Tips On Bike MaintenanceWritten by Andrew Caxton
First of all, and before start any bicycle maintenance you have to clean your bike, that doesn't mean a bit of wipe with a cloth, you have to clean it appropriately and there are a few things you will need in order to do job. Probably, you will have to buy some tools. However, notice that most of them can be found around house. Try to find them under kitchen sink, but don’t let your wife or mother catch you. What is required equipment: - - A bike workstand or handy tree/washing line to hang your bike on.
- Old rear hub or old axle or stick
- Degreaser or diesel fuel (careful diesel is not good for your hands).
- Hot water.
- Washing up liquid.
- 2 buckets (1 with soapy and 1 with clean water).
- Paint brush.
- Old water bottle.
- Bottlebrush.
- Soft scrubbing brush.
- 2 sponges.
- Cloths.
- Oil.
- And for that extra shinny finish, spray polish.
An important premise when you are cleaning your bike is to keep your eyes well opened. It’s necessary to remember anything that may need fixing later, this is how a mechanic on a professional cycling team does it, but he might have 10 bikes to look after, so it’s a lot easier with only one. You can start from bike wheels, and then cut top off old water bottle and put some degreaser in it, you can use a spray degreaser, but you waste most of it. With paintbrush work degreaser into sprockets being careful not to get too much into bearings. Then with some hot water and washing up liquid scrub sprockets clean, then scrub rims clean of old brake block residue, you can use a little degreaser to help this, but don’t get it on your tires. Scrub tires clean, with soft scrubbing brush, at this point look at tires for any cut in tread that could puncture later and inspect rims for damage or if they are wearing thin. With a soapy sponge wash spokes and then rinse them in clean water and put them to one side to dry, not in direct sunlight. Now take bottlebrush or a sponge and a bucket of soapy water and clean under cycle saddle, under bottom bracket, under brakes and under forks, use scrubbing brush to shift any stubborn dirt, then take a soapy sponge and clean off all degreaser and loosened dirt. Then with a clean soapy sponge clean every part of bike, start with handlebars and saddle and work your way down bike making sure whole bike is sparkling clean, then rinse with clean water. Remember keep your eyes open for things like worn brake blocks, gritty bearings, tight or frayed cables or any cracks or damage to frame, if all is OK put wheels back in.
| | Docking Techniques in BoatingWritten by Thomas Holley
While docking techniques in boating are always going to be dependent upon weather conditions, there are a few simple things that you should always keep in mind. First of all, in this particular case practice makes perfect. Although we can provide tips, please remember that docking techniques in boating are going to be something you will have to personalize to your experience, your particular boat and of course, dock itself. Secondly, most common mistake boater’s make when attempting to dock their boats is to try and approach dock in a straight line. By approaching dock from an angle, however, it will much easier to get close without scraping and to hit spot you're aiming for. Thirdly, speed at which you come in to dock must be controlled. Anything you've ever been told about best docking techniques in boating probably mentioned that it requires you to run your boat in at slowest possible speed. This however, is not as easy as it sounds. Often, even idle speed on a boat is too fast. Coasting, however, as a docking technique in boating, causes problems in and of itself. Coasting reduces steering capability, which makes it even more difficult to accurately line up with dock. The best way to counter this problem is to alternate between power for steering (short shots of forward gear) and coasting for speed control. Being able to use best docking techniques in boating is not automatic.
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