Old-fashioned, but still practical and helpful. If there are words that will describe our bicycles, these might just be it. We could not appreciate our bikes more especially today in the time of the pandemic. With most of the public transportation and our mobility controlled, and with the rising prices of gasoline, we realized how convenient—important, even—it is for us to keep our bikes. Riding bicycles is also good for our health because it is a great way to exercise and is safer against catching the virus compared to vehicles with close ventilation. If you now have a bicycle, then good for you! You should take good care of it. Here are a few ways how:
1. Store it Properly
Store your bike properly in the right place. If you store it properly, your bike will be less prone to environmental factors that can make lose its quality. Putting it in its proper place can also make it less of an eyesore and will keep your garage organized. It might even be best to install some indoor bike rack for it.
2. Clean Your Bike Regularly
This might go without saying. Keeping your bike clean is another way to maintain it and for you to use it more often. This also allows your bike to work in its optimal state. A clean bike also looks better than a muddy and full of grime one. Cleaning your bike does not even require that much expensive kit. You can just prepare some soapy water and a sponge. You should also prepare an old toothbrush to clean the gear sprockets and the chain. Much better, use a degreaser.
3. Always Check Out Your Tires
Always make sure to inflate your tires. Flat tires or tires that are not inflated enough can easily be punctured by things. If possible, do not use hand pumps. A standing track pump will be better. Make sure that your standing track pump has a pressure gauge. This way, you can ensure that your tires are filled with air. Sometimes, a bike shop lets you borrow their pumps. Your tires will have a label on how much should you pump tires with air.
4. Check Your Brakes
Make sure to check if your breaks are working and if your brake pads can do their job well. Do not tolerate your old brake pads. If your brake pads are old, they are already good as gone. It would no longer work that much. You would know your brake pads are good for nothing if you can no longer see the grooves. In fact, replacing your brake pads is not as pricey as it seems. It is even easy to do with a lot of videos and websites to teach you how.
Are your brakes screeching? That might mean either your brakes or wheel rims are dirty. You can fix this easily by cleaning and drying them. If it is still screeching, check out if you need to adjust it.
Have your brakes become loose? You can notice this if your brakes go more than half going to the bike’s handlebars. Tighten up your bike brakes by twiddling your bike’s barrel adjuster near the lever of your brake. If your brakes are still losing, you can check out how to open the bike’s brake nut and do a few tricks.
5. Oil Your Bike
With a lubricant specially made for bikes, oil your bike on the parts where there are lots of metal contacts. You must clean your bike first, though.
6. Check Your Wheels
Check your wheels by spinning them after you have turned them upside down. If you find it wobbling a little, it might need a bit of “truing”. Go and visit your trusted bike shop to have it fixed.
7. Use it Always
The best way to care for your bikes is to use them always. This way, you can properly check whatever is wrong with it. Using your bike regularly will also keep it in tune. This will avoid it from becoming rusty and not oiled enough.
8. Gear Up Your Latex Gloves
When handling your bike, make sure that you are wearing latex gloves or anything that will keep the oil from getting in your nails. It can be quite hard to remove once it gets under your fingernails. In case it really gets in your nails, you can fix this up with sugar, vinegar, and water.
Enjoy the Ride
Here are just some of the tips for taking care of your bike. Make sure to always take care when riding your bike and enjoy the ride! Biking regularly offers a lot of benefits, so you are headed to the right path. If you need anything, you can check out storables.com and see if you can find any storage needs for keeping your bike.
