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Old 03-19-16, 05:38 AM
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staehpj1
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I think you will be well prepared but are probably overthinking things. I am far more cavalier on pretty much all fronts and have not had it cause me much grief despite having done quite a few multi week and multi month tours.

My point isn't that you should be as cavalier as I am about it, but that it probably isn't something to get too carried away with.

As I started doing more tours I stopped doing much maintenance specifically for the tours. This is especially true for longer tours. I tend to only do whatever pre-tour maintenance is almost due any way. This is especially true for replacing parts like chains, tires, and other more consumable parts.

It is less true for repacking bearings. I will do that before a tour if it would be overdue to be done while on tour. I typically do that once a year on bikes that are being ridden much.

The longer the tour the more likely I am to just plan on doing maintenance along the way when it is needed.

I am much less inclined to worry over the details. Grease isn't something I obsess over. I buy a tub of boat trailer grease and use it for any and all bearings that get packed. I think the white lithium grease prohibition is only because it is so thin and needs to be repacked far more often. I never replace a chain until it measures 12-1/16" for 12 full links. I replace cables only if there is fraying and housings almost never. My bike doesn't have a drop of loctite anywhere. I couldn't tell you what grade bolts are on my racks. I have over my almost 60 years of bicycling never used frame saver or bothered to fill pain chips.
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