Your guide to Bicycle Maintenance

Your guide to Bicycle Maintenance

Bicycle maintenance is crucial to keeping your bike in healthy working order! If you want to avoid failures while you’re out on a ride and expensive repair bills, we recommend following this guide! 

Bicycle maintenance is relatively easy and does not require much time or effort! Whether you are new to cycling or a seasoned cyclist you will be able to do all the things our on list!

Without further ado, let's begin!

Air 

Let's start with the basics, bicycle tires need to have air in them! Properly inflated tires will help prevent against a number of issues that can affect other parts of the bike, while also ensuring you have a smooth and comfortable ride. 

Be sure to check your tire has the correct pressure. The correct tire pressure is imprinted into the sidewall of the tire. Inflate or deflate your tire, depending if your tire is above or below the recommended pressure. 

Brakes  

The brakes are what help you bring your bike to a controlled stop - or a stop in a hurry! So you need to make sure the brakes are in very good working order! To check how tight your brakes are, pull on both brake levers, and ensure the brakes engage properly and smoothly. While the brakes are engaged try and push the bike forward. If there is any movement, the brakes will need to be tightened more. 

Chain 

Inspect the chain and ensure it is well lubricated and clean. Having a lubricated and clean chain will ensure that the bike changes gears correctly. A clean and lubricated chain will help make the drivetrain last longer. The drivetrain is made up of the front and rear gears, rear cassette, rear derailleur and the chain. 

Next up are the parts we recommended you check once a week!

Bike Rims

Lift the bike up off the ground and spin the wheels freely. Make sure the wheels as they spin, spin straight and there is no wobbling. As the wheel spins, if it moves side to side or up and down is a clear sign that your wheels are buckled. In order to unbuckle a wheel you will need to bring your bike in for a tune-up, as it requires specialist equipment. 

Bike Seat Height 

Make sure your seat is adjusted at the right height and position for you. The correct height of your saddle is important for pedaling, as well as avoiding any injury to your knee or leg caused by incorrect seat position. Your leg should extend to the 6 o’clock position and your knee should be slightly bent to avoid any injury and ensure efficient pedaling. 

Bike Cranks 

The pedals are attached to the bike by the cranks. The crank arms should be tight. Pull each crank to make sure they are tight and they are not loose. You should not ride a bike with a loose crank. 

Bike Headset 

Hold the front brake of the bike and rock the bike back and forth. If there is excessive play in the headset, it needs to be adjusted. Do not ride with a loose headset. 

Bike Gears 

Spin the crank and change through the gears. Make sure the chain shifts through the gears with ease. If the chain struggles to chain from one gear to another, jumping up or down or getting stuck, the rear cassette must be adjusted. 

A well maintained bicycle ensures parts and components are less likely to fail, which means you're less likely to receive expensive repair bills!  Setting aside a couple of minutes a week can be really beneficial in the long run - keeping your bike healthy! Having read this checklist, we hope you are set to go on your next adventure!