Bicycle Maintenance

Welcome to Bicycling for Beginners

There is little doubt that bicycling is great fun and good exercise and generally an enjoyable activity. However it has to be remembered that cycling does have a dangerous side. If you maintain your bicycle properly you can greatly reduce the risks involved. Keeping your bicycle in good mechanical condition is your own responsibility. Failure to maintain your bicycle could lead to a dangerous accident and/or expensive damage to your bicycle. It is never nice to set out cycling and end up having a long walk home instead!

New bicycles usually arrive with an instruction manual that tells you how to look after your specific make and model of bicycle. This is useful information because it is specific to your components and type of bicycle. I’ve written a short guide to some very basic general bicycle maintenance. If you bought your bike second hand or ride one that you found in next doors shed/garage my maintenance guide might be helpful!

Bicycle Tyres
It is important to maintain your bicycle tyres by keeping them inflated at the correct tyre pressure. This will decrease wear to the tyre and reduce the chances of getting a puncture in the tyre. Maintaining the correct tyre pressures will also protect the wheel rim from being damaged if you hit a pot hole, road furniture, stone or other obstacle. The tyre pressure information is usually written on the tyre wall. Regularly check your tyres for levels of wear and damage. Examine tread carefully for any cuts in the tyre surface and remove any sharp objects that may have become lodged in the tyre.

Bicycle Brakes
There are four main types of brakes used on bicycles.

• Calliper Brake
• Cantilever Brake
• V Brake
• Disc Brakes

There are two types of disc brake.

• Mechanical
• Hydraulic

Mechanical disc brakes use conventional cables and brake levers when operated. This type of brake requires manual adjustment to offset any wear of the brake pads. Check the condition of the brake pads and cables regularly.

Hydraulic disc brakes use dedicated brake levers and brake fluid when operated. Some types of hydraulic disc brake adjust automatically as the brake pads wear down whilst others require manual adjustment. There are two types of brake fluid to use in hydraulic brake systems.

• Mineral
• Standard

Regularly check the brake pads for wear and alignment. Brake pads should be evenly spaced from the wheel rim and ideally 1.5mm from the rim. The pads have an indicator that show when they are ready to be replaced. If the pad is worn to the indicator line it needs to be replaced. Failure to replace the brake pads could result in either an accident or damage to the wheel rim or tyre. Lubricate brake pull-cables. If the cables are stretched, frayed or make a creaking sounds when the brakes are applied they need to be replaced.

Brake blocks (or pads) have a series of grooves in them to indicate when they are sufficiently worn and require replacement. When the blocks are worn down to the indication markings it is time to replace them with new ones. To make minor adjustments to the braking pressure there is usually an adjustment screw where the cable enters the brake lever. If you discover that there is too much travel on the brake lever make an adjustment to the cable so that the brake blocks/pads are closer to the wheel rim (approx 2mm).

Bicycle Chain, Derailleur Gears and Cassettes
There are lots of different types of gears and gear mechanism fitted to bicycles. The most popular type is the front and rear derailleur system. This is popular with road (Racing), mountain (MTB) and touring bicycles. This type of gear mechanism is also used for most fitness or hybrid bicycles.

The highest gear is selected when the largest chain-wheel (front) is coupled with the smallest sprocket (rear). The lowest gear is selected when the smallest chain-wheel is coupled with the largest sprocket. The gear mechanisms work by adding tension with the gear levers. When tension is added the mechanism moves the chain over to the next chainwheel or sprocket. To change down gears tension is released and the mechanism retracts. The front mechanism operates the chainwheel and the rear mechanism operates the rear sprockets (collectively known as a gear cassette).

To ensure that the front and rear gear mechanisms work correctly make sure that they are free from dirt, grit and (particularly) sand. Oil all the moving components of the front and rear derailleur with an appropriate lubricant (usually a dry molybdenum oil).

General Maintenance Tips

• A common mistake in bicycle maintenance is the use of deep penetrating oils on chains and bearings. Never use DW40 or similar products on your bicycle chain (or bearings). This type of product is too thin to cope with the friction of a fast moving chain drive. In addition this type of oil will actually remove existing lubrication on the chain and could cause lasting wear and damage to the bicycle chain and sprockets. Never spray this type of oil into bearing housing either for the same reason. This will dissolve the grease in the bearings and can cause a large amount of expensive and dangerous damage to your bicycle.
• Avoid cleaning your bicycle with a pressure washer because it is possible to strip lubricating grease from the bearings. If you do decide to use a pressure washer take care not to direct the water jet in to any bearing housings on the bicycle.
• Keep all gear and brake cables lubricated with a suitable PTFE lubricant.
• Routinely check your tyre pressures and inspect the tyres for any cuts or embedded sharp objects.
• Check that the headset allows the bicycle to steer smoothly. There should be no stiffness or juddering in the bearings.
• Check for loose or damaged wheel spokes and examine the wheel alignment.

Bicycle maintenance is mostly common sense. Keep all moving parts (except gear levers – which work under tension) adequately lubricated with the correct type of oil or grease for your bicycle components. Keep the bike clean and make repairs when necessary. Look after you bicycle and it will look after you. Please read my next post entitled Dawes Giro 300 Review - see if you can guess what it is about!

Jimmy Riddle