With tips from this article you can better maintain and store your bike
Bike maintenance
In a nutshell, bike service is making sure that the bike is safe to ride.
Three main points are gears, brakes and tires. When those three are in order the bike is as good to go and safe to ride. Keep your bike, and especially the moving parts (drivetrain, brakes and so on), clean. Chain should be lubricated lightly with proper lubricants. The braking surfaces should be kept clean. There should be a proper amount of pressure in the tires. Air pressure in the tires should be checked weekly, but at least monthly. The correct preassure is written on the side of the tire.
Bike should be serviced at least once a year.
- If used more than the summer months, two services should be ok.
- Three or more services would be good if the bike is used around the year actively, especially if it's being used during the winter, which is a hard season for the bike because of the possible road salt and the see-sawing temperatures.
- A brand new bike needs a first service usually at 100km to 300km ride. The bolts and spokes and cables have by then loosened and stretched up by the first proper tremors of the rides, and should be tightened to ensure everything keeps nice and sharp and collected.
Rather service the bike before it needs actual repairs for a problem. This might prevent costly repairs, upgrades or component swaps. There’s nothing really to be done to the chain and cassette or brake pad wear (except keeping them clean), but it’ll prevent other things from breaking and making the bike ride more nicely. Changing the chain in time prevents the cassette and chainring wear.
The suspension needs to be checked up after every 50 hrs of riding (new ones should have a first service after 25 hours of usage). If only ridden during summer, it is ok to perform the service after the summer riding season. If ridden extensively and/or throughout the winter, the suspension should be checked after every 50 hrs of usage.
Keep your tires inflated. Riding a bike that hasn’t got enough air in the tires will damage the tire and make the tube more prone to flats, thus shortening the lifespan of the tires and rims. Tires usually have the recommended pressure scale printed on the side. Within that scale, you can choose what is best for your personal comfort and riding style.
These signs are red flags that you need to service the bike:
- The brakes are making strange noises like metal-to-metal chafing or extensive screeching, or worse: they don’t work at all! Also, if the lever reaches the handlebar and nothing happens it is a sign to at least adjust the brakes.
- If your gears skip while pedaling, or you can't get the gear on, the derailleur or derailleur hanger might need a bit of trimming, or your chain is too stretched and doesn’t fit properly on the cogs or the chainrings. Also, stretched, worn or dirty cables and cable housings could be the root for gear related problems.
- Something feels loose or wobbly or the bike makes odd noises that weren’t there before.
For more information check your bicycles user manual or the manufacturers home page resources.
🏠Bike storage
It´s good to always store your bike indoors, if possible. Wash/clean your bike and let it dry before you leave it in storage. This way you´ll remove most of the corrosive dirt. Moisture is not a friend for the bike rider. This especially is a concern for e-bike riders, although modern electrical systems are fortunately quite tolerant against moisture.
If your bike has a kickstand, it´s perfectly fine to store it standing with it. There are also a lot of different kinds of hooks, racks and stands designed for storing bikes. Some racks one can attach to a wall or the ceiling, to save up space, some keep your bike standing upright on the floor. Never store your bike upside down. Almost all of the bikes nowadays sport hydraulic disc brakes, and these brakes are designed to be “self-adjusting” with tiny air valves. When stored upside down, some air could enter the brake system, resulting in malfunction of the brake and a need to bleed the brake system. Standing upside-down may also damage your saddle and grips, as well as the components and accessories mounted on the handlebar.
If you´re not riding your bike for a longer period (for example over the winter), here´s a checklist before leaving the bike in the storage:
- Clean the bike. Let it dry. Apply chain oil lightly on the dry chain and wipe off the excess.
- Set the gears so there is least tension on the cable.
- Inflate the tires. Empty tires will deform and develop cracks on the sidewalls. It might be wise to pop by to pump the tires once a while during a longer storage.
With eBike: - Remove the battery from the frame. If the display has a quick release, remove that too.
- Store the battery indoors, in a dry and preferably cooler than warm indoor temperature. Do not cover the battery or store it near heating elements or moisture sources. For thew longevity of the battery, as well as for the safety, it's best to store it charged at 40-80 % capacity.
- If you´re not riding during the winter at all, check the charge every 2 or 3 months. If the battery has discharged, charge it up to 40-80 %.
- DO NOT store the battery fully charged or let it run empty.