preventive maintenance

[The Shinefelds]

I've been doing some preventive maintenance recently, replacing the VRex's idler bearings, brake
cables and housings. These simple fixes make a huge difference. I must have become accustomed to the
noise of the old crummy bearings because it sure seems quiet now. The local sporting goods store
provided #5 roller blade bearings and about $8 of brake parts from the LBS. I also splurged recently
for a new RANS seat cover and grey foam pad. And last fall a new Terra Cycle flip it thingy. I think
they call it a glide flex stem. Thank you Jude!

I ride the bent almost exclusively now, so it is hard to take it out of service for maintenance that
might take more than an afternoon. So, I'm wondering what other recumbists are doing in the way of
preventive maintenance lately?

Jon Shinefeld

 

[The Shinefelds]

I've been doing some preventive maintenance recently, replacing the VRex's idler bearings, brake
cables and housings. These simple fixes make a huge difference. I must have become accustomed to the
noise of the old crummy bearings because it sure seems quiet now. The local sporting goods store
provided #5 roller blade bearings and about $8 of brake parts from the LBS. I also splurged recently
for a new RANS seat cover and grey foam pad. And last fall a new Terra Cycle flip it thingy. I think
they call it a glide flex stem. Thank you Jude!

I ride the bent almost exclusively now, so it is hard to take it out of service for maintenance that
might take more than an afternoon. So, I'm wondering what other recumbists are doing in the way of
preventive maintenance lately?

Jon Shinefeld

 

[<Chas>]

What's maintenance. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I replaced my front brake pads a couple of weeks ago (a rainy day) and readjusted the front brakes
at the same time. I lube my chain about every 3 or 4 months. I wash the bike a couple of times a
year. Other than that, I don't do maintenance. However when something needs attention, I fix it.

<Chas> Haluzak Hybrid Race

"The Shinefelds" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I've been doing some preventive maintenance recently, replacing the VRex's idler bearings, brake
> cables and housings. These simple fixes make a huge difference. I must have become accustomed to
> the noise of the old crummy bearings because it sure seems quiet now. The local sporting goods
> store provided #5 roller blade bearings and about $8 of brake parts from the
LBS.
> I also splurged recently for a new RANS seat cover and grey foam pad. And last fall a new Terra
> Cycle flip it thingy. I think they call it a glide flex stem. Thank you Jude!
>
> I ride the bent almost exclusively now, so it is hard to take it out of service for maintenance
> that might take more than an afternoon. So, I'm wondering what other recumbists are doing in the
> way of preventive maintenance lately?
>
> Jon Shinefeld

 

[<Chas>]

What's maintenance. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I replaced my front brake pads a couple of weeks ago (a rainy day) and readjusted the front brakes
at the same time. I lube my chain about every 3 or 4 months. I wash the bike a couple of times a
year. Other than that, I don't do maintenance. However when something needs attention, I fix it.

<Chas> Haluzak Hybrid Race

"The Shinefelds" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I've been doing some preventive maintenance recently, replacing the VRex's idler bearings, brake
> cables and housings. These simple fixes make a huge difference. I must have become accustomed to
> the noise of the old crummy bearings because it sure seems quiet now. The local sporting goods
> store provided #5 roller blade bearings and about $8 of brake parts from the
LBS.
> I also splurged recently for a new RANS seat cover and grey foam pad. And last fall a new Terra
> Cycle flip it thingy. I think they call it a glide flex stem. Thank you Jude!
>
> I ride the bent almost exclusively now, so it is hard to take it out of service for maintenance
> that might take more than an afternoon. So, I'm wondering what other recumbists are doing in the
> way of preventive maintenance lately?
>
> Jon Shinefeld

 

[Rich Westerman]

So, I'm
> wondering what other recumbists are doing in the way of preventive maintenance lately?
>
> Jon Shinefeld
>
>

Well, my V2 only has about 25 miles on it (I got it in November-) so the only preventive maintenance
I do is to keep my 16-month old foster son away from where its sitting in the family room. He just
loves to spin the crank and watch me rush into the room to catch it as its about to fall on him. 8^0

rich

 

[Rich Westerman]

So, I'm
> wondering what other recumbists are doing in the way of preventive maintenance lately?
>
> Jon Shinefeld
>
>

Well, my V2 only has about 25 miles on it (I got it in November-) so the only preventive maintenance
I do is to keep my 16-month old foster son away from where its sitting in the family room. He just
loves to spin the crank and watch me rush into the room to catch it as its about to fall on him. 8^0

rich

 

[David Luecke]

Just put new brake arms on, front and back. The old ones had gotten rusty inside and no longer
pivoted well. Came close to wrecking soon afterwards when I locked up the rear tire - wow! Much
better. Brakes are a good thing. Lubricated the brake cables too.

