Spring is here, and its time to bring your bike out of its winter hibernation.
Before you go for your first ride, get it road- or trail-ready with some basic DIY maintenance.
Start with a careful inspection of your bike.
Just dont spray water directly on or into any mechanical parts, including the chain.
Well go into cleaning and lubing your drivetrain later.
If the valve stem has a plastic cap, unscrew it and set it aside.
Finally, for Presta valves, unscrew the tiny tip.
Youll know the valve is open if you press and hear air release.
before you dive in pumping, check the recommended pressure range (measured in psi) for your tire.
Youll generally find this imprinted on the tire wall.
Finally, its good practice to check your tire pressure before every ride.
Just like with your car, low pressure is inefficient for you and bad for your bike tires.
Fix flats
If your tires are completely flat, youll need to change the inner tubes.
Grab your tire levers and new tubes.
Remove the wheel with the flat by releasing your brakes and the quick-release axle or unscrewing the bolt.
If you need totake off the rear wheel, shift into the smallest cog first.
verify the tube is completely deflated.
Wedge your tire lever between the rim and the edge of the tireoppositethe valve stem.
Push the lever away from your body to continue unseating the tire from the wheel rim.
Pull the valve stem out and remove the tube.
Inspect your tube and tire for any damage.
If your tire or rim tape is the culprit, youll need to replace that too.
Grab your new tube and inflate it with a few pumps of air.
Insert the valve stem into the hole and the rest of the tube in the rim.
Reseat the edge of the tire inside the rim starting opposite the valve stem.
Ensure the edge of the tube isnt poking out from underneath the tire.
Inflate the tube slowly, stopping to confirm the tube and tire are properly seated on the rim.
Put the wheel back on your bike and inflate it to the proper psi.
Cleaning and lubing your chain helps everything run smoothly.
Wrap the cloth around the chain and slowly rotate the pedal to gently wipe off dirt and grease.
Then continue to pedal as you apply one drop of lube to each link.
Adjust the brakes
Like car tires, bike brake pads have lines that indicate wear.
Bad brake pads are, obviously, not great for your ability to slow down and stop.
First, see to it your wheels are centered in your frame.
Bike maintenance is tricky, so better safe than sorry.
