Road Maintenance, two Wheeled Life on the Road

The open road is calling... but are you ready, is the bike? Routine maintenance is part of the upkeep, whether two wheels or four, it is a needed aspect of the comfort in an adventure. You will prep and re-prep for your journey, but there will be maintenance needs on the road. Some ideas and amenities that will help as you adventure on!

You will never be able to pack enough for the "what if’s" of road life, but necessary skills and a pre-thought out kit will go a long way. Before my 50 state tour, I spent a day testing the tools on each screw, nut, bolt... that my bike had. This is how I created my tool-kit for the road, only taking what was necessary and that fit my bike. A couple of items to add are zip ties, gorilla tape, plastic bags, and long handled wrenches for the chain maintenance.

Part of the prep is being able to do the work, but also having great insurance to know that you don’t always have to! AMA has excellent roadside assistance that I used for two rear - flat tires. I was close enough to the city to get the free towing and did not need to pull out my tire change kits. (I carried a small kit for when off-road, as well as a small tire pump that can attach to the battery).

It can be easy when you are on a big mile trip to forget about the miles that are flying by and become intertwined with the landscapes around you. You will put on more miles than you think, quicker than you think, and it is important to remember the tire pressure checks and adjustments. (depending on your mileage this might be every other day and at a minimum once / twice a week).

Utilize the free air at gas stations when you stop for fuel, ideally at the start of your day for a more accurate reading of pressure. With that comes the chain, lube, and tightening. This occurred as an every other day or everyday item on my big mileage days. It also matters your weather and road conditions. Remembering to take these little steps will get you a lot more miles out of your chains and give you more time cruising the open road.

The prep may seem tedious, but the, in the end, will make the journey that much more enjoyable. To each there own on how they travel, if you will GPS have the needed equipment and chargers if using maps a tank bag with a plastic sheet for maps is ideal!

Written by Danell Lynn, Guinness World Record Rider–www.danelllynn.com, @danelllynn
Photography copyrights & Images: Kristina Green and Danell Lynn