• Lube that chain!
• Air-up those tires!
• Tighten that seat mesh!
• Check those bolts!
Keeping Up Your Trike
Maintenance Tips for this Riding Season
The sun is out and it’ s time to ride! Whether you just bought your TerraTrike this year or have been a long-time owner, there are some easy maintenance chores for your trike that will save you plenty of headache on the trail( not to mention the wear-and-tear over the trike’ s lifetime).
The mechanics in our Production Department have seen and heard it all when it comes to trike fixes. What they’ ve found is that the vast majority of tune-ups or service appointments customers pay to have them do could have been avoided with some basic maintenance early on. But don’ t worry- we’ re not asking you to re-true a warped wheel or rebuild an internal hub. Here are some maintenance tips that any triker can utilize:
• Lube that chain!
Dirt and grime from the trail can cause your trikes chain to gum-up, which over time can lead to a myriad of issues, most noticably problems with shifting or sluggish performance. Our chains all come pre-lubricated, but after a hundred miles( or a really dusty ride), the chains will need lubricating again. We recommend Rock n’ Roll brand lubricants, which are formulated to clean and lube at the same time. Apply the lube copiously( stay with me folks...) to the chain at the casset, freewheel the chain to distribute, then wipe off any excess. Do this as often as you notice your chain is dirty. It will thank you in the long run.
• Air-up those tires!
Just like too low or too high tire pressure affects your car’ s gas mileage and tire wear, improper tire pressure on your trike can really hurt your ride. Too low, and the trike becomes harder to pedal, wears the tread faster, and risks pinching the tube when going over bumps. Too high, and you risk popping the tube over bumps. So before each ride, be sure to check the pressure on your tires to ensure they are in the range your tire is designed for. Our basic CST tires require 40 psi, while Schwalbe Marathons or Duranos run around 50-60 psi. You can always call TerraTrike to check the rating for your specific tire.
• Tighten that seat mesh!
Over time, a new seat mesh will stretch and comform to your seat. This adds comfort and a“ custom” feel to your ride, but allowing the mesh to loosen too far can cause you to sit right on the frame of the trike and quickly wear out the mesh itself. To correct this, thighten the straps on the back of the mesh to make the seat cover nice and taught on the seat frame.
• Check those bolts!
Over time, road noise and the motion of pedaling will loosen some bolts on your machine. While this might not be an issue at first, it could cause your seat to slide or handlebars to move. It’ s a good idea, then, to check your trike regularly and after long rides for any bolts that are obviously loose and tighten them. Particular areas to check are the bolts holding your seat to the seat clamp, and the bolts holding your seat-stay tube to the frame. These get quite a workout when you’ re pedaling and will loosen eventually.