If You Don't Ride In The Winter, You've Probably Spent The Winter Months On The Couch Eating Chipsand Watching Television. Before You Know It, Springwill Be Here And A New Season Of Mountain Biking Will Begin. Even Though Your Body May Not Be In Shape, These Tips Will Ensure That Your Bike Is.Before You Take Your Bike Out, Check The Wear And Tear On Your Components And Adjust Them If Its Necessary. Start Off With Your Chain. If You Haven't Replaced It In A Year Or More, It's Timeto Do So. Over Time, The Individual Parts In Thechain Will Get Worn Out, Increasing Its Effectivelength.As This Happens, The Chain Is No Longer Able To Conform To The Cog And The Teeth Of The Chain Ring, So It Wears Those Teeth Out To Fit The Profile Of The Chain. If You Can Replace The Chain Before It Stretches Too Much You'll Save Yourself From Havingto Replace High Priced Cogs And Chain Rings.Now, Check The Bearing Surfaces. These Include Yourbottom Bracket, Hubs, And The Headset. Each Of These Should Turn Without A Problem With No Play In Thesystem. Before Checking The Bottom Bracket, Makesure Each Cranking Arm Is Snugged Tight. Next, Holdon To The Crank Arm (not The Pedal) And Wobble It Back And Forth. If You Hear Any Clicking Or If Thecrank Arm Binds, The Bottom Bracket Needs To Be Adjusted.Do The Exact Same Thing With Your Hubs. Take Thewheels Off The Bike, Spin The Hub Axles, Then Feelfor Any Free Play Or Binding. If You Feel Play Or Binding, You Need To Make An Adjustment. To Check The Headset, Start Off By Putting The Newly Adjustedwheels Back On The Bike. Now, Grab The Front Brake And Pull And Push The Handle Bars Back And Forth. There Shouldn't Be Anyplay. If You Lift The Front End Off The Ground, The Fork Should Turn Very Smoothly. If It Feels Rough, It Needs To Be Either Adjusted Or Replaced.While Your Looking, Check The Condition Of Your Cablesand Housing. The Cables Should Be Rust Free And The Housing Shouldn't Be Cracked Or Kinked. If You See Anyof This You Should Replace The Offending Device, As If You Don't Your Shifting And Braking Will Be Sluggish.Last, You Should Inspect Your Brake Pads. Most Pads Will Have Ridges Or Indicator Marks That Will Let You Know When They Need To Be Replaced. Brake Pads That Are Worn Out Will Comprimise Both Safety And Brakingefficiency. Once You've Got The Tune Ups Out Of The Way, It's Time To Go For A Ride. With Your Mountain Bike Runningbetter Than Ever, All You Have To Do Now Is Have Fun!(word Count 466)PPPPP
