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bicycle maintenance guide ios app

those of you who are fairly regular readers may recall that it was the early part of this century before our personas as 21st century cyclists was paid closer attention to. though there's always the probability that i looked without seeing, i can scarcely recall any cycle jerseys from last century featuring a fourth, zipped security pocket to augment the three regular varieties which are considered not only essential, but sacrosanct. velominati, through their rule#29 have reinforced the use of the latter by denouncing so-called european posterior man satchels and forcefully suggesting that saddle bags have no place on a road bike. they have thus left the honourable velocipedinist no alternative but to stuff those pockets with all manner of inner tubes, pumps, tyre levers, digital cameras, spare gloves and the like.

however, as modern members of the peloton, you will doubtless have winced at the damage a few of those items might bring to bear on the hapless smartphone, without which, life is apparently strained at the edges. for though 'tis praiseworthy to base one's riding habits on the mantra 'if it was good enough for eddy...', mr merckx had the comparative luxury of racing in a world mercifully free of mobile phones. not so the average rider of today.

therefore, though the cycle apparel purveyors who have seen fit to add a zipped security pocket may not have foreseen the wholesale attachment to apple pay and instagrammed photos of coffee and carrot cake, assuming the days of the phablet to be numbered, that fourth instance has often proven to be the ideal means of separating technology from its ultimate doom. and aside from such consideration, there's nothing worse than dragging energy gel decorated loose change from the depths of a jersey pocket.

i have often struggled to comprehend the need for carrying a smartphone while out cycling. yes, i have been told several times just how convenient it would be were i to suffer a mechanical malfeasance and have need of calling for assistance. but, i have replied, i have been riding in the principality for nigh on 31 years with out recourse to aid from apple or samsung and it is a salient fact that there are still many areas of the island in which it is impossible to connect to a mobile network.

booyah.

however, just when i thought i'd built an ironclad case, transferable amongst my fellow pelotonese, ian pugh happens along with the bicycle maintenance guide app for the iphone (an android version is in the works) at the miserly price of only £4.99. this well-designed piece of software for ios devices offers a remarkably comprehensive guide on how to maintain or repair your bicycle. it's split into sections featuring professionally filmed how to videos, an illustrated explanation of a bicycle's principal components, a servicing guide covering, weekly, monthly and full service instructions, a diagnostics section to help you figure out what that strange creaking noise might be and the very reason you might wish to take your phone with you, a section on roadside repairs.

ian's motives for developing the bicycle maintenance guide app in the first place are remarkably similar to those that might have inspired us all, if only we harboured the ability to write computer code. "Despite all of my years cycling I have struggled to maintain my bicycle and to keep up with the changes in technology. I've always had to revert to my local cycle shop to repair my bicycle when there is a problem. These are often expensive trips and result in not having my bicycle for a couple of days. Not knowing how to maintain my bicycle brought me to make the app."

in order to minimise the amount of storage space required to install the app, all 35 videos, hosted by madison genesis head mechanic, chuck buckley, are on youtube, from where the app can access them for your viewing and technical pleasure. unfortunately, referring to ian's inability to keep pace with technology, the videos and maintenance articles seem to be exclusively aimed at the shimano owner. even though there are comprehensive sections on both electronic gearing and hydraulic disc brakes, unless you have di2 and shimano discs, you might find certain sections lacking. for instance, shimano and campagnolo hydraulics require mineral oil brake fluid, while sram use dot 5.1 and you really wouldn't want to make the wrong choice.

the section on how to fit a chain illustrates the procedure with a park tool chain tool; those of you who have attempted to fit a campagnolo chain with one of those may wish to recommend a section detailing appropriate swear words, while sram users will probably be grinning ear to ear as they simply join their chains with a power-link. similarly, removing or fitting a chainset, where campagnolo componentry is somewhat different from that of shimano or sram, the videos yet again deal solely with shimano's hollowtech ii.

and i didn't notice any reference to press-fit bearings.

however, none of us are immune from the update feature that accompanies the majority of smartphone and ipad apps these days, so it's quite likely that these nonetheless important variations on a theme could be added at a later date.

incompatibility carping aside, in principle, the bicycle maintenance guide is a worthy addition to your phone, particularly if you're in the habit of carrying it with you on the sunday morning ride. but pay close heed to the servicing sections and it may not be too long before you're happy to leave the phone at home, adding bravery in the face of potential adversity to your curriculum vitae.

after posting this review, i received confirmation from ian pugh that this is simply mk.1 of the app. later updates will feature some of the missing subjects as mentioned above.

bicycle maintenance guide smartphone app

saturday 3 march 2018