Bike Maintenance for beginners

Not quite as difficult as doing a rubic cube – bike maintenance.

For the beginner, bike maintenance can be an intimidating prospect. Even changing a puncture can be too much. I know of so many bikes which are lying around in garages because the owner doesn’t want to try changing tube. But, it’s not quite as bad as it may look.

Quick Tip – At petrol stations, look out for free plastic gloves, you can save your hands getting oily.

The Most Important and Simple Bike Maintenance

• Keep tyres well inflated (see: Tyre pressure for bikes)
• Keep chain well oiled. Don’t use WD-40, but a proper spray from a bike shop like GT-80. Before and after any ‘rainy’ ride make sure you give chain and cassette a good spray. This will extend the life of your chain, remove annoying squeaks and look better.
• Change Batteries in Bike Lights. I have been in a bike shop, when someone brought a bike in to change batteries in lights, but, it really is straightforward.
• Adjusting Saddle

Very Basic Safety Check.

• Testing Brakes. You want to make sure your brakes work and will stop you going down a hill.
• Make sure nothing is loose to get caught in wheels.

Highly Recommended Maintenance

Mending a Puncture

The above three are very easy. Mending a puncture is a little more involved. It may involve being frustrated with some tyres quite difficult to get on. But, it is much easier to mend a puncture yourself than to have the inconvenience of taking the bike into a bike shop and then collecting it later.

All you need is:

• The ability to take a wheel off. (Hopefully, your wheels will have quick release). If not a simple spanner to take off wheel.
• Tyre leavers.
• Spare inner tube to match your wheels.
• Pump to blow it up.

See: Tips for mending puncture

If you cycle only short distances, the procedures mentioned above will probably be all you need. Other things may be done on a yearly bike maintenance service. So it may be easier just to take bike into a bike shop and not worry about anything else. However, somethings, are worth learning with little effort.

Other Maintenance which is Fairly Simple.

• Changing Brake blocks.
• Adjusting brake cables.
• Adjusting gears.
• Putting on new chain
• Replacing rear cassette

General tips on bike maintenance. Like many things when you actually try, it often isn’t as bad as you fear. Bear in mind, it is worth seeking help from a more experienced cyclist. You can try reading instructions, but, somehow it is much better to see someone do it (or even better, you try and do it, and have someone giving suggestions)

Related

• Tips for beginners to Cycling
• Cycle maintenance at LCC
• Bike maintenance tools at Wiggle