Basic Bicycle Maintenance

Maintaining a bike is a lot cheaper than maintaining a car; however, it's not entirely cost-free - at least not in terms of time and effort.

While maintaining a bicycle is infinitely cheaper than maintaining a motor car, it's not cost-free, at least not in terms of time and effort. If you want to ensure that regular checks and rectify any problems you may find. The following basic maintenance, advice covers three important bike components tires, brakes, and chain and will help any novice cyclist get the most from his or her bike and ensure that it runs smoothly and safely.

Tires

It's important to keep the right amount of air pressure cycling. In addition, insufficiently inflated tires can increase the risk of Dunturoc by attracting debris which "pinched" between the wheel rim and any obstacle you may cycle over.

Invest in a floor pump which will make pumping up the tires a quick and relatively effortless procedure. A floor pump is fitted with a pressure gauge so you can see when you've pumped enough air into the tires (the recommended air pressure is usually printed on the side of the tire).

Check the tire tread regularly as bald tires provide less grip which can be particularly dangerous in certain situations (e.g. on wet surfaces). In addition, large rips in tires can cause blowouts.

When cycling, always carry a puncture repair kit with you (and a couple of tire levels and hand pumps) in case you need to carry out an emergency repair. If you've never with a little practice can be done quickly. Always check the tire before removing it to see if you can identify what caused the puncture - sometimes a piece of sharp flint will be embedded in the tire - and make a mental note of its position so you know which part of the inner tube inspect once you've removed it.

Brakes

The most common bike braking system uses rubber pads which upon contact with the wheels, slow the bike down and eventually bring it to a stop. You should be able to brake safely without having to exert too much pressure on the brake levers with your hands.

Brake pads should be checked periodically to ensure they're clean and free of debris. At some stage, depending on how far you're cycling and in what sort of conditions, your brake pads will need to be replaced. The pads can be replaced relatively easily; it's usually just a case of removing a pin or loosening an Allen bolt, slipping out the worn pad, replacing it with a new one, and then repositioning the pin or bolt.

Once replaced, however, you need to ensure that the pads are hitting the tire rim evenly at the same time which may necessitate a little adjustment of the pads. Squeaking brakes are a sign that your brakes need to adjust the angle of the leading edges of the brake pads so they make contact with the wheel rim first, leaving about a 0.5mm gap at the back of the pads.

Chain

You need to keep the chain well lubricated but not so much that it attracts dirt and debris. Before lubricating the chain it should be cleaned, as lubricating, a dirty chain can wash abrasive particles into the rollers. You don't need to remove the chain from the bike in order to clean it: You can buy a chain cleaner which can be applied to the chain and will remove dirt effectively, or you can use a cloth and household washing detergent which will do a perfectly adequate job. To clean the chain, thread it slowly through the cloth with your hands until you've
cleaned the entire length of the chain. Also, wipe in between the rear sprockets using a cloth, and clean the chainrings on both sides. There's no need to buy expensive cleaning tools to keep your bike chain and associated components clean, an old toothbrush will remove any dirt and debris that's accumulated on these parts.

When applying lubricant to your bike chain, while it may seem laborious, it's best to apply a drop to each individual chain pin, turning the pedal with your hand to slowly rotate the chain as you apply the lubricant. Once the chain's been oiled, shifting through all the gears will help to transfer the oil so that all the sprockets and chainrings are also lubricated.

For more help, you may want to visit a few bike shops in Dubai.