Maintaining your Equipment

"Safety of the dog & musher always comes first"

It is advised that you look at your equipment before and after every event, just to make sure that you don't put yourself and your dogs at risk with faulty equipment.

If you are an inexperienced mechanic then it is may be easier to let a bike shop do the job for you from time to time.

1. Scooters, Mountain Bikes & 3 or 4-wheeled carts

A. Daily Maintenance

Steering System

Before riding check for your own safety that all bolts in the headset are properly tightened. Neither the stem, handlebar, nor bar ends should move when turned manually.

Headset

Headset bearings seldom need adjustment. However, they should be maintained properly for full riding comfort. Adjustment is required if the lock ring is loose (you can tighten this manually) or the headset bearings are:

-          too tight (controls don't rotate easily)

-          too loose (controls and fork rattle)

First tighten the bearing cup and lock ring as tight as you can without using tools. Then tighten them against each other with 32 mm wrenches.

Chain & Gears

Needs to be checked regularly and cleaned from dust and debris and lubricated to maintain functionality.

Wheels

Bearings

If the hub rattles or is too tight, the bearings might be damaged. Open the locking nut of the bearing and adjust the bearing cone so that the axis rotates easily without sidewise movements. Tighten the locking nut by holding the bearing cone. Check once more, that the adjustment was successful.

Rims

In order to keep the rims straight all spokes ought to be tight. If you notice that a spoke is becoming loose, tighten it immediately as loose spokes tend to loosen even more rapidly. A broken spoke must be replaced as soon as possible.

To straighten a badly warped rim requires professional skill, so we recommend that you let a bike shop do it for you.

Tyres

The most important maintenance guideline is to keep appropriate pressure in the tyres. Soft tyres greatly reduce the swift rolling. Furthermore, they are more easily punctured and worn out. Soft tyres may even result in rim damage.

Replacing the Wheel

You can obtain replacement wheels directly from any Bike Shop.

Brakes

Brake Pads

You should replace used brake pads well before they wear out completely. Otherwise the metallic fasteners will damage the rim. There are a variety of brake pads on the market, so it is better to take an old pad together with its fastening bolts to the shop

When purchasing new pads.

The correct distance between the brake pads and the rim is 2-3 mm. If the pads are too far apart, then the brake lever gets out of range and the brake power deteriorates drastically. On the other hand, if the pads are too close to the rim, then it becomes difficult to dismount the wheel.

The distance is adjusted by screwing the bolts on the brake or brake lever. If their range is not sufficient, you must perform a coarse adjustment of the brake cable. Loosen first the lock bolt of the brake cable. Thereafter pull the cable tight and simultaneously push the brake pads manually onto the rim and tighten the lock bolt.

The brake pads must be centred symmetrically at the same distance from the rim.

In the event that the brake bolt is too tight, you can manually set the brake pads to the right position. If side-pull brakes make a squeaky noise while braking, twist the brake callipers gently so that the anterior ends of the brake pads move slightly closer to the rim. You can twist the shoe arms with ordinary pincers or a wrench.

Brake Cable

In order to ensure easy function and avoid corrosion it is recommended that you lubricate the brake cable now and then with bike oil or ball bearing grease. Particularly in rough weather conditions, the cable running under the footboard is exposed to moisture and dirt.

If the brake does not function smoothly, pull the cable out of its housing, clean and lubricate it and remount. If the cable housing gets damaged it has to be replaced together with the cable.

Don't pull the rear brake cable out from the frame with the cable housing, because it is difficult to push it back. When you replace the cable housing pull it carefully out from the frame, but leave the cable inside the frame. Mount the new housing along the cable.

B. Monthly Maintenance

Clean and lubricate brakes and cables.

Monthly maintenance is especially vital in rough weather conditions.

C. Annual Maintenance

Service in a bicycle shop a must. Straighten rims, lubricate and adjust bearings, replace brake pads. Attend to any scratches with touch up paint provided.

It is highly recommended that you let a bike shop check your scooter so that potential problems having an effect on safety, product life cycle or warranty terms can be identified in time.

D. Always do the following before each run

(i.e. when packing your gear)

Ganglines, tuglines and necklines

Should be cleaned and checked for wear and tear. If they are still in good condition, then any minor "damages" / fraying should be repaired. Webbed ganglines should be checked for any stitching coming loose and be repaired before being used again. Polyethylene lines should be checked for any workmanship pulling loose and lines which are starting to fray should be replaced.

Bungees

Needs to be replaced every 2 years at least as the natural rubber ones start to perish as a result of wind and UV exposure, synthetic rubber ones are resistant to wind and UV, but do not have the same life span as natural rubber with regards to expanding and contracting, they loose their elasticity.

Snaps

Needs to be checked for any damage and cleaned regularly and sprayed with something like Q20 to keep the spring mechanism well lubricated and to prevent rust from setting in. They need to be checked for wear and tear and any which are looking worn down, need to be replaced.

Anchor lines and cable run

Need to be checked regularly for wear and tear as well, and the clips need to be checked and cleaned as above, or if need be replaced.

Harnesses

Needs to be checked for wear and tear, they need to be cleaned of any debris picked up on the run i.e. burrs, blackjacks, any foreign objects which could cause irritation to the animal and cause discomfort. They also need to be washed regularly to clean out the sweat, dust, mud and hair collected on the fleece lining. They need to be checked that they are still in good working order i.e. D rings are still functional and not wearing through.

The X- back's should be checked to the make sure the loop at the tail base is still in good working order, any signs of fraying or wearing through signals that it must be replaced.

The long distance harnesses (used for bikejoring, cani-cross and scooters) have plastic clasps and the clasps should be checked to ensure they snap in place correctly and they are still fully functional. Any signs of damage which affects the clasps proper functionality means the harness needs to be replaced.

Personal protective clothing

Here common sense prevails. Helmets should be checked for any damage which would affect the effectiveness of the design of the product. Goggles used to protect the eyes should be checked and cleaned so that there is clear vision, any scratches should not obscure your line of vision, otherwise it could be distracting and your concentration is then not where it should be. Gloves, shouldn't just be to keep your hands warm, they need to be functional, cycling hand gloves work well as the fingers are free to work any snaps on the trail, should the need arise. They should be the correct size and well-fitting and they usually fasten over the wrist.