Basic Bike Maintenance For All Riders
Posted on 31. May, 2010 by admin in Bike Maintenance
If you want your bicycle to last a long time and to ride smoothly, you need to perform some basic maintenance tasks. These tasks are fairly easy to do at home and require just a few basic tools. (You could take your bike to the bike shop all the time, but that gets expensive.)
Here are the basic bicycle maintenance procedures every rider should be able to do:
Keep Tires Inflated
Keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure will make your tires last longer, provide a more comfortable ride, and help reduce the risk of flat tires.
To inflate tires yourself, all you need is a bicycle tire pump. You can get a decent floor pump for about $25. (I suggest getting one from a bike shop, rather than a department store.)
Here’s a link to some tips about choosing the proper tire pressure.
Keep Brakes Clean
To keep your brakes working well (which is very important,) you should keep your rims and brake pads clean. A simple way to do this is to wipe down your rims and brake pads with rubbing alcohol.
If you have disc brakes, you can wipe them down with rubbing alcohol or a brake cleaner like Brakleen.
Keep Chain Clean and Lubed
About every 300 miles or 2-4 weeks (whichever comes first,) you should inspect your chain. If it looks very shiny or squeaks, it’s time to lube it up.
The basic process involves wiping off any old dirt and lube, dripping new lube on, then wiping off any excess lube.
Here is a video showing you how to lube your chain.
Wash Your Bike
Eventually, your bike will get dusty, dirty, and covered in sweat. Then it could probably use a good washing.
All you need to do is give it a light rinse with water, wipe it down with some dish soap on a sponge, and give it a quick rinse.
If you perform this regular maintenance, your bike will last for years.
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