If not used correctly, ball bearings are brittle. A high-quality set can bring you years of pleasure, or it can deteriorate before you even put a foot on it. We will impart some knowledge that will lengthen the lifespan of your bearings by informing you of how you may unknowingly damage your bike bearings.
Power cleaning
Everyone knows to stay away from this one, yet sometimes there are no other options. You may think of cyclocross racing or the bike wash at a mountain bike stage event. Keep your distance if you do use a pressure washer. Try to avoid spraying directly into the bearings, but if you must, be aware that you or your technician will need to disassemble the entire bike and reassemble it after the race.
Storing a muddy or damp bicycle
Metal components and liquid or muddy conditions do not get along. It sounds like a productive way to spend a Sunday to go for a sloppy winter ride, store your bike in the garage, and then immediately launch into a marathon Netflix session. The next time you ride your bike, don’t be shocked if it starts whining and grumbling.
Please be courteous enough to wipe down your bike. Alternatively, return and give your two-wheeler some TLC after you have cleaned up the body. The best technique to dry your bearing surfaces is to use compressed air to blow water off them if you have access to a compressor. Ensure you maintain a safe distance when using the nozzle to avoid pushing the water to the insides.
Using subpar tools to install bearings
Anyone with a basic understanding of mechanics, care, and patience may complete it. However, it is a somewhat risky game, and frames and hub sets may become severely damaged if something goes wrong. Bearings can only be installed with the perfect fitting drifts, which is the main reason to bring your urgent job to a technician.
Any improvised fix or “nearly right” press sets are a proven way to destroy your bearing races. This issue won’t surface immediately after installation; it won’t until the balls have been damaged by rolling along uneven tracks for two months.
Ignoring the warnings
The best approach to maintaining your bike is, to be honest with yourself. Pay attention to those signals when riding in the rain and your bottom bracket has been clicking or barely grinding.
If you did not run the bearings into the ground, you could repair them. You can restore your hubs to showroom condition with simple grease or invest in a new bearings kit from https://www.airevelobearings.com/ if you identify problems early. If you ignore the warnings, you’ll end up at the bike store, spending enough money to register for a few races.
Side loading your bearings
Most of a bicycle’s hub and bottom bracket are radial ball bearings designed to operate without side loads. Hubs should be configured so that the axle loading forces of quick-release skewers are kept apart from the bearings.
Last words
With these hints, you can properly maintain your bike bearings.