Don't let these evens turn you off a MTB trek - just remember these little bits of wisdom/warning so you are aware of them beforehand!

CONTENTS :

1. DERAILLEUR PROBLEMS
   

2. CHAIN LOCKING
   

3. INSECT EYE
   

4. SIEZED SHOCKIES
   

5. RACK BREAKAGES
   

DERAILLEUR PROBLEMS

DEFINITION : You change gear and the chain feels like it wants to slip back down or try to climb up to the next gear. Or you just hear grinding. A real cause for a tentative mind frame when cycling. (Big wonky sticks run over at speed cause derailleur problems as well, but that's another story.)

RECOVERY : Some bikes have derailleur trimmers on the gear shifters or cable close to the handle bars so you can trim this problem as you ride (like the ones for your brakes).  If not, get off you bike, get your tool kit out - it's time to fiddle.

An allen key and pair of pliers will be handy most of the time with these sorts of problems. Usually a cable has stretched a bit and so you just need to tighten it a fraction. Simply grasp the free end of the cable attached to the derailleur, loosen the allen bolt that holds it securely, pry the cable through until taught and then tighten the allen bolt. This is best done while the set you are adjusting is on its smallest ring (so there's no load on the cable). Oh, I forgot to mention - do this on a flat or going slightly downhill. Never repair your bike on the side of a mountain no matter how urgent the matter, and no matter how good you think you are at it.

A phillips head screwdriver will be handy if you need to trim the lowest or highest gear position - adjust the H (high) or L (low) screws located on the body of the derailleur. This will increase the movement range of the derailleur, but is rarely the cause of these chain problems.

THE GOLDEN RULE : Tight cables are cooperative cables.

CHAIN LOCKING

DEFINITION :This occurs when you get caught on a nasty little rise in too high a gear and you have to shift down very quickly or fall off. (Really it's poor cycling when this happens, and a lack of anticipation, but there's a lot of nice things to see out there and cyclists have been known to daydream.) You think you can quickly drop down to that granny wheel, so you hit the shifter and only back off on the pedal effort for a nanosecond or two... which seems long enough at the time. Unfortunately for you, you end up coming to a grinding halt as your chain gets wedged between two of the front chain rings. Really wedged on some occasions.

RECOVERY : Recovery from this scenario is fairly straightforward, but not easily carried through. Basically you need to work on reversing the direction of the wedged chain - in other words 'go out the door you came in'. Here are some factors that will frustrate you:

1. Every part of the problem you need to look at closely gets greasy and filthy and your hands become too lubricated to get a good hold on anything.

2. Little rivets that are meant to help the chain mount the larger wheels will lock that chain in really nicely

3. There will be virtually no angle to view exactly which part is being held the tightest

4. Everything around the chain will get in the way so as to provide no points of leverage

5. The long thin strong tool that you really need will be sitting at home in the garage

6. Insects, vehicles, dust or worse will materialise and will drive you crazy as you try to solve the problem

7. You'll be scared of making the problem worse with the fixing method you choose

8. Everyone's an expert, but no one will volunteer to do it for you

Generally speaking you may be able to wiggle it out carefully using tyre levers, screwdrivers and patience where necessary. If these three things fail you, remove or clear your front derailleur out of the way and then back pedal so that the chain becomes taught and nearly circles the ring it is still partially on. Kick it in a backwards direction really hard. If that doesn't work, kick it again really really really hard - it's a lot stronger than you think, and the satisfaction when this works is tremendous. Your only other options while out in the middle of nowhere is to either break the chain (but you end up losing a few links) or totally disassemble the front chain ring set (but if you haven't got a welder in your pannier, you may face a reassembly problem).

THE GOLDEN RULE : Don't let this happen to you. If it happens to someone else - help them.

INSECT EYE

DEFINITION : An insect gets in your eye. Midges and sand flies more often than March flies, dragonflies or moths. This usually occurs in the evening, near bodies of water, or in seasonal weather. You were probably not wearing your sun glasses or were wide eyed at something you passed. Grit/dirt/dust/sand doesn't hurt or irritate as much as an insect. My theory for this is that the delicate parts and chemical composition of tiny insects agree less with your eye (when smudged across your eyeball) than a bit of simple gunk.

RECOVERY : Pull over. Some prefer to flush it out with water, but when trekking water can be very valuable, and I've never been comfortable with jets of water hitting the old 'lookie ball'. I prefer to whip out a mirror (the one on your compass is great and very handy usually) twist up a tissue corner and then very carefully pick it out with the corner of the tissue. A good cry doesn't hurt the process either.

THE GOLDEN RULE : Wear your sunglasses as much as possible and don't ride at times when the little buggers are about.

SEIZED SHOCKIES

NOTE : This is an odd entry in that seized shockies are a problem generally, but when pushing a bike up mountains on 'unfavourable surfaces' you actually prefer them that way.

DEFINITION : Your shockies are not responding. They are either rusted in place, you haven't been cleaning or riding your bike regularly enough, or you are simply on a crazy bike trek and you forgot about them for a while you were trying to stay alive. Either way, when you go downhill you feel every pebble on the road.

RECOVERY : Clean them, then lube them. Pulling them to pieces is not the answer unless you are in a bike shop watching someone else do it. To clean them get a clean rag, lift the rubber accordion dust tubes (some models) and get under them to the main shaft. Wipe away as much gunk as possible then compress the shockies. Do this over and over until they are fairly clean. Add a dribble of lube around the top of the rubber tubes and at the point where the shaft enters the casing. Re do the whole cleaning business of the shafts. When it's clean as you can get it lube the shaft/casing entry point again and then ride around for a bit bunny hopping until you get a good consistent response. Do not add water at any stage - there's this thing called rust...

THE GOLDEN RULE : Follow the instructions in the manufacturer's manual and not mine.

RACK BREAKAGES

DEFINITION : As you ride along a part of your luggage dismounts or you hear some crack or grinding sound. The sound may vary according to the way the rack broke, the extent to which it broke, and what else it damaged on the way (e.g. a few spokes). Regardless of the sound you hear, stay balanced and then stop as soon as possible to check it out. The reason a rack breaks is that it has many welds/joins/bends/attachments and it carries a significant load with limited shock proofing.

RECOVERY : The recovery for a rack breakage is like one of those 'choose your own adventure' stories you read when you were a kid. One you establish where it's broken and how bad you can choose a method by which to fix the rack. A little lateral thinking and dreaming doesn't hurt here but what you really need to think about clearly is how long you want this repair to last for - a) the rest of the trip, or b) to the nearest bike shop? Be prepared to invest a bit of time diagnosing the break, planning your repair and carrying it out. Essential resources for this sort of special occasion are the following : gaffa tape, wire, hose clamps, nuts and bolts, or anything that you consider might work. Believe it can be fixed, as it most probably can be. You'll be very proud of a trip lasting fix.

THE GOLDEN RULE : The rack is your best friend as it carries a large weight that you won't want to lug to the next bus stop.