| Re: Good News: 1 week, 147.6 miles on Schwinn Sidewinder
Some hubs ship OEM from the factory with tight cones. The idea is
that they will "loosen up" with some use. Others get too loose after
just a few miles.
With 147 miles on the bike, now is the time to adjust all the cables
and check all the major bearings : bottom bracket, axles, pedals, and
headset to ensure proper pre-loading and lubrication.
All manufactured goods obey a "bathtub curve" of failure rates.
Therefore it makes sense to give your bike a 30-day tuneup during the
"infant mortality" phase, to ensure that the bike will make it to the
"wearout" phase 50,000 miles or so from now ...
If you're about to do 160 miles on the bike, I'd give it a 30-day
checkup beforehand to have a fair comparision to a bikeshop-bought
bicycle. I think it's a rare bike that comes in for a 30-day check at
a bike shop with 300 miles logged in only 30 days.
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA
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