Tag: Spring Cleaning Tips for Cyclists

SPRING BICYCLE MAINTENANCE.
Add the Cyclist to Your Spring Bicycle Maintenance Checklist.

The weather’s warming up and finally the trails and byways are beckoning again in our part of the world. Time to give our trusty machines some love to get them ready for a trouble-free season ahead. And while we’re on the topic, why not do the same for ourselves? Here are 6 do-it-yourself spring bicycle maintenance tips, plus a few thoughts for preparing the rider, too.

6 Essential Spring Bicycle Maintenance Tips

Is your bike still sitting where you left it last fall, maybe put away with the expectation that there would be more fall rides to follow, that you would get around to a thorough cleaning over the winter when fair-weather cycling was done?

Let’s just say if your bike still bears a crust of last fall’s mud and crud, you’re not alone.

For most of us that means spring bicycle maintenance starts with a good cleaning, with particular attention to the bike’s drive train.

1) General Wipe Down
- Use soapy water, gently wipe all non-lubed surfaces with a damp rag, and dry/buff after the dirt is gone.
2) Wheel Check
- Lift each end of the bike and spin each wheel. If the wheel is out of true you’ll notice it with a fixed point close to the rims as a gauge, like brake blocks, or chainstays if you have disc brakes. Running true? Cool. Otherwise, time for a trip to the bike shop, or pull out your spoke wrench if you’re so inclined.
3) Brake Check
- Take a look at the space between rims and brake blocks. If they are not equal on both sides the calipers need centering. Loosen the bolt holding the calipers to the frame (5mm hex bolt on most brakes), center the brake, tighten up.
- Now look at the gap between brake block surfaces and the rims. A smaller gap means swifter, surer braking, so use the microadjusters on the cable ends to close up the space if needed.
- Check the brake cables for smooth operation. If there’s a lot of friction in the cable the calipers will be harder to squeeze and won’t snap away from the rims as they should. Older bikes that see dirty roads and weather are most likely to be affected. A few drops of oil run carefully down the cable core into the casing can help. You’ll need to detach cables from shifters and brakes to do this. Remove them completely and get plenty of lube inside the cable casing to fix a bad case. Keep the oil well away from rims and brake blocks!
4) Drive Train Grunge Purge
- For light dirt on the chain, brush off any loose stuff, use chain lube liberally and run the chain backwards through a rag until it’s good and clean again.
- For heavy dirt the chain should come off the bike for a good soak and scrub. If you’re not equipped your local friendly bike shop will surely help out here.
- Pop out the back wheel, brush and floss the cassette cogs with a rag to get rid of accumulated dirt and grease. Check for chain/cog wear – change gear to lowest (chain on largest cog at the back). Push and pull the chain where it wraps around the cog. If it’s worn you will be able to move the links of the chain around. A small amount of play is okay, but if there’s a lot, and teeth on the cogs are getting a noticeably hooked profile, it’s time to replace.
- Video: How To Clean Your Chain
5) Derailleur Tweaks
- Set your chain on the big ring at the front, smallest cog at the back. Shift down one gear to the next cog at the back. Now look down from above and behind to check where the derailleur jockey cage is positioning the chain. Does it line up exactly with the cog the chain is on? Perfect – done. If it’s toward the wheel, turn the adjuster at the end of the cable ½ turn clockwise. Counter-clockwise if it’s away from the wheel. Change gears again and recheck, adjust until the chain is aligned nicely.
- Check derailleur cables for smooth operation as you did the brake cables. Clean and lube any cable sections that are routed through slides or pulleys.
6) Nuts and Bolts Check
- Make sure the fasteners all over the bike are secure, and pay particular attention to the stem and headset. Things have a habit of working loose over the miles, so retighten anything that needs it.
With a small selection of tools, and a little know how, you’ll be able to handle most of these spring bicycle maintenance tasks yourself. At the very least you’ll be able to identify problems that need some expert attention from your local bike mechanic.

Here are a few more spring cleaning tips from our archives, and a helpful video: How to Clean and Lube Your Bicycle.

Now, how about a little TLC for the human “machine” – so we can prepare for a trouble-free season too?

Here is some golden spring advice from our own Georgena Terry.
April 4, 2018
SPRING ADVICE FROM GEORGENA TERRY.

When Spring arrives and the heady scent of thawing earth and emerging blooms is in the air, the lure of a bicycle ride is overwhelming. Best to make sure you and your bike are ready for the enjoyable hours of riding to come.

