How To Care for Your Bike



Cycling is a fantastic way to get around! But it's important you take care of your new bike. Check out our article which will give you some great tips for bicycle care.

Little and often is better than never

Remember that your bike just needs a little bit of TLC - a regular check and a squirt of oil helps to keep problems at bay more than you could imagine.


Ride your bike - remember that your bike consists of moving parts and they need to keep moving - this can delay and reduce any issues.

Learn to check your bike - it’s as easy as ABC!


A - Air - make sure your tyres are always pumped up! And that the wheels go round uninterrupted. If they do not, then look for any brakes or mudguards or a possible sideways wobble of the wheel. 

B - Brakes - the most important section of the bike - to check a front brake - push the bike forwards and apply a lever! This is usually the right hand one, the bike should come to a stop. For the back brake, you should do the exact same except for pushing the bike back. if you're still in doubt then get it professionally checked out.


C - Chains, Cables, Cogs - lookout for any frayed cables - oil your chain regularly, check the handlebars that the seat doesn't move. 


Look for anything at all that can be considered unusual when it comes to the bike,

Oil your bike! The moving parts of the bike are the chain and the cogs, these only need a light dab of oil, do this little and often (remember?. There are many oil products on the market that will do this job fantastically for you. 


A light lubricant spray works great in the summer and thicker oils will deter the weather - this is especially true in the wintertime. Just do not use cooking or engine oil - it's totally inappropriate!!


Cleanliness is next to godliness. Remove any dirt and grit, but take care you don't crucially need specialist products for your bike. It’s a good idea to always use your bike chain following on from washing it. Make sure you let it dry otherwise that beautiful new chain will start to get creaky - yikes!


Patch that puncture! A puncture might be a bit annoying but it is absolutely 100% fixable! Following some standard steps. All you need to do is first practise at home, with a friend first. Take your time, there is no rush at all and it is much better to get things done the first time when possible. 


Look after the moving parts of your bike.


A bike has a number of moving parts and is subject to a number of forces and wear and tear, as such it's quite important that you are totally prepared to replace parts when needed. It's a great investment for your bike and will mean that it can stay inactive for longer.

If you need more information we recommend you head out and check your local bicycle store, there could be somewhere local - for example, a Bike Shop in Bangor, for you to visit with the knowledge and expertise necessary to give you the best advice that you could possibly want when it comes to bike maintenance, cycling and other bike related stuff.

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