Not necessarily maintenance but common sense wet lube for conditions that have any chance of rain. Dry lube rinses off in the beginning of the first rain shower. I have no experience of waxes in rain.
When adding accessories, replacement components or upgrades, test fit, mark anything that slides (I use "white out" correction fluid), disassemble and reassemble using either BLUE locktite (or equivalent threadlocker) on threaded parts except BB and pedals, grease everywhere else where metal is in contact with metal and carbon grip paste on carbon parts. If you have carbon, acquire a torque wrench too. Parts to thread lock - fenders, racks, bottle cages, kickstands, derailleurs, derailleur hanger to frame and accessory mounts once you're happy with the location. (optionally assorted seat post bolts and stem bolts and consider on cable ends if; you have at least one moving in-line adjuster you've previously marked the offending threaded cable end and verified it as moving on its' own) Parts to grease; seat tube, bolt in seat post clamp, seat adjustment rail/mechanism, BB threads and/or shell & shaft, stem bolts, pedal threads, chainring bolts, BB spindle and cranks and anything else where metal meets metal. The thing about the bikes most beginners begin with is that they are often below what manufacturers have deemed as the entry level and assembled with the expectation being that the rider will ride it twice and store it in a garage for years untouched. These bikes need extra love to continue to function, but getting the rattles out first allows the proud owners a dozen fewer things to worry about as they study up on repacking bearings and truing wheels which are common more advanced tasks required on big box bikes. Also cables and housings on the very, very cheapest bikes are amazingly crappy.
a. Bike Bell b. Check tyre pressure before each and every ride c. Carry replacement batteries/replacement backlight d. Carry tools / tyre patches / replacement tyre...
At this point, I feel like Harriet is a full-blown member of the presenting team! She's really taken to being on camera! Kudos! I feel like you could have a good angle there, with her now gaining more and more knowledge, expanding more into road bikes, maybe a race someday?, etc. if she's up for all that. I also can't wait for the commuter challenge to come out!
Great Idea Ardin, Harriet has been a great addition to these videos, We're sure we could coax her into another video down the line. A race could be fun, although not everyones dreams are to race. As long as She continues to enjoy cycling, we have done our job. 😁
@@gcntech She does! I do describe as a passionate cyclist and ride 40-50miles on a regular basis but I'll never be able to do what the other GCN presenters do so Harriet is very relatable to me and she's got an outstanding personality.
Harriet is a great addition to GCN! More videos with her. I’m a rookie cyclist too and it’s nice to have a presenter like her make it all more approachable.
The best thing i added since i go to work by bike and train, is panier bags (are they called that? We call them the french word "sacoche" here in Switzerland). I always have a sweaty back when i carry a backpack, which isn't great to go to work. I baught 20 or 25 liter Ortlieb bags. They are even big enough to put an average shopping in one side and the laptop with all the gear (headphones CAD-mouse/spaceball etc.) in the other side. Additionally, besides my national rail ticket (GA) i added the "Velopass" aswell. Now i don't have to buy a bike ticket when i take it onto the train. Just have to check if on the train i want to take a reservation (2 CHF / ride) is needed. And I am still cheaper and faster at work than with a car.
Hi Philip, thanks for the comment! Pannier bags are great, keeping the weight on the bike can make for a much more comfortable ride to work. 👍 A mix of train and riding sounds like a great split 🙌
Everyone is already saying it, but I like that were all seeing more of Harriet. She seems well put together and a bit made for this, plus I absolutely love the approach to diversify the target audience of GCN videos. Experts are great, but it's even better when a total newbie is asking questions, and represented in videos. The same reason I love seeing hanks dad, there's something genuine and playful about their demeanor and approach to cycling that is highly admirable.
This channel (and the main GCN one) has been my go to these last few months! I've had a bike for years and rode it on and off but it wasn't the greatest, I recently took the plunge and got my first road bike so have taken to learning that bit more about maintenance as I'd like to keep it tip top! Like Harriet I'm using it mostly for commuting right now, but I hope to start going further a field when I've got a bit more confidence and the weather isn't the gloomy British winter! Thanks to the whole team that but videos and content together for helping newbies like me feel that bit happier going on and being on the road!
