Ten Bike Maintenance Tips

If you want your bike to last long plus you want to prevent accidents, here are some bike maintenance tips for you.

1. After each use, check your tires. Remember that you will never know what you may have run into while on the road. Small bits of glass, shattered stones and nails might have gotten stuck to the tire. If you find any of these, remove them. Also check for tears, bulges and cuts. If the tire is too damaged, replace it.

2. When you are riding your bike, it is natural for the tires to get a little bit deflated. When you notice this, do not leave it as it is. A deflated tire can affect the quality of your ride. So to keep that from happening, always keep the tire inflated at the recommended pressure rate. You can check the tire pressure using a pressure gauge.

3. Always check your brakes before riding and after riding. If you notice your brake pads to be worn out, do not hesitate to change it. Worn out brake pads won't be able to function fully. Its braking capacity is highly reduced.

One sign of worn out brake pads are worn down ridges. Remember that newer bike models have ridged brake pads so if you notice the ridges to be worn down then it is time to change.

4. Adjust the brakes regularly. Remember that the brake pads should hit the rim and not the tire or the spokes. If you notice these irregularities, then take time to adjust it. Brake pads that hit other than the rim is really not that effective when it comes to braking.

5. Do not forget to check your hand brakes too. If the hand brakes travel less than one inch when you press them, then you might want to do some adjustments.

6. Always check the bolts on your bike. When checking, avoid rushing because by doing so you might end up missing something. If you notice some loosened bolts tighten them. In addition, check if the other bolts are tight enough.

7. Grease your chain on a regular basis. When greasing, turn your bike upside down. Before you put the grease on, run a piece of clean cloth through the chain turning it using the pedal. Then, perform the same procedure but this time instead of a cloth, apply a thin layer of grease. Avoid excessive use of grease because grease attracts dirt.

8. One of the best ways to check the brakes and tires is by riding it for some distance. If you notice something out of the ordinary, like failing to change gears, poor braking, etc., then you might want to have it checked or have a closer look at it.

9. Any damaged, lost or broken parts should be replaced. It is not a good idea to ride a bike with incomplete parts because it can have some dangerous results. In addition, failing to replace parts that need replacement can cause bigger problems and more costly repairs.

10. Make sure that your bike is clean and dry before you store it. Moisture can do some damage on some of your bike parts.