off too long, especially if you live in an area with high humidity.  I linked an article from Mountain Bike Action Magazine for some visuals to help you get your own routine started.

Check back often and enjoy your rides.  Alan Romero

Tech Tip: Proper Chain Lubrication | News | mountain-bike-action

Valmont Bike Park: A Boulder Sanctuary

I just can’t say enough about Boulder Mountain Biking.  The community here in Boulder is so proud of its cycling culture and you can see signs of it all over town.  Bike trails can be found everywhere, most are paved through the city but dirt trails are never far off.  In winter when our dirt trails are covered in snow, few places within town could provide that sweet sensation when nobby meets dirt, that was of course before the Valmont Bike Park entered the picture.

Valmont Bike Park is located at the corner of Valmont and Airport Roads and boasts 40 acres of all kinds of mountain bike excitement.  This bike park is certainly one-of-a-kind and the perfect place to ride and train for riders of all skill levels and is open year round.  This park was also host to the 2012 Boulder Cup, which was a raving success.

The park contains a Dual Slalom course for those seeking a little high speed competition along with two terrain parks.  Each terrain park has its own distinct quality, one with more natural jumps while the other contains natural and fabricated stunts.  Both are sure to get your adrenaline pumping but be careful because these parks will require above average skill.

There is also a Pump Park and Skillz Loop for those looking to develop finesse on the bike.  The Pump Park is uniquely designed to carry the rider on a winding course using momentum as your primary driver while the Skillz Loop will test balance and control.  Both features are sure to entertain as well as develop your skills as a rider.

Today I set some time aside to really get a good look at Valmont Bike Park and test my time on the 2012 Boulder Cup course.  I had to make some adjustments on my run since some areas of the course were closed off to help control wear in these areas.  There were a lot of people out today so I made sure to yield to other riders, especially the little ones on Glider Bikes.

The course I took was almost identical to the Boulder Cup course which was mostly flat with only one gradual climb up the back side of the park.  Once on top, the hard packed single-track offered one heck of a ride.  Coming down you can gather a bit of speed with a couple of “air” options and banking turns.  The first Run Up brings you up to a downhill section along the Dual Slalom course.  Once through my course takes you through the south side of the park.  Here you’ll come across some technical features like rock hopping and some really cool man made wood crossings.  Along the way is also a Sand Pit and not long after you reach The Glades. This section seemed to be the most popular today.  The Glades contains so many twists and turns I can’t recall any section that didn’t have something fun on it.  You’ll also find the 2nd Run Up here as well as another awesome wood feature.  There are a few rock formations placed here to test your balance and hopping skills.  It’s hard to test your speed on a busy day but if you get a chance to visit on a weekday, you may find it hard to resist mashing on your pedals through this area.

This bike park was made possible with the cooperation and contributions of a lot of people, businesses, organizations and the City of Boulder.  It’s a fantastic facility and if you’ve had a chance to experience Valmont Bike Park, I’m sure they would really appreciate a small donation to keep the park in great shape and one of Boulder’s finest attractions.  You can view a video of the park at www.valmontbikepark.org to give you a better look.

You can view my course at connect.garmin.com/activity/248757973 and click on the green arrow to launch the player.  Thanks again and have a great ride.

Alan Romero