Wax your chain for commuting. You can make it yourself for under £20 and the mix will last for years! I make up a drip bottle to use if it's been raining (between waxes) by mixing a small amount of wax with isopropyl alcohol with you then heat/blend in water at c.70-75c. No more dirty chains and hours cleaning!!!
Chain lube tip: After adding 1 drop of lube per roller and spinning the cranks several times (or better, ride around the block) to work it in you should wipe any excess off with a clean rag. Any oil on the outside does nothing but attract dirt and grime. It is often possible to re-lube the chain a couple times between full degreasing sessions if there is not tons of lube all over your drivetrain.
It's lovely to watch GCN bring in the 'ordinary' folks like Harriet into the presentations! It shows the interrelationships with people that cycle for fun, for work (commuting) and for leisure, as opposed to the lycra-clad speedsters that look for KOMs/QOMs, or PBs. I'll admit to wearing lycra but increasingly opting for ordinary, baggy shorts with pockets. I do commute to work, so the baggy shorts work for me. I look forward to seeing more of Harriet, Cillian, and the like. Keep up the great work GCN. PS: I used to bike-tour, with panniers and such. It's interesting that this is morphed to 'bike-packing'. I still think a good touring bike with the facility for attaching panniers is a good long distance vehicle. Cheers!
for reflectivity, try some 3M reflective tape. Designed for cars, the stuff sticks to helmets, frames, etc. for years. For example, I put red reflective tape on the back of my helmet about 4 years ago for some extra visibility. Tape is still there with little wear. It also works on water bottles. Put a stripe on the screw top so it doesn't rub on the cage. Also helps differentiate your water bottle from your buddy's. I know you have mudguards, but for others who don't, get some helicopter tape on your downtube to prevent chipping the paint.
I think the simplest thing is to remember maintence now saves maintenence later. I give my bike a look over/quick clean one a week as I commute every day. 1600km on it this year with no issues.
Once of prevention = pound of cure. But don't go overboard. For example, a person who's not bike tech savvy can very easily over lubricate, attracting dirt and creating wear.
Well done GCN folks. With your channels you're striking a great balance between the inspirational, the practical, the entertaining and a fair bit of humour too.
Much appreciated Grant. We want to showcase that cycling is for everyone 🙌 Commuting by bike is a great way to introduce cycling into anyones lifestyle.
We need those light emitting pedals on every bike here in NL.. I'd love to see the early morning disco every morning when everybody is commuting 😂 Also I'd suggest some of those elastic straps on the rack to hold stuff down.
@@looeee those might make it a little more clear for road users what's going on yeah. Over here (NL) lighting like this is illegal though, which in a way is kinda sad, but on the other hand, with the amount of people on bikes here it would probably turn into just a sea of moving lights during rush hour distracting drivers, and causing accidents instead of preventing them.
And something I do as a commuter in the cool/cold is wear a headband/sweatband under my Giro mountain bike helmet. And I wear it at night a bit low over my brows so I can use it to block the super-bright stadium lights that some motorists fire up when they see me on the shoulder of the opposing lane. I just duck my head down a bit and look up just under the band which blocks those lights from momentarily blinding me on otherwise dark two-lane roads. And of course I'm thinking, dude, can't you see that I'm on a bicycle, stop it with the brights. And conversely, I offer a friendly wave to oncoming motorists who turn off their high beams when the realize the obvious, O just a friendly cyclist making his way home. And I actually get a lot of honks and waves from friendly motorists who see me on the same roads five days and five nights a week and I enjoy those interactions. And my all-time favorite was at night about five years ago, an approaching vintage Euro car with fog lights and a most enthusiastic beep beep-beep. 😀
I saw Harriot~ stopped the vid and refilled my coffe cup. Thanks , I enjoyed it. Please remember to have Harriot give us an update per the pedals. I have been looking at them, but right now I am pretty sold on BMX pedals.
Maintenance tips for commuters: 1) Get a bike with an internal gear hub, and use a full chain case or belt 2) Get a bike with a hub dynamo and forget about charging lights 3) Get a bike with mudguards Everything else is a hassle for everyday urban use.
