Good question Brad. The most common thing we see is worn out tires. That is pretty minor, but it is surprising to see someone spending $3,000+ to go to Hawaii who is reluctant to spend $120 for new tires. The second most common thing we see, with alarming regularity, is broken frames. We see a lot of broken frames. It is amazing that people who are so meticulous about their physical preparation often times neglect the maintenance of their equipment and miss major problems. Following this are corroded cables. With the exception of cracked frames (usually at the rear dropouts) each of things is minor and can be quickly corrected. an ounce of preventive maintenance is worth a couple hundred dollars of major work- as with the case of a seized seatpost or stem.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I think Tom has an article on his site that discusses this a bit, but here's mine:

1. Clean chain and minimally wipe down (or preferrably wash) bike once a week or after a particularly grimy ride. Take off the wheels, wash the tires, remove and clean the cassette, take out and clean/lube the seatpost, quill if ya got one, etc. Wash the grip tape...all that kinda stuff.

2. Under GOOD light look over the entire frame for cracks, paint bubbles, anomalies, etc. Pay close attention to carbon fiber parts. Check chain for wear (occasionally).

3. Reassemble the bike and lube appropriately. Tighten everything to spec. Don't forget things like brake cables, water bottle cages, etc. Check your cranks for wobble, make sure the pedals are on tight, lubed, etc.

This is a relatively generic (i.e. no nuts and bolts) list but it's a good start. If you are scared off by doing the wrench work, don't be. Get a starter tool set from Park, a good bike book (like ZInn) and start slow and be patient. A torque wrench is helpful also, to prevent you from trasing certain parts of the bike (I speak from experience). All told, it takes like an hour once a week to do this, and will save you untold hours simply by having a better performing bike that will last longer.

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"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Pre

MattMizenko.com

Try working the bike leg of a race sometime, especially if it involves driving around the course. You'll quickly see what Tom means. You don't often notice it if you are racing, especially if you are nearer to the front, but the bike course, even on a short sprint often becomes littered with triathletes with broken or malfunctioning equipment, usually because they didn't care properly for their bike prior to the race. All those training miles add up. You've got to do more than pop in a set of racing wheels and maybe bolt on the aero bars to make your bike race ready. Even most of those flat tires could probably have been prevented by simply installing new tires.

If you are "training through" a local sprint or Oly, that malfunction may be nothing more than an inconvenience (and a six-pack of beer to your friend you bet you could beat). If its your goal race for the year, one that you've spent countless days and hours training for, and $4000 for that new bike go faster on, then its just stupid. I'd have said it would be a shame except that its totally preventable. So....its just stupid.

If its an A race (IM or 1/2IM) I would firstly find a really good mechanic, then buy new or change to race tires, depending on miles I would also change chain (especially if its only one A race a yr). On top of a normal service I would ask my mechanic to check a) wheels (for integrity and whether its true) b)on an older bike, check cables, brakes, and derailleur ( not sure what he can pick up anything but I once saw a lady at IMC at the bottom of the last hill coming into Penticton by the airport with her rear derailleur in pieces!)

Before the race I would check aero bar bolts are tight and (if I was had to fly to race) make sure its set up at the correct angle. Again I have experienced broken aerobar in a middle of a ride, that was not a fun surprise!

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Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??

Matt Mizenko is spot on. (I follow almost the identical routine and frequency.) The more you know about your bike, the better off you'll be. Don't be a slave to the bike shop mechanics. You can do so much on your own, it will surprise you and save you money.
Money well spent:
1. Park tool kit
2. Bicycle stand
3. Chain cleaning tool+degreaser+dry lube
Even if you aren't mechanical, learning how to do basic maintenance will pay huge dividends.

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Adam Duncan
New York, NY

I agree with Matt and Aduncan, but not as regards an A race. I do a fair amount of routine maintenance but as I lead into a race that I spent 5 months preparing for and having paid $$$ to fly to another continent to race I prefer a pro to have it looked over. This last race was a good example, the components were 4 yrs old 105s and very well used. I ended up getting a new rear mech, cables and overhaul of the BB, I kind of expected it since the bike had been ridden in all conditions for the last 4 yrs. Would the parts have failed, probably not.

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Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??

One piece of advice that works for me- the easier you make it on yourself to do the regular maintenance, the more likely you are to do it regularly. As an example, I switched to a SRAM chain with the removable link, so I don't need to break a link to remove the chain. As a result I've found that I tend to clean the chain more now, since I can just pull it off, throw it in an old milk jug with some degreaser, shake it around and let it soak for 1/2 an hour, rinse, install, lube, and I'm good to go. I used to hate cleaning the chain on the bike or breaking the link to take it off. With the cassette, I've found that I can actually clean it faster if remove it from the wheel and quickly wash it, vs trying to scrub in all the little crevices with a brush.

in addition to MattMiz's list, for A races I like to clean and polish the bike, wheel rims and spokes. Apart from the stylin' look, I figure making everything more slippery can't hurt either. Lemon Pledge or Pedro's Bike Lust both work fine. Plus, while spending the time to polish you can inspect everything closely.

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"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview

I'm a big fan of Pedro's bike lust as well. It's pretty much like Armor All for your bike and seems to give it a quasi-water proof coating which seems to keep dirt/grime accumulation to a minimum. And it makes your bike look great.

I also just wanted to say that I'm a big fan of taking my bike to the mechanic when I'm out of my league. Generally, any major surgery on the bike is better left to the shop. Outpatient stuff I handle on my own.

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Adam Duncan
New York, NY