Getting your Bike Ready for Spring

Getting your Bike Ready for Spring

With spring around the corner, so we thought we’d dedicate this week’s blog post on how you can get your bike ready for spring. Whether you’ve been riding during the winter or not, we still suggest you do these few checks to make sure you’re all ready and raring to go.

Back to Basics:

  • Rinse off any salts, sand and grime that may be lingering on the bike/tyres with a hose (using low-pressure water).
  • Check your tyres to see if they are worn – worn tyres are more prone to punctures. Also, tighten any loose spokes.
  • With a chain-elongation gauge, check your chain for wear – replace it if needed.
  • Check your breaks to see if they are responsive - disc and rim brakes use brake pads to act as a clamp to slow down your bike. A good way to check these is to see if the tread or pattern has worn away. If your brakes feel a little sluggish then just tweak the barrel adjuster to stiffen them up.
  • Replace any shabby handlebar tape, nobody wants to touch worn out and gross tape!
  • Lubricate bottom bracket bearings.
  • Have a look at your cables and see if they are tight and secure – these should be changed annually at least.
  • Check your derailleur hanger, does it need replacing? If so, go to your local cycle store or contact us at BETD for assistance on which mech hanger is the right fit for your bike.
  • Bike gears should also be checked as they sometimes have a tendency to skip gears or not shift properly when not looked after. You should check: that the cables aren’t overstretched, that the derailleur is sitting in the correct position, check the wear of the cassette and chainring and inspect the overall derailleur for any damage.
If you haven’t ridden all winter, then we suggest that you make these checks top priority.

For every 1,000 miles ridden:

  • Check to see that your frame pump or CO2 cartridges are working.
  • Use chain lubricant on front and rear derailleur pivots.
  • Examine the derailleur jockey wheel bushing and seals. Re-grease or replace if needed.
  • Check the wheels true for tension, adjust if necessary.
  • Lubricate the shift and brake cables.
  • Other checks: rim brake-track wear, rim for cracks and shoe cleats for wear.You can shop derailleur hangers on the BETD website:
http://mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/derailleur-hangers/derailleur-hanger-brands
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