This! I used to commute on my MTB for years and it was a pain to keep it in shape especially in autumn-winter when the drivetrain would get rusty almost instantly. I switched to a IGH + belt + dynamo bike last year and couldn’t be more happy.
I agree. Drum brakes would be my go to as well, though those seem to be rare these days. Had them on my old bike, and other than a few cable replacements and tightening them every now and then they lasted for around 20 yrs without issues 🤣 (I actually still have the wheels in case I run into a compatible frame at some point 😆) It might not be for those who are descending down a mountain for many kilometers, but for normal commuting/city driving they are pretty much service free. And whatever you do, don't go for rollerbrakes on the front wheel (I'd prefer to not have em on the rear either but if they fail on the front it can be spectacular 😁)
Some great tips! All these suggestions are great 🙌 It's work finding what works for you, some people love to commute on fast light road bikes as they may have further to go.
@@gcntech For the average GCN viewer that's absolutely true. For the general public, they want something like their car that "just works" and gets serviced maybe once a year (if it's lucky). Being from NL I have to say most of the commuter bikes don't get serviced for years. They just work, and generally won't see a bike shop or be touched by tools unless something really important breaks. 😂 The "sport" cyclists tend to put a lot more effort into keeping their bikes in great shape. And lets face it, it's not that weird, after a day at work and riding through mud and/or rain to get home, your first instinct won't be to clean the bike, fix that rattling noise, or find where that odd sound is coming from. That's a problem for tomorrow you 😁
I disagree, it really depends on your commute, your needs and your preferences. There is no easy answer, almost all options have their pros and cons. E.g. all of those low maintenance and comfort options you listed will result in a slower bike, and if you have a long commute and like to ride fast, all of those things combined will annoy you. It all adds up, the IGH, the belt drive, the dynamo, the mudguards, the panniers, the wider tires. Once all of it is mounted you just end up with a heavier and slower bike. BUT on the other hand, if you don't particularly care about or need to go fast, you might be very happy with all of those things. And of course you don't have to go either extreme, you can choose the options are absolutely necessary, and cut down on the other stuff to get a bike which is reasonably fast yet with the essential comfort options you need. E.g. for me I absolutely need mudguards and a kickstand. But I don't need panniers, so I removed those. I found my bike too sluggish so I got some narrower tires and slammed the stem, resulting in a significant increase in speed although with a slightly less comfortable ride. I understand that such tinkering is only an option for people who know about bikes btw.
@@gcntech Good point! But imo it is worth the money, and good rechargable lights are expensive too. For the price of an Garmin Varia Radar you can get easily a frontwheel with hubdynamo. With a good frontlight and a rearlight the price is almost the same.
Nice to see GCN working on entry level Shimano bikes..................instead of the high end stuff their used to. Even the entry level shimano stuff if set up and adjusted correctly really works well, and doesn't break the bank doing it.
Most bikes are designed for their intended use . Entry level commuters such as Harriets bike are often the best tools for that job. Thanks for the comment Cameron!
Bikes like that ridgeback are great that they come ready with decent tyres, full length mudguards and a pannier rack. Those components make all the difference for commuting.
Also use a toe strap to stop your pannier bags falling off on any big bumps in the road. And on the subject of reflective clothing make sure it includes your arms, because you indicate with your arms.
After seeing the quality commentary and questions from Harriet in this video, I think we need to revoke her "beginner" status. Awesome progress Harriet.
I'd like to know more about those pedals. I have a charging stand right next to my indoor bike rack. As soon as I get home, the lights go on the charging stand. Running out of lighting isn't very bright.
@GCN tech please inform Harriet that her skin is more susceptible to sun burns than others with similar skin tone. I do not know the word in English for the dark spots in the skin but judging by the amount visible she has increased sun burn risk. Sun burns in the same spot thrice increases the risk of getting skin cancer IIRC By 100 %. I read a medical article that said if you have more than 20 dark spots in the skin overall in the whole of the body your sun burn risk increases by dozens of percents. I forgot the exact amount but I think it is around 50 %. So higher protection factor sun screen used often is extra important for Harriet.
