Maintenance

1. Keep it clean

If there is one thing you can do to prolong the life of your bike, it is keeping it clean. No fancy cleaning kit required – a bucket of soapy water, a sponge and an old toothbrush is all you need, though a proper degreaser will help break down the oil and grit in the chain and gear sprockets.

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2. Keep your tires inflated properly

Poorly inflated tires are prone to punctures. Forget flimsy hand pumps – you need a standing track pump with a pressure gauge to do the job. Nice bike shops will let you borrow theirs. Look on the side of your tire for a number followed by the letters PSI. That tells you how much air to put in.

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3. Check your brake pads

Worn brake pads equal rubbish brakes. You can tell they are worn if you can hardly see the grooves anymore. Replace Brake pads

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4. Silence squeaky brakes

Screeching brakes are often dirty brakes, or at least dirty wheel rims. Clean and dry both properly and 50% of the time, you’ve solved the problem. If that doesn’t work, they might need adjusting.

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5. Tighten saggy brakes

If your brakes have become sluggish i.e. if you squeeze the brake lever and it moves more than halfway towards the handlebars – you need to tighten them up. The easiest way to do this is twist the barrel adjuster by the brake lever. 

6. Get a professional service
Once a year should be fine, ideally at the start of spring if you’ve been brave enough to cycle through winter. There is no shame in getting the pros in.

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7. Lubrication, lubrication, lubrication

Buy some bike-specific lubricant and use it sparingly on any parts of your bike where metal touches metal. There is no point oiling your chain unless you have cleaned it properly first – you’ll make matters worse.

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8. Check if your wheel is “true”

Turn your bike upside down and spin your wheels. Do they wobble a little from side to side? If so, they need “truing”. You should let a bike shop will do this for you.

9. Get your saddle perfect

If you are prone to SBS (sore bum syndrome), experiment a little with your saddle, raising or tilting it slightly to suit your riding style. If you get sore knees while cycling, you might have your saddle too low. When you pedal, your legs should be almost straight on the downwards revolution.