How to maintain your bike?

The more you cycle, the more you need to maintain it – everything that moves wears out. The frequency of bike maintenance also depends on the conditions in which you ride. Bikes that are more likely to be ridden off-road or in wet weather need more frequent maintenance than those that are taken out once a month for urban use.

The following tools are needed for home maintenance:

• a cloth for cleaning,
• chain oil,
• screwdriver,
• hexagon sockets, in particular 5 and 6 mm,
• leaf keys, in particular Nos 13 and 15.

Bicycle cleaning and oiling

When it comes to bicycle maintenance, regular cleaning plays an important role. In order to keep the bike clean, it is good to use a cloth and a bicycle cleaning brush. If you don’t have a special brush, an old toothbrush or other smaller brush will do the trick. Any old shirts or other textiles will do. It is recommended that the chain is oiled a couple of times a month and after each ride in rainy weather. Excess oil must be removed from the chain with a cloth, otherwise it will immediately start to collect dirt. It pays to oil – a dry chain won’t last long. Use only special oil to lubricate the chain. Summer oil is not nearly as suitable. The chain could be changed twice a year. If the chain is not oiled, more often. Changing the chain is a good idea, as a stretched chain will start to “eat” the sprockets, and after a while (sometimes a few weeks of driving is enough) the whole clutch will need to be replaced.

Pumping the rubber

Don’t forget to pump the hub regularly, as the pressure you need won’t stay there for more than a week or two. The correct pressure range is marked on the outer hub. It is advisable to have your own bike pump. It’s especially good if the pump has a pressure gauge – a gauge that shows exactly how much pressure is in the rubber at any given time. The prescribed pressure range is usually quite wide. When deciding on the exact pressure, it’s worth considering first and foremost how flat/slippery/soft the road is that you’re driving on. The weight of the cyclist should also be taken into account – the heavier the cyclist, the higher the pressure in the rubber should be. For example, the pressure of a normal city wheel could be between about 3.5 and 5 bar in most cases. If it is a perfect light traffic route, the pressure should be more like 5 bars. If there are gravel roads on the road, it is more like 3.5-4 bars.

Brakes

Adjusting the brakes is one of the most important parts of looking after your bike for your comfort and safety. Make sure the brakes are in good working order before you start driving. The brake pads or discs must be in the correct position, i.e. in contact with the rim horizontally and flush. The brake pads must be exactly the same distance from the wheel/disc, i.e. they must engage simultaneously when the brake link is depressed. In addition, the brake link should react “suddenly” enough, not against the steering wheel.

The V-brakes can be screwed into the centre using the screws on the brake blocks. This usually requires a screwdriver, sometimes a smaller hexagon. If the brake shoe does not fit all the way or is at an angle to the rim, unscrew the shoe with a hex key, tighten it with the appropriate cups and screw it back on.

Good video tutorial on YouTube:

Gearboxes

After a while, it happens again and again that the gearbox starts to “squeak”. The problem is usually that the chain does not run exactly on the sprocket, but slides between the two sprockets, due to stretching or kinking of the gear cable. Turning the gearshift nut helps. On the rear derailleur it is on the end of the cable, see picture. Nuts are mostly made of plastic, sometimes metal and are designed to be twisted between the fingers. No tools are needed here. The screw must be tightened until the gearwheel stops “rattling”, i.e. until the chain runs exactly on the sprocket again.

If the chain comes off or, conversely, does not stay on the top/bottom sprocket, the stopper screw must be adjusted. The purpose of these screws is to limit the range of movement of the gearshift just enough to allow the chain to move up/down the gearbox without coming off. The range of movement of the gearshift increases when the stop screws are loosened and decreases when they are tightened.

To adjust the Shimano Nexus gearshift, proceed as follows:

• Shift to middle gear (No 2).
• The gearshift is located at the end of the rear wheel axle, with the gearshift cable running along the wheel frame.
• Loosen the lock nut on the end of the rope with a No. 10 wrench. Tighten the rope screw (with your fingers) so that the indicator is exactly between two lines in the gear selector window.
• Tighten the counter nut again.

A short checklist for independent bicycle maintenance:

Every week

• Check the rubber pressure, pump more if necessary.
• Make sure the wheel is not “eight”, usually happens when driving into a big hole or jumping off a higher kerb. You need a home key to get the “eight” straight.
• If you’ve been driving in the rain, oil the chain.

Once a month

• Clean the chain more thoroughly and oil again.
• Using a spanner and a screwdriver, tighten all the nuts/screws you can see on your bike. Including pork chops, pork rind, basket, etc.
• Check the spokes of the wheel, if necessary tighten the screw.

Once every six months

• Check whether the outer hub still has a pattern, replace with a new one if necessary.
• Check that the brake pads are not worn too thin, replace if necessary.
• Replace the chain, it is probably stretched out.
• Disconnect the gearshift and brake cables. Clean the throat and the rope and add a little oil.
• Check that the runners or collar are not logging, tighten if necessary.

Some additional suggestions for keeping your bike in good condition:

• Keep the bike indoors. Moisture and rain are never friends of metal.
• If you have had a fall or minor accident, it is definitely a good idea to bring your bike in for maintenance. We’ll check that everything is working properly and that the bike is safe to ride.
• If you can’t do some of the maintenance yourself, bring your bike to the workshop as well. Bugs/problems don’t get better over time, they usually get worse.