Bike Maintenance

Make sure your bike is Etape ready!

We recommend you take your bike for a full service prior to taking part in the Etape to ensure your bike is in top condition when you ride Loch Ness in April. Most local bike shops are extremely busy in the weeks leading up to the event so they advise you to book your service in early.

Our mechanical team will be on hand during registration and on the course to assist with minor tweaks and mechanical issues. However, if your bike is requiring more in-depth attention during registration, you will be directed to local bike shops where time will be limited due to most staff being present at the Event Hub. So be fully prepped and avoid mechanical issues on the day by booking your bike in for a service now.

Bike Maintenance Tips

It’s important at this time of the year to be washing the bike on return from each trip as there is more often than not some salt on the road at some point, and they are generally mucky. Once the bike has been washed down and dried off, check wear on brake blocks, any cuts in tyres and replace if needed. Then use a light spray lube on the front and rear gear mechs, also a light lube on the chain. At this time of year we would normally apply a heavier lube to the chain just before heading out on each trip and check tyre pressures, 100psi is the norm for most 700×23 tyres but check on the side wall for the manufacturer’s recommendation. We recommend using a front and rear light as daylight hours are short and it gives you more visibility to car drivers.

Essential Tools

Before heading out on the road, you should ensure that you have some essential maintenance tools with you. We recommend taking the following items in a seat pack:

• 1 or 2 inner tubes
• Glueless patches, which will seal a cut in a tyre long enough to get you home, or will repair the tube if you are unfortunate to get several punctures. There are plenty of “YouTube” clips on how to change a tube, it’s worth practising at home!
• Tyre levers
• Multi-tool with chain splitter
• Chain speed links, which will join a broken chain
• Pump or air canister inflater
• Mobile phone

You should also attach small flashing LED lights to the front and rear of your bike to increase your visibility to other road users.