Why You Have to Get Your Bike Serviced When Training Indoors!
If you only cycle indoors, you might think you’re exempt from bike care and maintenance. After all, how much damage could indoor riding really do to your bike?
Did you know riding your bike indoors can be just as hard on it as riding outdoors? Much like the outdoor elements, your corrosive sweat can take a toll on the condition of your bike. Because there is significantly less airflow over your body when riding on the trainer, more sweat accumulates and drips onto the bike regularly. This will affect performance on almost all of the components on your bike more rapidly than outdoor riding. In general, corrosion from sweat is the biggest indoor training maintenance issue for bikes.
Areas of your bike affected by corrosion on the indoor trainer include:
· Handlebars, Handlebar Tape, and Stem
· Bolts
· Chainring
· Cassette
· Chain
· Rear Wheel Skewer
· Anything Metal on your Bike!
It’s also easy to forget about your drivetrain when riding indoors. While your chain won’t get as dirty from riding outside, it will collect dust, and wear down, and the lube will eventually dry up. It’s important to note that riding on a worn-out chain will cause premature wear of more expensive components like chainrings and cassettes. The last thing you want is for the chain to snap causing you to fall off your trainer!
If you are using a wheel-on trainer, you will also need to get your tires checked for wear. Worn tires can be hazardous if the athlete gets out on the road with them. By maintaining your tires, you will prevent any blowouts and possible injury.
Your well-maintained bike is more likely to last longer, perform better, and continue looking its best! You will save both time and money by bringing in your bike for service so stop by a Playtri Store today and get your bike the TLC it deserves!