On the topic of tire pressure: should you be super concerned about the tire pressure stamped on the tire? I'm an auto mechanic, and the tire pressure for cars is usually on a sticker in the door jam. The tire pressure on the tires is the max. Is it the same with bikes?
If a bike commute includes placing a bike on front of a bus, the bike will be exposed to more road grime which should be cleaned off sooner rather than later. My commute includes a bus ride of about 30 miles each way, mostly on multi-lane 65 mph interstate. The bike - on front of the bus - can get filthy, especially on rainy days. The filth coats everything, including the braking surfaces. If not cleaned regularly, the rims can wear out prematurely and they are expensive to replace. My preference would be a commuter bike with disk brakes. Should be easier to clean the disks rather than rims simply because they are smaller plus they will be cheaper to replace compare to new wheels. Also, disk brakes are supposed to work better in the rain than rim brakes.
if you're commuting on a "normal" bike like Harriet, innertubes with sealant in them makes a world of difference. Minimal risk of punctures and they tend to maintain airpressure much longer than standard butyl tubes.
Sometimes the original brake pads they fit on cheaper brake callipers are really rubbish and abrasive, so changing them can make a huge difference (for a small cost)
Utilize different routes if possible to be less repetitive. Spare tube, levers, pump, multitool. Keep some dry socks at work! Try not to get too aggravated when you are interfered with as you will encounter hinderences almost daily. Not easy to keep your cool!
A dedicated commuter bike should have a cover over the chain. An ideal commuter bike has an internal gear hub (but no fewer than 7 gears even in flat-ish areas), and a fully enclosed chain. Anway, Thanks for covering topics for "normal" people ;-)
I didn't take great care of my first commuter bike and I always wondered why the rims got worn unevenly and with a weird little 1mm valley down the middle. I definitely had a piece of gravel in there that I just never noticed.
Did that 1mm valley wear in, or was it a wear indicator. Some rims come with a line "cut" in the middle of the braking surface to show how much deeper you can wear em down before they are considered "worn" and need to be replaced.
@@esenel92 It was about 4 years ago so I don't remember it that well. It could have been the wear indicator like you're saying. I vaguely recall it only being on one side, but I guess that could have been from that side wearing down faster somehow.
I refuse to wear reflective clothing on principle even if it does make you more visible. I feel like i shouldn’t have to make up for poor bike infrastructure. I just hope my stubborness won’t be the end of me😂
I totally get where you are coming from. The way I justify it to myself is that most drivers don't WANT to hit you, so make it easier for them so that they can see you further away. Especially when commuting, when it can be dark, rainy and a lot of other distracting traffic.
Alex's sweat rate 🥵 is off-scale in this video 😅 is it GCN's megabase heating or is he simply excited to be Harriet's "Live edition" maintenance guru? 😃
Here's a tip for beginners become familiar with the basic maintenance procedures like fixing flats, adjusting and cleaning brakes and carry some tools. Enjoy.
I think the best maintenance tip for commuters is to ignore everything in this video (except the tyre pressure bit). Ride a Dutch bike with a chain case that doesn’t require any maintenance. And then take it to a shop every now and again. That’s what they do in the Netherlands where virtually everyone cycles.
But then you ride a right old tank which can be a big disadvantage. It's not a problem in NL because it's flat. Once you encounter some hills, get ready for a slog.
@@super8hell similar principles (internal gear hub, full chainguard or a belt, full mudguards, dynamo hub) can be found on a variety of bikes, including more sporty ones.
@@super8hell A Dutch bike could mean anything between a Gazelle Classic and a Koga F3, but it’s common to associate the name just with the former. The latter one is a totally different beast. But I definitely get what you’re saying.
About the helmet, if you are an Asian you will most likely need a helmet that is labelled as Asian fit. We Asians have much rounded head and typical helmets sold in the west won’t fit.
@@ebikescrapper3925 I could probably say the same; commute on a 26" wheel as well and usually air it up to 50 psi or so and don't notice until they bleed back down to 20 psi or so over several weeks, lol.
Tire pressures also vary according to the riders weight, one of the most important aspects of it actually. What works for me, won't necessarily work for someone else.
