theden

Hey guys.

Anyone have any recommendations for bike maintenance prior to a tour? I have a Trek 520 that I use for commuting mostly, with about 6,000 miles on it. It has needed minimal maintenance, only a couple broken spokes and a little truing, new chain around 4,500 miles, new tires around then too. The rear derailler has never had to be touched! Everything seems to roll right, no squeaks, no side to side play in the cranks. I do get some chain slippage every now and then coming off of red lights; how long does a rear cassette last? Other than that, all I can think of is checking the torque on the spokes and doing a little minimal truing. Is there anyway to torque check the spokes at home? All bearings appear to operating normally, but I realize with this many miles an overhaul would be good, just trying to avoid shelling out the bucks to a bike shop if I really don't need it yet.

Thanks!