10-Road Bike Maintenance Check Points
Road bike maintenance is an essential part of keeping your bike in top condition. A bike that’s not regularly maintained becomes a dangerous machine to ride, which could lead to serious injury. Make it a habit to inspect your bike on a regular basis; basic checks and repairs can allow you to enjoy trouble-free riding and save accidents.
we will be sharing some of the most common maintenance tasks that road cyclists need to perform on their bikes.
Handlebar tape
Do you ever ride your bike with torn, ripped, or worn-out handlebar tape? We’ve all been there. It is one of the most affordable upgrades you can make to your road bike—and it’s also the most important.
If your handlebars are covered in holes and tears, they’re no longer a smooth surface for your hands to grip. This makes it difficult to keep your balance and steer properly. Also, check for damaged cables underneath the bar tape. Changing wires takes almost the same time as changing the bar tape.
With a little elbow grease and some time, you can replace the handlebar tape yourself and bring fresh life to your ride once again.
Wondering What Size Road Bike Do you need? Read this article to get help
Tires maintenance
Checking your tires in between rides it might help you avoid the terrible roadside puncture while riding it.
Examine both the tread and sides for cuts or rips. If your tire is becoming flat in the middle, it may be worn. Remove any projecting glass or wire, and if the tyre has been damaged through the casing, simply replace it.
There is a three-puncture per tire rule, after which the tire should be replaced.
Chain Maintenence
Changing your chain is a simple matter. If you ride often, and especially if you ride on rough terrain or in cold weather, it’s important to keep your chain clean and lubricated. If you ride every day, changing your chain can help keep your drivetrain lasting longer.
If you’re thinking about changing your chain but don’t know how here are some tips:
- Clean the old chain with soap and water.
- Lubricate one side of the old chain with a light oil (such as WD40).
- Gently wipe off excess oil with a rag or paper towel.
- Lubricate the other side of the old chain with more oil.
- Run both sides through the same process.
Gear cables
Being a roadie, you know that gear cables can be a pain. They tend to kink and fray, gear cables for older Shimano groups with an external gear connection are notorious for fraying and kinking over time. This is mainly because they’re constantly bent inside the shifter and have a tendency to fray over time.
You can remove these kinks by putting the cable into the largest sprocket in its appropriate spot and then following the same path. This will allow you to draw the cable free from its guides. If you follow this process for all of your shifters. Apply some dry chain lubricant to it so that it’s ready for whatever may come next.
Headset
Having a good pair of headset bearings is crucial for smooth, reliable steering. Headsets are typically found within the head tube, and they sit inside the fork leg, making them prone to corrosion as a result of sweat dripping onto them on hot days of riding.
Read this article about how to pump road bike tires.
To do so place the bicycle on the ground to make it easier to remove the stem and drop the fork out of the frame to avoid this. Modern bikes have enclosed bearings that just require a light layer of lubricant on their surfaces.
Pedal
When you’re riding your bike, you want to be able to pedal smoothly and efficiently. But many riders will fix everything while ignoring their pedals.
We recommend that you keep an eye out for loose bearings and, of course, worn cleats. Many flat pedals can be adjusted or serviced to maintain them going smoothly however, a damaged cleat area on the pedal’s body cannot be repaired, as the off-axis movement caused by this can cause knee pain and other problems. If that’s the case get them replaced asap.
Brake pads
Brake pads feature wear indicators, so it’s easy to tell whether they still have life in them, or are they deteriorating evenly and still making square contact with the rim.
If not, a coarse file can be used to extend the life of irregularly worn pads. After you’ve squared them off, set the pads just so they make proper contact with the rim.
Similarly, your levers must have a lightweight feel and not require too much energy to pull the brakes. Unless they do, simply replace the brake cables and service the caliper.
Freehubs
Despite the popular perception that a decent freewheeling noise indicates quality, often these freehubs should be quiet. If your hub has become noisier with time, it is most likely dry or dusty and requires maintenance.
Dry and dusty freehub lubrication can occur if the grease level in the hub is low, or if the grease is contaminated by dirt or debris. If this is the case, you will need to clean out your hub and apply new grease.
Loose and rattling parts in bikes
Rattling is an issue that can be easily prevented, but one that is often difficult to pinpoint. While some rattling issues are easy to solve on their own with some simple maintenance, others will require more specialized tools or even replacement parts.
Check your road bike saddle bag for loose screws and clanging items. It’s amazing how many bikes get a relatively loose bottle cage.
Loose cassettes, hubs, and headsets are also common sources of rattling. Another issue is rattling shifters—they can be more difficult to repair based on the model, make, and issue.
Expert Opinion
According to our Creative Director Thomas Road bike maintenance is one of the most overlooked aspects of cycling. With so many other things competing for your time and attention, it can be tough to give road bike maintenance the attention it deserves. However, keeping your bike in good working order will not only improve its performance but also increase its safety and longevity. As you get more experience with cycling, you may want to start taking road bike maintenance more seriously. You will find that it becomes easier as time passes and you begin to understand some of the problems that can occur along with their solutions.
Conclusion
Maintenance is key to keeping your bike safe and working at its best. We hope this has helped you understand the importance of keeping your bicycle clean and well-maintained and the parts that you need to keep in check.
How often should you maintain your road bike?
Bike maintenance is an important part of keeping your bike in good working order. At the very least, you should get a major service every twelve months with a basic check-up at every change of season.
What maintenance should be done on a bike?
Maintain the cleanliness of your bicycle
Keep your drivetrain lubricated
Examine your tires
Be sure screws, nuts, and bolts are fastened
Inspect your brakes
Discover how to change a flat tire
Have your bicycle serviced
What is the life of a road bike?
A bike may last for 30-plus years, or even for a generation if the structure and forks are solid and of decent quality. Components have a much shorter and varied life expectancy. You’ll need to modify various components around 1,000 and 10,000 miles.
