What are some of the basic skills you should have before heading out on tour? On this episode, I cover the 4 things I recommend you know!

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Basic skills you should have before going on tour

• flat repairs
• • YouTube videos
  • Your local LBS often has "how to" sessions
  • Local bike co-ops

• understanding your spokes
• • Spokes are *really* necessary - they create equal tension across the wheel to maintain the perfectly round shape
  • If one spoke gets loose, the wheel loses its true
  • A tool I always recommend you carry: a spoke tensioner. 
  • You can always notice a loose spoke... if the opposite one is tight, tighten the loose one.
  • If the spokes are all over the place, visit a bike shop in the next town
• brake adjustment
• • Learn how to adjust the pad placement
  • Learn how to adjust the tension on the calipers
  • For disc brake people... understand how to replace a pad, and how to handle a bent disc. Also be aware of heating up discs on long decents (a squirt of water is your friend here)
• saddle adjustment
• • Generally: the saddle should flat, unless that's not comfortable for you
  • You want the saddle back so you're pedaling straight down.
  • Pain in the knees? Very likely a saddle issue. Do some micro adjustments and knee pain will very likely go away!
  • Saddle perfect! Great! Mark it in sharpie so you don't need to do it again!

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Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields' latest release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And a little birdy tells me Jason's recording some new music. More when I know...