Traveling With SRAM eTap

Aloha from Maui!

Sorry for the long break but it has been a very busy winter at Maui Cyclery., but we are back with a friendly tip for those of you who ride bikes equipped with SRAM eTap.

Unless you are one of those who read the instructions cover to cover you may not be aware that you are supposed to remove your eTap derailleur batteries when you travel.  If left on during transport the batteries wake up and actually draw power when they sense motion.  This leaves you with two dead batteries when you get to your final destination and are raring to ride.

The best thing to do for shipping, air travel, and even longer road trips is to remove both derailleur batteries and reinstall the red protective covers that come with both the derailleurs and batteries.  This will help insure that you are fully charged and ready to ride when you get to where you are going..

See you on the road,

Donnie

Spring Bike Maintenance

Maui doesn't really experience the change in seasons that most places do, so riders here rarely have a season that they put their bikes away.  That being said everyone needs to maintain their bikes, and spring is a great time to get the major stuff taken care of.

If you ride even a moderate amount there is a good chance that your chain needs to be replaced at least once a year.  The rest of your drivetrain should be thoroughly cleaned and inspected for wear and replaced if needed.  Changing your shift and brake cables is also a good idea to do at least one a year.  Brake pads, both caliper and disc should also be checked and replaced as needed.  If you are riding disc brakes it is always wise to replace the rotors and pads at the same time.  Using new pads on your old rotors will cause the pads to wear faster and probably make more noise than you will like.  If you are riding a bike with electronic shifting you obviously don't have to worry about your cables, but Shimano, Campy, and SRAM are continuously releasing firmware updates that can do everything from help extend battery life to adding new features like Shimano's newly released Synchro Shifting.  If you ride an electronic groupset ask your mechanic if there are any firmware updates and have them installed.  It shouldn't cost too much and just like your phone or computer it is always best to be up to date.  Spring is also the perfect time to put on a new set of tires to handle all the summer miles you are about to log.

So stop by your favorite local bike shop and get your ride dialed in for summer.  See you on the road.