Having a road bike or any type of bikes comes with a huge responsibility and many bills to pay as well. As a beginner who is getting to know his or bike, you are bound to encounter many issues with your bike that will make you mad as never before.
Whether you are using your bike for entertainment and traveling with your friends or your using it for running your errands and getting to work and school, you bike is bound to stop working or have something wrong with it whether you like it or not. The problem is that having your bike repaired each time by professional will cost you lot of money and you will end up abandoning your bike because you can’t afford its expanses.
To save yourself from wasting lot of money and time on bike shops repair, you can easily learn some few road bikes tricks and techniques that will keep your bike working in its best shape all the time.
Some of these tips, tricks and techniques are:
1. Clean Your Bike Often:
Cycling tend to make your bike dirty and greasy, as well as full of mud and debris so it is very important to clean it as often as possible.
The wrong thing that many cyclists do and might actually damage there bikes is pouring too much water on them. You can simply wet a small cloth or towel with some water and soap then start wiping it gently to remove all the unwanted grease and keep your bike functioning well at the same time. For the hidden and narrow spots, you can always use tooth brushes.
Check the following videos for more tips on how to wash your bike:
2. Check Your Bike Before Riding It:
The most important thing that you need to make it as habit for you is checking your bike before riding it, but make sure to focus on the pressure of tiers in case you don’t want to end up with a flat tire in the middle of the road.
Check the brakes and chain to make sure they are working properly, if they aren’t fix them before riding your bike.
Watch the following videos for more tips on how to check your bike:
3. Lubricate Your Bike Often:
Buy a bike lubricant and make sure to lubricate the chain, cables, derailleur levels and bearing systems to prevent them from being ruined; but make sure that your bike is clean before lubricating it otherwise you will be wasting your time.
When the chain of your bike starts squeaking, it is your cue to lubricate it.
Watch the following videos for more tips on how to lubricate your bike:
4. Secure Loose Bolts and Screws of Your Bike:
As you already know, bikes are held and secured by tens of bolts and screws; which means when you lose one of them you can get ready for your bike to be damaged soon.
Whenever you are bored and don’t have nothing to do, you can simply go ahead and make sure that all the screws and bolts of your bikes are tightly secured and won’t be falling apart anytime soon.
Watch the following videos for more tips :
5. Take Care of Your bike:
If you want your bike to last for a long time, you have to take care of it; to do that all you need is to store it.
Many cyclists leave their bikes under the rain or sun and think that is normal and nothing is going to happen to it. What you don’t know is that moisture in the air will attack the parts of you bike like a hungry lion and cause it to decay gradually. To save it, all you need to do is to store it somewhere safe such as basement, locker, and garageanything that will keep it safe from the harsh weather.
Watch the following videos for more tips on how to take care your bike:
6. Babysit Your Bike:
One of the greatest things you can ever do for your bike is to babysit it, which means to take care of it properly and avoid doing what will damage it.
If you are a beginner, start taking some courses and learn how you can ride your bike in a better way to keep yourself comfortable and your bike in a good shape. If you like to jump with your bike, ask for some tips first from a professional on how to do so. If you don’t know how to land smoothly with your bike when jumping, you will end up damaging it in more then one way.