I can't imagine anyone actually cares about this, but hey....

--
David Luecke Ridin' a RANS Vivo (wahoo!) Merritt Island, Florida USA

 

[David Luecke]

Just put new brake arms on, front and back. The old ones had gotten rusty inside and no longer
pivoted well. Came close to wrecking soon afterwards when I locked up the rear tire - wow! Much
better. Brakes are a good thing. Lubricated the brake cables too.

I can't imagine anyone actually cares about this, but hey....

--
David Luecke Ridin' a RANS Vivo (wahoo!) Merritt Island, Florida USA

 

[Torben Scheel]

> Well, my V2 only has about 25 miles on it (I got it in November-) so the only preventive
> maintenance I do is to keep my 16-month old foster son
away
> from where its sitting in the family room. He just loves to spin the
crank
> and watch me rush into the room to catch it as its about to fall on him. 8^0
>
> rich

Get a trainer - I have one, and my kids love to sit on the bike and play "daytrip to ___". Only one
caveat - It didn't take long for them to ask "when am I gonna get mine, dad?" - but I'll guess you
are allready in trouble.. ;-)

Torben

 

[Torben Scheel]

> Well, my V2 only has about 25 miles on it (I got it in November-) so the only preventive
> maintenance I do is to keep my 16-month old foster son
away
> from where its sitting in the family room. He just loves to spin the
crank
> and watch me rush into the room to catch it as its about to fall on him. 8^0
>
> rich

Get a trainer - I have one, and my kids love to sit on the bike and play "daytrip to ___". Only one
caveat - It didn't take long for them to ask "when am I gonna get mine, dad?" - but I'll guess you
are allready in trouble.. ;-)

Torben

 

[Bill In Indiana]

You are lucky. My wife won't let my Greenspeed live in the house. So, I visit it in the garage.
Maintenance wise, I tinker with it many days a week. Cleaning, reconfiguring, tweaking etc. For me,
that is part of the fun. Riding of course is the main thrill, but keeping my recumbent nice ranks up
there with part of the overall experience. (for me)

Bill West Lafayette IN. He said while whizzing by on his Greenspeed GTR

 

[Bill In Indiana]

You are lucky. My wife won't let my Greenspeed live in the house. So, I visit it in the garage.
Maintenance wise, I tinker with it many days a week. Cleaning, reconfiguring, tweaking etc. For me,
that is part of the fun. Riding of course is the main thrill, but keeping my recumbent nice ranks up
there with part of the overall experience. (for me)

Bill West Lafayette IN. He said while whizzing by on his Greenspeed GTR

 

[Devon]

"Bill in Indiana" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<7w1W9.718687$WL3.730442@rwcrnsc54>...
> Bill West Lafayette IN. He said while whizzing by on his Greenspeed GTR

Wow!! Never tried whizzing on the move! Spitting is tricky enough for me. You MUST have a
fairing!!

With apologies to Jim Croce ... "You don't whiz into the wind ..."

Any pics???

 

[Tom Sherman]

Bill in Indiana wrote:
>
> You are lucky. My wife won't let my Greenspeed live in the house. So, I visit it in the garage....

Bill,

Move the Greenspeed into the house and your wife into the garage.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

The most comfortable chair in my apartment is my Dragonflyer.

 

[Larry Bloomfiel]

"David Luecke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Just put new brake arms on, front and back. The old ones had gotten rusty inside and no longer
> pivoted well. Came close to wrecking soon afterwards when I locked up the rear tire - wow! Much
> better. Brakes are a good thing. Lubricated the brake cables too.
>
> I can't imagine anyone actually cares about this, but hey....

If your Vivo had SRAM brake arms, they can be diassembled and the pivot sleeve bearings greased by
popping out the dust cap on each arm (under the fixing bolt) w/ a pin punch, small screwdriver, etc.
I do this twice year to keep the brake arms from sticking. I rub sticky beeswax on the fork brake
bosses to ensure the brake pivots only on the sleeve bearing, not the brake boss. Neither my
previous Tailwind not current Rocket had properly lubed brake arms when purchased. P.S. I use teflon
coated cables ($5 @ Nashbar)to minimize cable lube.