By Matt Russ for USA Triathlon Multisport Zone

I am surrounded by hyper-intelligent women and I have no problem admitting freely that I rely heavily upon them. I figure if you encompass yourself with brainiacs, some of their smarts may rub off, and your own deficiencies might be less apparent. So far it seems to be working. There is one area, however, that I find them to be generally…

Obtuse

1 annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand :

. . . and that would be when it comes to the complex and intricate workings of the bicycle. Now before you fire off the emails attacking my misogyny and chauvinism, let me tell you that men are just as clueless; they just don't admit it. They will get out the liquid nails and glue their cycle computer to the bars. They will proudly cross-thread their pedals and break bolts. They are not afraid to mix it up a bit with their $5000 pride and joy. But there is one attitude that makes

brake is in contact with their rear wheel as they walk their bike out of transition, or worse—during the first mile of the bike leg. I have heard the laments of athletes that traveled thousands of miles and spent thousands of dollars only to have seats fall off, aerobars drop, seat post slide down several inches, and pedals come off. I also work with a master mechanic and bicycle engineer with  me cringe-- that of indifference. When I am trying to explain how to properly re-assemble the bike in Timbuktu, for the most important race of the season, I often want to scream “listen to me! This is critically important to your success.” Instead I get an eyelash bat coupled with the “never mind, my boyfriend/husband will do it.” Well sister, that is the same guy that cross threaded your pedals and glued your cycle computer to the bars.

Let me explain that I come by this frustration honestly. I have listened to athletes notice for the first time that their over 10 years wrenching experience. This guy could write a book on some of the “fixes” he has seen; even from other technicians. What is frustrating is not that mechanicals happen- it is that most of the time they are preventable.

Ladies, if I am conveying this article to you it is because you more often have a laissez-faire attitude towards the greater functions of your bicycle. I am not addressing this to ALL women. There are a great number that take perfect care of their bicycles and are more knowledgeable than most men. But for whatever reason, call it male/female conditioning, societal imprinting, gender roles, whatever; I stand by the statement that women are less apt to take responsibility for the maintenance of their bicycles.

Whew. I said it. It is out. I will await my call from Larry King. Now that we have that out of the way let's move on to changing society in general as it relates to the modern woman and the bicycle. The first thing to understand is that out of all the things that can go technically wrong on race day, your bike is THE weak link. You may struggle to get out of your wetsuit and your shoe may come untied, but these things will not end your race; a mechanical will. The second thing to understand is that your bicycle is your responsibility. Knowledge is power, ladies. If you know how to assemble your bike and get it race-ready, you will not have to wait in that long line, baking in the sun prior to your race. You will be more confident and leave less to chance. Here are the basics . . . now LISTEN TO ME!

Get Good Pre-Race Mechanical Support. As much as your bike is your responsibility, most of the mechanical work should be performed by a trained technician. Before your race (the week before not the day before) take your bike in for inspection. We offer free “bike blessings” to ensure it is in safe working order. Your bike should be clean, lubed, and any potential failure points addressed such as worn cables, tires, or drive train components. These may need to be special ordered and you need to test ride your bike before shipping allow plenty of lead time. If you are changing wheels for your race, it will require adjustment to the drive train and perhaps brakes.

Assembly Required. If you are traveling with your bike you should know how to properly assemble it out of the box. Most of the time this requires a very minimum amount of technical knowledge. Everyone should know how to properly tighten a stem, install wheels, pedals, and seat post. Make a check list with assembly notes for each component (i.e. both pedals are threaded FORWARD, skewer goes on the LEFT, THREE spacers under the stem). It is ok to get it checked out after assembly, but remember that most race day mechanics are very harried and do not have the time to give your bike a thorough inspection.

Eliminate Points of Failure. Components come loose because the bolts are not properly torqued. Carbon fiber frames generally have a torque rating indicated on the frame or component. This requires a torque wrench or key to ensure they are not too lose or tight. It is a very simple tool that anyone can use. If you are having issues with components moving you may also use a product such as Carbon Grip. All bolts should be checked for tightness before your races or better yet, regularly.

Know The Basics. Everyone should know how to change a tire quickly and properly, whether it be a clincher or tubular. If you are intimidated by tubulars, then you may want to stick with a clincher for race day. Lubing the chain should be performed after about every third ride. Wipe off the excess lube that sinks to the bottom of the chain the next morning, which also gets rid of some of the chain gunk. Cleaning the bike helps prevent corrosion. Often poor shifting can be fixed with a very simple adjustment to the cable tension. Most bike shops offer free classes on basic maintenance. You can change a tube in minutes and be on your way, or spend hours waiting for your ride to find you.

Get An Overhaul. Depending on how much you ride you should get a complete overhaul at least annually in which your bike is dissembled, inspected, and all components are cleaned, adjusted, lubricated, and replaced as needed. Sweat is highly corrosive and it drips, along with sports drinks, rain, etc., into the frame. Although the frames are designed to drain, drain holes often get plugged leaving this festering brew in contact with delicate bearings and cables. The real damage is often where you can't see it. If you see surface rust on bolts, the internal components are likely in much worse shape.

There you have it ladies; EMPOWER yourselves. Work with your mechanic, but accept responsibility for your own domains of basic maintenance and race day road worthiness. Drive train inefficiency can bleed off seconds and even minutes. You may obsess over a few seconds lost in transition- that could have been made up with chain lube! Your race actually starts weeks before when you are going through the steps of ensuring that your bike will be in perfect working order on race day. This in and of itself may give you an advantage over your less knowledgeable competition.

Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes up to the professional level, domestically and internationally, for over 20 years. He has achieved Elite licenses from both USA Triathlon and USA Cycling, and is a licensed USA Track and Field Coach. Matt is Head Coach and owner of The Sport Factory. He is a free lance author and his articles are regularly featured in a variety of magazines and websites. Visit sportfactory.com more information or email him at coachmatt@thesportfactory.com