On the road from Santiago to La Serena, after my embarrassing accident (my bike fell over when I was parking) a truck-driver stopped to help me out with minor repairs. With his +30 years of experience, he shared a few insights I had put in the back of my mind.
Always carry tools to repair a flat tire:
On my bike, it works very similar as to a normal bicycle. Therefore, I carry, two metal "rods" to displace the tire, patches to cover the hole of the tube, and glue to make it stick. Also, as a regular bicycle hand-pump wont do, I bought a "can" that will temporary that will inflate the tire sufficiently to get to the closest gas station.
Moreover,
Plastic cable ties, whether it´d be a screw and bolt gone missing, or to to secure a piece of equipment, ...like duck-tape, it always comes in handy!
Lubricant Oil for the chain, I´ve been recommended to use it every 200-500 km for good maintenance of the chain. In a normal store, a guy gave me a W40 to use for cleaning and free up rustic pieces, but it does not work for lubricating the chain (Hence, go to a garage or dealer with your questions if you are unsure).
Use a rope to secure your luggage
I mainly used the common stretchable ropes with hooks at the ends to tie down my things on the bike. I was taught that they will eventually start to lose tension, hence allowing your luggage to shift when you drive, and in worst case scenario make you fall over at high speed. The wise truck-driver recommended me to mainly use a normal rope to secure your bags, and use the stretchable ropes and nets to compliment afterwards.
If you are unfamiliar to securing with ropes, there are several youtube videos showcasing the basics! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9YVoZMndbc
- Always secure your luggage with more than one piece / kind of rope, in case the first fails.
- Keep in mind to pack your things as low as possible to avoid a high point of equilibrium. (See the impeccable example above) :)
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