By Steven Jones

Getting your bike out after a long winter spell could mean trouble if not properly maintained. Here are a few tips on how to take care of your two-tire friend throughout the season.

1. Keep your tires fully inflated. If you do not know how much pressure should be in your tires, check the side of your tire for a recommended pressure range (usually listed in PSI).

2. Keep your chain lubed. The best way is to wipe your chain with a rag and some degreaser and then lightly drip some bike specific lube onto the rollers of the chain. Rotate the pedals backwards to work the lube into the chain and then wait about 30 minutes to let the lube soak in. Then gently wipe the excess lube off with a clean rag.

3. Keep your cables lubed. Most people don’t think of lubing their cables until their shifting or brakes stop working. Just place a drop or two of lube at the ends of the cable housing and work the shifting and brake lever a little. This will allow the lube to work its way in.

4. Keep your bike clean. A bucket of soapy water and a few rags does wonders for a bike. A clean bike will not only run better, but will also allow you to spot potential mechanical problems quicker.

5. Inspect your bike. A lot of problems can be avoided if you check your bike over really well every week or so (depending on how often you ride). Check the joints of your frame for cracks or bubbles in the paint. If there is a crack or bubbles, take the bike to a qualified mechanic. Check your cables for fraying. If the cables look frayed or rusty, it is a good idea to replace them. Check your tires for cracks or embedded debris. If the tires are beginning to crack and dry rot, you should look into replacing them. If there is debris, use a needle or a small pair of pliers to pull the debris out so that it does not work its way into the tube and cause a flat.

6. Check your bike for loose parts. It is no fun to be riding along and have your cranks fall off. There are two things to be careful of when checking for loose parts. First, do not tighten every bolt and screw on the bike. This will lead to over tightened parts that could become stuck, or worse, break and fail. Second, keep in mind that there are a few bolts on a bike that are threaded backwards. This means the rule of thumb “righty tighty, lefty loosey” does not work on these bolts!

7. Keep your bike stored in a dry place. Water wreaks havoc on the metal that makes up most of the parts on a bike. It can also wash away the grease and lube that coat critical parts. It is also good to keep your bike out of direct sunlight to keep the paint and tires from deteriorating.

8. A well-maintained bike is quiet. Hear lots of crunching and creaking? Then you should probably look into the problems before they become a bigger headache.

9. If you do not know how to fix something, take it to a professional mechanic. Trying to fix something that you know nothing about or are only vaguely familiar with can lead to serious problems and costly repairs. Let the pros take care of it.

10. Just ride it. A bike that is ridden regularly generally works better than one which sits around for months at a time.