West Maui Cycles July Bicycle Riding and Tech Tips
James Boote
We all do it. We ride the Maui hills for the challenge and bragging rites! The West Maui Loop and the mother of all road climbs Haleakala. Maui mountain bikers love the steep climbs around Poli Poli State Parkand the West Maui Mountains. And, don't forget the ups and downs of Classic Mac Nuts north of Wailuku town. What we all do, but never think about, is shifting.
No I am not crazy! There is a right time and a very wrong time to shift your bike gears to an easier ratio. You have to think and plan ahead. You see, shifting under load during a climb will not only make a lot of chain noise, shifting at the wrong time could cause the following damages with expensive repairs:
- Bent or snapped bike chain
- Bent chain rings
- Bent or snapped derailuer hanger
- Bent or snapped rear or front derailer
- Or worst, all of the above FAIL
So, please save yourself a long walk home or a wait after your Maui bike ride: Think before you shift those bike gears!!
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