A few tips to extend the life of your parts

一.maintenance and prevention of parts damage is the key

    Choose when and where you ride
    Not riding in bad weather will greatly increase the life of your drivetrain, brakes, tires and bearings. Of course, sometimes this is unavoidable, but if you can choose not to ride on wet, muddy, or gravel-filled paths, then your bike will thank you.
    If you really can't avoid it or plan to ride off-road, then consider whether there will be water on the route, for example, after heavy rain, the trails and gravel roads will be wetter than on wide roads, and a little adjustment of your route will greatly extend the life of the parts.

    Clean your drivetrain, lubricate the chain
    Keeping your drivetrain clean and lubricated can greatly increase the life of your drivetrain. To give an extreme example, in the absence of maintenance, the entire drivetrain of the same model is covered in rust in less than 1000 km and has to be replaced, while those who keep it clean and use high-quality lubricants can use at least 5000 km of chain alone.
    In order to pursue marginal benefits, different chain oils have been developed, and a well-maintained chain can have a service life of more than 10,000 kilometers, while other components are far beyond this category. If you feel that the chain load is rough or dry during riding, then you need to lubricate it as soon as possible, usually the chain oil is divided into wax type (dry) and oily (wet), generally speaking, wax type chain oil is not easy to stain, suitable for dry environment, reduce chain wear; Oily chain oil is suitable for humid environments and has stronger adhesion, but it can easily get dirty.
    Timely inspection of chain wear and stretching is another important point to protect the transmission system, before your chain wears out and lengthens, so as not to accelerate the wear of flywheels and discs, or break and cause unpredictable damage. A chain ruler is often required to confirm that the chain is elongated, and some brands of chains will come with a chain ruler that needs to be replaced immediately when the chain exceeds the stretch cordon.

    Implement preventive maintenance
    The drivetrain is only one part of the bike, and other things such as the center axle, bowl set, hub, etc. can also be cleaned and maintained preventively. Simple cleaning and lubrication of these often overlooked areas can also greatly increase service life by removing accumulated gravel and preventing corrosion.
    In addition, if your car has movable parts such as suspension or lifting seat tubes, fine sand and dust will trap under the seals and gradually damage the surface of these telescopic parts. Usually suppliers recommend that similar parts be serviced for 50 or 100 hours, and if you can't remember when it was last served, it's definitely time to do so.

    Brake pads, to make the pads inspected
    Whether you're using disc or rim brakes, the brake surfaces wear out depending on the age of use, but taking precautions can greatly improve the life of your parts. For rim braking, this action can be as simple as cleaning your rim with a clean rag and removing dirt from the brake pad.
    For disc brakes, the most common cause of premature wear is improper caliper installation or uneven friction caused by warping the plates. Disc brake road kits are among the most affected parts in the supply chain, and the adjustment of the brakes can have a significant impact on wear and braking results. Usually, the thickness of the disc can be replaced when it is less than 1mm, and do not forget that the disc will eventually wear out, and checking the relevant parts in time can detect the problem early.

    Avoid sweat soaking and take active care
    The winter weather in the north is cold, many riders choose to use the riding platform at home, because of the relatively fixed posture and a large amount of sweat dripping, it is very likely to cause sweat to penetrate into the inside of the spare parts, the salt carried in the sweat will accelerate the oxidation of metal parts, and the accumulated salt will also cause damage to spare parts, and many pictures of salt corrosion parts on the Internet are shocking.
    Therefore, when using the riding platform or riding on muddy roads, after riding, sweat and mud should be avoided directly penetrating into the interior of the parts, if it has accidentally penetrated, please actively clean and clean, which will greatly extend the service life.

二. Select compatible products for appropriate upgrades or downgrades
    When the parts do reach replacement, you find that the same model of the product has long been out of stock, and you need to find a more advanced or downgraded compatible product to replace. This is also an opportunity to get an idea of the part compatibility you need and see if there is a low-end or high-end part that can be replaced.
    The road disc, for example, is a classic example, starting at 11 speeds, Shimano Ultegra's discs can be replaced to almost any Shimano model crank. Flywheels and chains are another example where they need to be quickly matched, and can be safely upgraded or downgraded regardless of level. Usually for the drivetrain, parts of the same brand can be mixed with the same speed, such as the 105 crank with Dura-Ace discs. Or choose some third-party platters.
    The main focus of other spare parts is compatibility, such as OD2 head tube and others such as seat tube diameter, as long as it is compatible.

三. look in the second-hand market
    In a shortage of parts, buying new parts can be difficult and expensive. If you are not an OCD, then buying old parts can be a great avenue. You can look for it on a certain fish, a certain transfer, and even a foreign shopping website.
    Of course, it is not recommended to buy consumable parts in the second-hand market, such as chains, flywheels, etc., and it is not recommended to buy second-hand products such as brake pads and discs, but other spare parts can be selected if they are in good condition.
    It is worth noting that the second-hand market is risky, most of the products do not have a warranty, and the quality is all up to their own judgment, whether they can accept these shortcomings, different people.

四. Avoid copycat products; Choose carefully and avoid fakes
    As long as a product is purchased from an unofficially licensed channel, especially on a second-hand platform, there is a key problem: the existence of counterfeit products.
    Knockoffs and knockoffs are nothing new, and in the bicycle industry, the number of knockoffs is increasing day by day. Counterfeit Shimano and KMC chains are now everywhere and can overturn if they are not noticed. In order to meet the needs of some people, it is no secret that copycat carbon fiber frames such as S-Works, Pinarello, carbon fiber parts and even garbage products that are claimed to be factory goods exist.
    These products have major security risks, brands and platforms are also working hard to combat counterfeiting, as a consumer, do not be greedy and cheap, if you are not sure of your own judgment, it is recommended to buy from a well-known and trustworthy retailer.

五. Think outside the box
    Need a new shift kit but none of the merchants are in stock? Perhaps this is the best time to think outside the box and switch to a single-disc shift, or even radical enough, that the flywheel can be converted into a full single-speed car without the need to be converted into a full single-speed car. The idea is not for those who participate in group rides and live on undulating road lots, but it is certainly an option for those who prefer to ride alone and in flat environments. A typical single-speed conversion requires a single-speed flywheel and chain without any shifting system, and most importantly, it is not very expensive and not a permanent change.
    The above is just one example, let you think outside the box when there is a shortage of parts, maybe you can have a different experience.

六. Don't always be in the online world
    Because of the rapid development of the Internet, many people completely live in the network world, it is easy to form an information cocoon, and the spare parts information searched on the Internet will show out of stock, premium, and it is very likely to be misled.
    The reality is that many spare parts manufacturers will close online agents and online sales channels to support their offline retail partners. For example, Giant, Trek, Specialized, or almost any major bicycle company has parts that are only available offline. The same goes for Shimano, SRAM, Fox and countless other parts manufacturers, not all available bike accessories are listed on the Internet.
    If you can't find a part online, call your local bike shop to see if they can help, there's a good chance there's a different solution.