From the pages of Peak Region Cyclist distributed for free at bike shops throughout the Pikes Peak Region.

By Cameron Chambers

I always say I am bi-cycle-polar.  If I have been riding I am a friendly person, productive worker, and a loving husband.

If I have not been able to get the quality riding in that I want, I am…well , none of those things.  I am not necessarily proud of this but it is just the way it is.  So it is basically as if I have doc’s orders to live in Colorado Springs.  I can ride outside year round and enjoy sweet singletrack in any season.

Yet, as I have discussed in this column before there are times when even in this outdoor play paradise we are held off from getting out and having a good proper romp around.  So it is Spring that I look for like a beacon in the night signaling that I am safe.  As we get further away from the possible big snow dumps, I no longer nervously check weather.com for storms that could interrupt the steady drip of medication I require to remain a functional citizen.

Spring is here and it is high time to get moving.  That means that you need to make a pre-emptive strike on your bicycle to ensure that it is ready to roll through the year.  One of two scenarios is unfolding: You either put your bike up sometime before Christmas and it has been gathering dust and you forgot about all the funny clicks and creaks of your last many rides; or you pushed on through the winter riding whenever you could and your bike has taken a royal beating the last 3 months. Either way, we need to apply some TLC to keep those wheels rolling happy throughout the coming months.

Everyone basically knows that you have to clean and lube the drivetrain and preferably get a new chain on before it has worn out your cassette and chainrings.  But, there are a couple of overlooked areas that I would suggest checking out as well.  Your tires are set up tubeless (or should be if they are not) and more than likely the sidewalls are showing some threads, the sealant inside is dried up and gone, and the tread has lost the bite of its youth. I think it is a good time just to freshen up the rubber and start anew on sealant.  This will set you up for a new pair of tires early summer which will be right on track for your epic summer excursions.

Clean out or replace the valves that you have been using.  Dried latex gets in them and with time can cause you considerable consternation out on the trail when you are trying to air up a burp’ed tire.
The second place to check closer is your disk brake pads.  Old school V-brakes or Canti’s were easy to spot when they needed replacing, you were always staring at them right in front of you. Disk pads, especially some of the higher end ones, can burn through phenomenally quick.  They are cheap and can do wonders for your braking feel and performance.  Just change all them out for a clean start to your riding season.

The third often overlooked area I want to mention is your suspension fork and shock.  Many of us that have grown up with MTB’s don’t heed proper attention to our shocks well-being.  Year after year the new fork technology is just blowing last year’s product out of the water, and old forks didn’t really work well (by today’s standard) to begin with.  No one I know wanted to have anything to do with overhauling a Mag 21 when the Judy SL was available.

Too many people take the approach, “It is still going up and down, so it must be working right.”  Even if it is only in for cleaning, new seals, and fresh oil, it is a game changer for your bike riding experience to have this done.  Speak with your bike service rep about the set up you are riding with and the frequency of your off-road riding to determine a bit of a plan for moving forward to keep everything working properly. Pick their brain on your suspensions set up too, as there are a lot of bells and whistles on today’s suspension.  Taking the time to learn a bit about what all the knobs and dials do will also help dial in your ride.

When your bike gets the green light it will be clean, light, and fast with fresh tires pinging pebbles up off your downtube.  You won’t have to look far for motivation to dig deep.  Swing you leg over that sweet machine, clip in and hammer out your favorite loops time and time again.  Spring has sprung, let the good times roll.