Bicycle maintence can not be ignored. The moment you sit on a Bike
seat you take on the responsibility to BE SAFE. It ensures the safety for You, Your Family, Your Friends, & Everyone
else.
There
are simple things that we can do everytime you ride. They should be performed on all bikes from Toddlers to Childs to
Youths to Adults.
1) Check your tire pressure. Squeeze it...is it Hard or Easy to pinch?
Rubber is porous and does loose air pressure over time. Read the side of the tire,
know the pressure range and adjust with a decent floor pump. The wrong pressure increases your risk of getting
a flat and hurting yourself. Hopefully its just a flat and you didn't do more damage like bend the rim or rip the tire
tread.
2) Check your Wheel Instalation
If your wheels have a quick release reach down and try to move it. You shold
not be able to move it with out having to hold on the bike firmly and brace your hand as you try. It should be
that tight. If your let out a small grunt or it does hurt your hand a bit...then it is tight enough. It is amazing how
many wheels I check that have VERY Loose skewers that will certainly quick release when you do not want them too.
If it is bolt on wheel, have it snugged up with a pair of wrenches. Most
likely.......if it is a bolt on wheel it is a childs bike and needs to be checked by an adult.
3) Check the Health of your Wheel Set
Lift the bike and SPIN the wheel. It should not be rubbing on the brake pads at all. Also look at the
wobble side to side. Sometimes it wobbles so much that it will rub on the brake pad everytime it spins around.
This indicates that your wheels need truing. Truing is adjusting the tension of the spokes to make the wheel spin perfect.
This is something that should be checked fequently so that corrections can be made before the wheel gets out of hand and DANGEROUS.
Almost everyone has seen a wheel that looks like a pretzel. It happens when the tensions are so bad that it pretzels
after hitting a bump or pothole which will stop the bike, but the rider keeps going.....Not Good.
4) Ensure
your Drivetrain runs Smoothly
If you have a
kick stand, put it up. Grab the pedal in one hand and the steady the bike with the other hand holding on to the seat.
Run the pedal backwards and listen. It should run smoothly. The chain should have a shiny look to it and not be
dried out. The chain should not stick or jump out of gear. When riding, the chain should not come off.
Keep the chain lubed - use Prolink by placing the bottle's nozzel
against the chain as you run it backwards. Once it is shinny, use a cloth and wipe it off. It takes 1-2 min and
should be done every 2-4 times you ride it. If not, it wears down the drivetrain so that it does not work well
destroying your cycling experience. Now you have to call me to replace a lot of parts or sometimes just buy a new bike
all together.
If you are a avid cylist change your chain every 1000-2000 miles.
The chain will stretch (wear of the pins)over time due to shifting frequency. The chain wear then wears the driveterain
sprockets to fit it. You then break a chain.....have to replace it and find that it skips because a new chain does not
match your old worn drivetrain sprockets. Then you have to call me to replace the drivetrain or buy a new bike, sometimes
the same price or close to it. A non stretched chain will not wear down the drivetrain and will smoother and faster.
