Bike Maintenance Tips: Cable and Housing

Is it hard to push or twist your shifters? Does your bike hesitate before changing gears? These are all signs that you may be due for new cable and housing. The good news? It’s a relatively inexpensive repair, one with immediately noticeable results.

First, some definitions:

Cable: Your bike’s derailleurs, and possibly brakes, are controlled by strands of stainless steel which are woven together to form a strong cable. Brake and derailleur cables come in one length, and are then trimmed down once installed.

Housing: This is what the cable runs through. Typically 4 or 5 millimeters in diameter and available in a multitude of colors, the housing protects the cable from the elements, and act as a guide to reduce friction when the cable must bend to reach the brakes or derailleur. Some bikes use full length housing, while others use several pieces with the bare cable running in between.

Ferrules: This is the term for the end caps which go on the housing. Ferrules act as a guide for the cable, and prevent the wires inside the housing from fraying.

Why should you replace your cable and housing? Think about the mud, dirt, rain and road grime your bike has been exposed to. Remember all those puddles you splashed through this winter? Well, some of that dirt worked its way into your housing. Imagine trying to push a piece of uncooked spaghetti though a straw. Pretty easy, right? Now, what if that straw was full of mud? This is what happens when your housing becomes contaminated – it takes extra force to pull the cable through.

Sometimes the contamination happens so slowly that you get used to the extra force required to shift through your gears. But, install new cable and housing and you’ll notice how much better your shifting feels, and wonder why you waited so long.

So, if it’s been a while since you showed your drivetrain some love, drop your bike off at the shop for a tune, or stop by to pick up the necessary supplies to do the repairs yourself.

Ride on!

Bellingham Bike to Work and School Day

This Friday, May 18th, is Bike to Work and School Day. From 6:30-9:30am there will be Celebration Stations set up across town with food, prizes and stickers. At noon, there will be the City Hall tricycle race, and the festivities continue at Chuckanut Brewery starting at 5pm. For more information, visit biketoworkandschoolday.org

Bike to Work and School Day is a great way to celebrate commuting by bicycle in Bellingham. Plus, if you have co-workers who have been hesitant to commit to riding to work, tell them about the free food. Sometimes a little bribery is all it takes to get someone to leave their car at home.

Ski to Sea Time is Approaching – Are You Ready?

Ski to Sea Race (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With only three weeks left until Ski to Sea weekend, now is the time to make sure your equipment is ready for the big day. Skiing and biking are our specialties, so we’re going to focus on those legs of the race in this article.

Bike Preparation
Whether you’re signed up for the road or mountain bike portion of the Ski to Sea, it’s crucial to make sure your bike is in good working condition. The last thing you need is for a mechanical to hinder your performance on race day. Check your brake pads, chain and tires for wear. If you’re not sure what to look for, take a look at our previous article on bike maintenance, or stop by the shop for a tune-up. We’ll make sure your bike is dialed in and race ready.

Bike fit is important – even if you’re using a borrowed or rented bike it’s important to make sure the bike fits. Go for a few test rides before the day of the race to make sure you are able to ride in comfort – numbness and pain are never fun, especially during a race. Little things, like installing a shorter stem or a different seat can go a long way towards improving the comfort and fit of a bike. We offer professional bike fitting which is designed to maximize your comfort and efficiency on the bike.

Ski Preparation
Got a need for speed? Our ski shop is stocked with some of the fastest wax money can buy – the same stuff the World Cup and Olympic racers use. Drop your skis off and we’ll get them buffed out and ready to fly. Even if you don’t need the World Cup level wax, our basic wax will help ensure your skis are running smoothly.

Need skis? We have rental skate and classic cross country ski packages available. If you rent them now, you can keep the equipment through race day – skate ski packages are $120, while classic ski packages are $85. This way, you’ll be able to try out the equipment a few times before the race.

Want to brush up on your cross-country skiing technique? Todd Eastman will be holding a skate skiing technique on May 11^th from 10am-1pm at the Heather Meadows base area. Sign up at the shop for this educational on-snow clinic.

We do have one final tip, and it’s the most important: Have fun! Sure, the Ski to Sea is a big race, but it’s also a great way to get outside with your friends and enjoy the recreational activities Whatcom County has to offer. Don’t forget to look around and soak in the views while you’re cruising to victory.

Women’s Ride Day at Fairhaven Bike and Ski

Do you want to meet other women who ride? Our Women’s Ride Day is a great way to make connections and meet other women who are passionate about cycling. Open to female riders of any ability, the celebration kicks off this Saturday, April 28th, with trail and road rides leaving the shop at 11am.

This is a non-competitive event, designed to help you meet your fellow Bellingham area riders.

After the ride, we’ll reconvene at the Firehouse Cafe for beverages, compliments of Fairhaven Bike & Ski.

Questions? Give us a call at (360) 733-4433. We hope to see you on Saturday!

Also, Specialized will be featuring the best Women’s Ride Day photos on Specialized.com.

Here are the instruction from Specialized on how to submit your photos:

“1. Facebook – Post a photo of you and your friends at WRD in the Women’s Ride Day album on SpecializedWMN. Make sure you and your friends are tagged in your post!

2. Twitter, Instagram, or Pintrest- Post a photo on twitter or Instagram of your WRD with #womensrideday and @specializedwmn.

Post your photo by 11 PM on Sunday night and we will pick our top five to feature on Specialized.com. Your facebook/twitter handle will be included in the link as well as a link to your bike shop. Make sure to tag your friends and tell us who you are. Don’t be afraid to get creative, we want to see some cool photos!”

Do You Drive to Ride?

With Bike to Work Day a little over a month away (it’s on May 18^th ), you can be sure you’ll be hearing more about the benefits of bike commuting in the coming days. But there’s an often overlooked place where you can add more biking to your life – getting to the trailhead.

How do you get to your favorite local mountain biking destination? Did you know that in Bellingham, the Birch Street entrance to Galbraith is only 3.7 miles from downtown (using the Bellingham Library as a starting point), while the North Chuckanut trailhead is only 4.7 miles away?

It’s easy to get accustomed to the convenience of driving to the trailhead, but when you factor in the time to load up the car, and the stoplights and traffic encountered along the way, driving really doesn’t save much time. Plus, biking to the trailhead is a great warmup – a nice 20-30 minute spin to loosen up your muscles. And, with the money you save on gas, you’ll have more cash for the shiny new bike parts you’ve been drooling over. Take a look at this map to plan your route. Pick the right combination of side streets and trails and you might even find it’s faster to ride than drive.

There have been numerous studies on how long it takes to form a habit, with no clear conclusion. However, one thing is certain – it takes dedication to develop a new habit and break out of a routine. Start small – maybe commit to riding to the trailhead once every week or two. As you get more accustomed to this new routine, start decreasing the driving and increasing the riding. If you live a little too far to make riding to the trailhead feasible, don’t forget about Bellingham’s bus system. The buses all have bike racks, and for a buck or two you can get to pretty much anywhere in the county. There are even some creative mountain bike rides which involve taking the bus to Alger and then riding back through Blanchard and the Chuckanuts…stop by Fairhaven Bike & Ski for more details.

See you on the trails!