7 ways to get your bike ready for spring!
Spring is here, but is your bike ready?
Spring has arrived, and the days are getting longer, the sun has more woarmth, and getting out of bed each morning to ride is getting a little easier.
Depending how much you've been riding through winter, your bike might be looking a little worse off. Or maybe you've skipped the colder months, and need to make sure your bike is good to go for the spring and summer that lie ahead.
Here are our 7 tips to make sure your bike is set to go!
1. Give it a good clean
This can be with a bucket and some detergent, but using a pressure washer that is suitable for bikes does save a lot of time. Some people recoil at the idea of using pressure washers, and we don't advocate blasting your bearings, but a washer like the Karcher K2 has about 1600psi, and is perfect for bikes, and cars and outdoor furniture.
The back of the unit has a hose that can suck in detergent on the low pressure setting – this is super useful for a cyclocross bike when you've let the mud dry a bit too long.
You might also want to spary the drivetrain with Bike Juice, from Ride Mechanic. Watered down it makes a great cleaner over the rest of your bike too.
When using the Karcher, keep it about 60cm+ away from the bike, at about a 45 degree angle to the frame tubes, and not directly at the bearings at your headset, bottom bracket or hubs. I find washing the chain at the lowest point of the jockey wheels on your derailleur works best.
Use a rag to dry off the chain and derailleurs, and a clean rag to wipe water off the frame.
2. Make that drivetrain spotless!
The previous clean might not cut it on a seriously dirty drivetrain, so grab an inline chain cleaner and a biodegadeable degreaser (Pedalit do a great one) and backpedal your chain through it. You could do this before the main wash, on it's own, or afterwards – it's up to you.
Chain cleaners have a whole host of brushes inside, and they work the degreser over the innner and outer links of the chain. It's easier than scrubbing with a brush, and a lot cleaner for you too. But still, be patient and keep cycling the chain through for a few minutes. You should see a really even coating.
Wash it all off lightly with a hose, or your Karcher if you prefer. Dry the chain with a rag, and again make sure the derailleurs are dry at all the moving points.
3. Make sure your chain is lubed.
This seems obvious, but there's nothing worse than a chirpy chain that's dry when you're 20 minutes into your ride. This is especially important if you've just cleaned your bike and drivetrain.
Choose a lube suitable for your riding. Wet lubes tend to last longer, especially under heavy use. But dry lubes are great for light riding, dusty conditions, and more frequent lubrication. If in doubt – ask your local bike shop.
I run the lube over the chain then pedal it through for a while, so it sinks into the rollers where the laod on the chain is.
The key then, is to wipe off all the excess if you are using a wet lube, or to let the applicator dry if it's a dry lube. Try getting into the habit of wiping down your chain after every ride, and applying a little more lubricant if needed. But best of all – read our tips on ways to avoid wreaking your drivetrain.
4. Take a look at those break pads
If you hgave been through a wet winter, your brake pads might be trashed. If you've kept your bike parked through winter – who knows how they looked a few months ago?
Take your wheel out to inspect your brake pads. On rim brakes you're looking for excessive or uneven wear, and grit in the pads.
You can file down pads and pick out grit, or just slide a new pair in. Shimano's pads are really good, but companies like SwissStop do great replacement pads that are said to have better feel – and there are specific models for carbon rims, so make sure you get the model you need. The Flash Pro is perfect for everyday use on alloy rims.
If you use disc brakes, the concept is the same. Check for even pad wear, and if it's low – replace the pads.
Check your wheels run freely, and the brakes grab well. If you're not sure, or something seems off, take your bike to your local bike shop for a brake service.
5. Freshen up those contact points
Your saddle, handlebar tape and pedals are your key contact points. So make sure they're in good shape!
Some new bartape will feel great under your hands, and now might be the time to chan ge to something thinner, thicker, or grippier if that's what you have been after.
The Supacaz Super Sticky Kush is a Bike favourite for the patterns, colours and feel.
Wrapping your bartape isn't an art, but there is a knack for it. Start at the bottom and wrap up, and have scissors and finishing tape at hand so you can hold the tension. Aim for really even overalps. But hey, you can just listen to Calvin from Park Tool.
Don't neglect your shoes, pedals and cleats. The most common wear area here is your cleats. Take a look at whether they are worn evenly, or mishapen. They're not expensive parts compared to shoes and pedals, and they do wear with use and cafe time. Not sure if they're worn – ask your local shop. Most riders get about 12 months from a set of cleats, as a reference.
6. Check out your tyres
While your contact points are important, so are the contact points of your bike with the road – your tyres. Check for appropriate inflation, but also check for wear or damage.
If your tyre is getting flat through the middle, or has exposed threads on the casing – bin it and get a new one. Look for any small fragments of glass embedded in the tyre and dig them out. Lower pressure and a small light helps for this.
When inflated, check the tyre still run round, and there are no cracks from age. If in doubt, it is worth replacing them. These 5 tyres might be a good place to start looking.
7. A final once over
Lastly, give the frame and forks a good polish! This is more than aesthetic, it goves you a chance to look over the frame really closely for anything that isn't right. Like cracks, or something out of place. Shift through the gears, test the brakes, and check everything works as it should.
This might seem pretentious, but wiping over your bike and inspecting it is about as important as lubing your chain. Doing it regularly means you can keep an eye on anything that changes, and stop problems before they occur.
