Your bicycle can be the one thing you cherish the most. The wind rushing through your hair as you speed on your bike can feel heavenly, but having a bicycle at your disposal also entails its proper maintenance.

If you are a newbie and are wondering where, to begin with taking care of your bicycle, here are some questions to start you off!

The first little detail you should know about your own bicycle is its thorough cleanliness. Your bicycle is ultimately a delicate machine, irrespective of how tough it looks! You have to make sure that it receives a thorough cleaning often enough to avoid dust or dirt build-up.

Use soapy water and a damp cloth to reach into the tiniest corners. The grease can come off with a little bit of kerosene oil. A toothbrush could help with the inaccessible or narrow parts. Basically, you need to be thorough with the cleaning.

That is the most important part of your bike’s maintenance. However, you must maintain specific precautions if you have an electric bike. It would be best to hire a professional for such bikes.

Check your tires closely. Do they look less inflated than usual? Do they seem to be floppier or more beaten than normal? You have to observe your tires routinely and carefully to ensure that they die on you when you need them the most.

Another thing that you should be aware of is the exact amount of air that the tires on your specific bike type need. Basically, bicycle parts are very specific and the same can be said for its tires.

Knowing such details about your bike will help you avoid overinflating its tires, which is just as troublesome as poorly inflated tires.

Finding yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere with a deflated or punctured tire is easier than you think. Make sure that alongside maintenance, you are also savvy with quick fixes like changing the tires of your bike yourself.

Youtube can be enormously helpful if you are looking for a tutorial to learn the basic tricks. If your bike has a quick-release-lever to aid and abet the process, then all the better!

The numerous cogs, screws, and bolts on your bicycle serve their own unique purposes. While you are carrying out a routine maintenance check, remember to check the tightness of these fixtures which basically hold the entire body of the bike together.

Loose nuts or bolts or the ones that seem insecurely screwed in place need to be fixed right away. While on a ride, make sure that you have some spare nuts and screws on you.

In terms of safety at least, your bike’s brakes are among its most important parts, but they are also easy to neglect. Many people fail to check their pads or don’t even know-how, as the pads are hard to see when using disc brakes.

Winter is a time to check your pads, especially if you use your brakes a lot; you might have perfect braking one day and no braking the next.

Bad brakes can be annoying at best and can be downright dangerous at worst. So, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and pay close attention to them. Lubricants and other oils and fluids can easily contaminate brakes, such as brake fluid and chain lube. Hence, keep an eye on the brakes.

It can be challenging to align the rear wheels of bikes since the spokes must be tensioned. When a wheel is perfectly aligned, all its spokes are connected in exactly the same way.

Tires that wobble in motion or that hit a brake pad just in a small section should be fixed by a bike mechanic. A straightforward fix to align your rear tire can be done at home if one full side of your wheel rubs on the brake pad.

It is therefore essential to ensure that the wheel alignment is checked regularly.

A chain’s wear and tear are similar to your tires and brake pads. As a chain wears, friction in the drivetrain increases, shifting becomes sluggish, and worst of all, other drivetrain components begin to wear out. You can save money and enjoy your riding more by changing your chain at the right time.

Performing a manual check for wear on a regular basis is a good idea. Check it every couple of months if you’re a casual road rider, and more frequently if you ride most days of the week. You should keep a closer eye on chain wear the lazier you are with chain maintenance.

Make sure you increase your intervals of checking, too, during the winter muck.

Discomfort, numbness, and pain are widespread issues among cyclists, affecting their health and enjoyment of their rides. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you are damaging your body.

Even if you become accustomed to it after a few rides, the damage is still being done. As a result of incorrect saddle positioning or choice, these symptoms are often caused by high-pressure zones. So, make sure that your seating is comfortable, especially while traveling a long distance.

So, now you know what questions you should ask to check whether your bicycle is well maintained. Next time you hop on to your bicycle, check all of these factors before paddling away.

One of the major things to consider while you get a new Bike is to get it insured. Bike insurance can help you avoid the costs of repairing your bike. Bike insurances can also help you manage the exorbitant expenses when your bike meets with an accident or suffers any damage.

Though most bike owners fail to consider this as an important factor, you must never fail to do this. There are various kinds of bike insurance policies that cover different things for your bike.

Thus it would be best to go through the insurance terms and conditions before you select the most appropriate policy.

There are several things you must keep in mind to ensure your bike is maintained properly. The most crucial points to keep in mind have been mentioned above.

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