Looking after your bike

Bikes need to be looked after. They are not like toasters or mobile phones, which are replaced rather than repaired.

This is a basic guide to looking after the kind of bikes we sell, and assumes no previous mechanical knowledge.

In use, a bike will deteriorate. This happens so slowly that you may not notice day to day. These simple tips will slow the process and make your riding happier. Eventually, after a year or two, major work will be necessary and you can bring your bike back to be reborn with a full overhaul.

What to do

Pump up your tyres

All inner tubes lose pressure over time as the air leaks out through the tiny holes in the rubber. You should pump up the tyres once a month. The easiest way to do this is with a big floor standing pump, often called a track pump. Most of these have a pressure gauge, so you can stop pumping when the tyre is at the right pressure. What the pressure should be is written on the side of the tyre. If you don't have a pressure gauge, you can follow the old advice and 'inflate hard'.

If your tyre goes flat in a few days then it has a slow puncture.

Take this opportunity to have a look at your tyres. If you can see the canvas or inner tube, or if the tyre is bulging, it needs replaced. Most people replace the tyre when the tread has worn smooth, which is sensible. Lots of little cuts from broken glass don't really matter. You can pick out any bits of glass at this point.

Check the wheels for buckles, wobbles and loose spokes. These problems are best fixed quickly before they get really bad. We can often sort them out while you wait, and it shouldn't cost much.

Oil the chain

When new, the chain has grease packed in it at the factory. This will last for some time, perhaps weeks, depending on the conditions. You can tell when it has been washed away as the chain will start to make a noise.

There are different ways to lubricate the chain. What follows is a simple way for the non-obsessional bike user.

There are lots of potions sold for chain lubrication. Car engine oil is fine for wet weather, and a spray lubricant, such as TF2 or GT85 for dry.

Apply the heavy oil to the inside run of the chain. Use an oil can. Wipe off the excess with a cloth. Clean the drips off the floor. Repeat as necessary. How often you will need to do this depends on how much you ride in the rain. It is important to wipe off the excess, as an over oiled chain will attract dirt, and eventually become coated in a tar like substance.

Use a spray lubricant after every wet ride, especially on the lower part of the chain. This will displace the water and stop the chain rusting. WD40 will do for this, but nothing else. WD40 IS NOT A LUBRICANT.

A rusty chain will often respond well to a bit of oil. Try it before you buy a new one.

Cleaning your chain can cause problems. A surface wipe with a cloth is best. Using a chain cleaning machine with solvent will take all the good oil out of the insides and can lead to stiff links, rusting and breakages. By the time a chain gets really dirty it is probably worn out and needs replaced anyway. If the chain is really manky then it can be only the dirt thats keeping it working. Cleaning it will make things worse.

Adjust the brakes

When your bike is new, we will have set the brakes to work as well as possible. The pads will wear down, so use the cable adjuster to tighten them up. This is a hollow screw, usually at the brake lever or caliper. When you run out of adjustment, it's time for new brake blocks. Sidepull brake blocks are easy to replace, cantilevers and V brakes more fiddly.

Sidepull brakes can get loose at the pivot over time. Check this by putting the brakes on, then trying to move the bike bike backwards and forwards. If the pads move with the rim, there is something wrong. It can be fixed in the workshop very easily as we have the special spanners.

Find the rattle

Your bike should be almost silent. If it rattles, squeaks or rubs, find out why. If you can't sort it bring the bike back. Small problems ignored can become very expensive. A back tyre rubbing on the frame can wear a hole in the steel tube.

Cleaning your bike

Some people clean their bike after every ride, some never clean at all. If you have the discipline, then a wipe down every day is best. Few people do.

The important bits to keep clean are mostly hidden away inside the bike. The external parts to clean are the chain (see above) and the wheel rims. Dirty rims lead to poor braking.

To clean your bike, domestic cleaning products are good. Get a bucket and some brushes and rags. Fill the bucket with warm water and add a good shake of detergent. You will get good suds with handwash powder. Prop the bike up somehow, start at the top and work down. Stubborn dirt will seldom resist a cream cleaner like Cif and a nailbrush. Rinse with clean water, then spray all bare metal except the wheel rims with TF2 or similar.

You can clean your bike in the bath. It makes a terrible mess of the bath.

Do not jet wash a bike. This will blow all the grease out of the bearings and ruin it.

How often to clean like this depends on how fussy you are. Once every six months is reasonable for a bike in all weather daily use.