Hints for cyclists



  •  Shine your bike with furniture polish



Once your bike is clean, you may want to shine it up. Instead of using liquid or paste wax and spending time applying the wax to the bike's various tubes, joints and hard-to-reach spots, all you really need to do is spray the bike all over with a furniture polish containing wax —something you may well have around the house.




  •  Salt-and-lemon juice rust buster



Salt can cause metal to rust — yet it can also be used to remove rust. If any rust spots appear on the handlebars or wheel rims of your bike, try this home remedy. In a small container, mix ¼ cup (60g) salt with 2 tablespoons lemon juice to make a paste. Apply the paste to the rusted area with a dry cloth and rub it in. Rinse and then dry thoroughly and step back to admire your rust-free bike.




  • Maintain your chain with WD-40



The hardest part of a bicycle to clean is the chain. But you can make the job easier with a little WD-40. Turn the bike upside down and spray some WD-40 onto a soft clean cloth. Rub the chain with the cloth a few links at a time. Then move the pedals forwards to work on a new section of chain.



Once the entire chain is clean, carefully dislodge it from the chain ring (the metal toothed wheel that engages it) and use a screwdriver or blunt knife to remove any dirt that may be lodged between the chain ring's teeth. Once that is done, use a cloth to polish between the teeth with a back-and-forth flossing motion and then replace the chain.




  •  Spray for a smooth ride



To keep the chain of your bicycle well lubricated, spray it with WD-40 and wipe off any excess with a soft cloth. You can also spray WD-40 into the cables and bearings to drive out moisture and also on the springs in the seat to eliminate squeaking. Finally, spray the frame of the bike to keep dust from sticking to it.




  •  Repair a slash with a folded paper



If a sharp rock or anything else in the road slashes a tyre, you can patch the puncture in the inner tube, but it will bulge out through the slash in the tyre when you try to ride. After patching the inner tube, prevent it from bulging by folding a thickish piece of paper — it could be a paper note — into at least four layers and tucking it between the inner tube and the slash in the tyre. This quick fix should hold for at least a short ride home.




  • Let nature help you with a flat tyre



 If you get a flat tyre while cycling and don't have a repair kit with you, completely deflate the tyre, turn the bike upside down and pull one side of the damaged tyre out from the rim of the wheel. A good way to work it out is with the wide end of a house key, but any dull metal object will do. Once the tyre is loose around one side, find some leaves and grass along the roadside and stuff them inside the rim. Then squeeze the tyre back into place and ride straight home. The repair will allow you to ride (carefully) for a while, but not for long, so repair the flat properly as soon as possible.




  •  Baby powder for a smoother ride



If you're a motorcyclist who likes to deck yourself out in leather before taking to the road, sprinkle the bike seat with baby powder before you mount. The fine powder will make it easier for you to slide freely from side to side on the seat, assuring a smooth ride.




  •  Keep your visor fog free



To keep a motorcycle helmet visor from fogging up on the road, put a drop of washing-up liquid on the inside, then rub it over the whole surface with your finger until it's no longer visible.




  •  Motorbike wash-time protectors



If your motorcycle gets caked with mud and grease from the road, you will probably want to hose it down. Be careful to keep the pressurized water away from the cables and controls. The easiest way to do this is to cover them with plastic. Save the plastic sleeves that often come with mail-out magazines and catalogues, and slip them over the handlebars before washing your bike. To keep water out of the ignition lock, put a piece of masking tape over the keyhole.




Credit: Reader's Digest



Picture Credit: Google



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