Human bodies and bicycle bodies aren’t really all that different when it comes to preparation. Analogies abound. Consider suppleness: are your muscles supple and ready for action? After a long winter, your bicycle’s tires better be supple, too. If they’re dried out and inflexible, they will prone to punctures. Not only that, the feel of the bike will suffer since stiff tires don’t flex. They bounce around rather than deflecting and absorbing imperfections in road surfaces.

I replace my tires and tubes annually, regardless of how many miles they have on them. Time and mileage both take their toll on rubber. Buy the best tires and tubes you can afford. It’s money well spent.

How’s your core strength? It’s the springboard for efficient pedaling. Your bicycle has a core, too: its frame and fork. Time spent cleaning the bike’s core not only makes the bike look good, it can reveal problems before they become disasters. While light scratches in the paint aren’t necessarily a problem, cracks are — especially in aluminum or carbon fiber. If you find a crack, have your local shop check it out.

Steel and aluminum bikes can be waxed and then kept shiny with periodic applications of Lemon Pledge®. The appropriate cleansing and polishing of carbon fiber varies from brand to brand, so ask your dealer about the best way to care for the finish.

Just as stretching keeps the human body from creaking, lubrication helps the bike do the same. What to lubricate? The chain and the pivot points on both derailleurs are the easiest. Chain lubes abound — wax-based products are the cleanest, but may not be robust enough for frequent wet weather rides. A light oil will suffice for the derailleurs.

Finally, make sure everything works! When you squeeze the brake levers, does the bike stop? Do the gears shift properly? Is your saddle ready for another big season? If not, a visit to the bike shop is in order!

Warmer days are coming, so tune up your body and your bike now so you’ll both be ready to take advantage of them!

For more advice and information from Georgena, click here: Georgenaterry.com

Women’s cycling pioneer and founder of Terry Bicycles, Georgena Terry is still actively engaged in her custom “Heart of Steel” bicycle business and is a voice for female cyclists. She continues to ride thousands of miles a year and pursues her passion for the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge with the Wild Goose Chase bike ride/fundraiser along Maryland’s Eastern Shore. We thank her for continued efforts and the contribution of her columns.

January 19, 2016
BROOKLYN FIT CHICK: SPRING CLEANING TIPS FOR YOUR BIKE.

Happy Spring Everybody!

Brooklyn Fit Chick here and I am so excited for the upcoming spring season and the opportunity to get back on my bike outside once again (it’s been too long, folks!)

Every year about this time I take my own road bike “Trixie” to 9th Street Cycles for a tune-up and it got me thinking about what I can do on my own to get her ready for the road all year round. So who better than Bicycling magazine’s Executive Editor Leah Flickinger can offer us all this sound advice?

Here are a few tips from Leah on what we can all do to get our bikes ready to rock:

FRAME

Wipe it down with a clean, damp cloth. As you wipe the frame, use the opportunity to inspect it for nicks, cracks, or other damage. Pay close attention to chain stays where damage can occur when a chain accidentally gets jammed.

WHEEL RIMS

Dirty rims can reduce stopping power. Scrub with a clean rag and mild dish detergent and water. Rinse, then dry. Spin each wheel and check for wobbling. If they wobble, take them to a shop to get trued (a process in which a mechanic adjusts tension in the spokes so the wheel rolls straight).

BRAKES (assuming rim brakes)

Wipe down brake pads with a clean rag, dislodge any crud or buildup, and check them for wear. Pads usually have grooves; when they begin to disappear, it’s time to replace the pads. Spin each wheel and listen for rubbing. If you hear it, adjust the calipers so the pad doesn’t rub. (It’s usually pretty easy to do this manually just by moving the calipers gently.)

CHAIN

Apply degreaser to the chain, scrub it with a clean rag or toothbrush, allow to air dry. Apply a drop of lube to each link/pin (turn the cranks in reverse to get a full rotation). Soak up excess lube by holding a clean rag to the chain and spinning the cranks backward. Then, with your chain in the large ring and smallest cog, use a 12-inch ruler to measure a 24-link section of chain from pin to pin. If it measures 12 1/8″ or more, the chain is worn and you should replace it.

TIRES

Deflate the tire to about half its pressure. Look for cuts in the sidewalls or treads. If you find any that go either through the tire or are deep enough to make you anxious, replace the tire. For knobby tires: If five or more treads are ripped away, the tire will likely fail and should be replaced.

Want to troubleshoot and tackle additional repairs on your own? Check out Bicycling.com repair tips and videos or pick up a copy of Bicycling’s Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook (available at Rodalestore.com).

That’s all for me this month. Looking forward to checking in with all of you soon!

Brooklyn Fit Chick

March 20, 2014