Essential Maintenance¶

Clean & lubricate bike after every ride

• clean the bike as soon as you get home, it will soon become a natural conclusion to each ride
• clean brakes after every ride (makes braking more effective, reduces wear, stops noisy braking)
• clean chain, cassette and front ring(s) (smoother gear changes)
• lubricate chain after cleaning and drying (more performance due to less friction - save 20 watts or more of effort)
• clean the frame to avoid dirt contaminating chain and bearings

NOTE: avoid using a high pressure water jet to clean the bike as it can push dirt into bearings, causing extra wear and corrosion

Wheels & Tyres

• check tyres for glass & flint (some objects may puncture the tyre but not cause a flat tyre (yet)
• wheel runs true (no wobble) - adjust spokes if significant wobble (consider using a spoke tension tool to identify different tensions that are the source of the wobble)
• before every ride, inflate tyres to manufacturers recommended pressure for rider weight (reduce puncture risk, minimise wear on tyre)

Brakes

• check wear on brake pads
• check wear on rim or disk rotors

Gear Set

• check chain wear once a month (more frequently after 50% wear)
• change chain with 75% wear (use chain wear tool)

Misc

• check for loose bolts (at least once a month)
• check for signs of corrosion