Many cyclists prefer to ride in the warm season, and for the winter they leave the bike for storage in the garage or on the balcony. However, it is necessary to maintain a bicycle not only before the warm season. The more often a bike is used, the more attention it needs.

Make it a rule to regularly monitor the condition of the chassis, brakes, periodically lubricate components, wash and clean the bike. If left unmaintained, road dirt significantly reduces the life of the mechanisms, resulting in difficult movement or breakdown of the bike.

How and with what products to properly clean a bike

Bicycle maintenance is desirable to begin with the water procedures. Thorough washing is carried out before and at the end of the cycling season, as well as after driving off-road or in bad weather.

If the pollution is insignificant, it is enough to use a bucket of warm water and a soft sponge. Cycling shampoos, detergents (products for washing dishes are suitable) and specialized cleaning sprays will help to deal with stubborn dirt. They are applied for a couple of minutes, and then washed off with water or brushed off. The procedure of washing the bike should be started from the bottom, where the most dirt accumulates. For hard-to-reach places a small brush can be used (an old toothbrush will do for this role). It is supposed to operate in the zone of the carriage assembly.

It is recommended to wash the bike with a gentle pressure of water.

Bike wheels are washed in a separate order. To enhance the effect, they can be removed and washed separately. First you need to soak the rims with water – softened dirt is much easier to clean off the wheels.

It is permissible to “bath” a bike in the shower. It is also allowed to wash the bike at a car wash, but only with low water pressure. A strong jet damages paint or small parts, brings sand into bearings, and washes lubricant from the bottom bracket and bushings. When washing the bike, try not to let water get into vulnerable places: bottom bracket, fork seals and bushings. And you should not diligently wipe the dirt from the frame with a sponge – hard particles scratch the paint, which can cause damage to the metal and the formation of rust.

The bike chain and moving transmission elements are cleaned of dirt using specialized degreasers. Washing these mechanisms with water is highly discouraged. And after the end of water procedures, the bike must be wiped dry with a soft cloth.

Mechanism lubrication

Bicycle moving parts need proper lubrication to prevent wear. The chain suffers the most in this regard – the lubricant is washed out of it during any interaction with water, whether it is riding in the rain or washing a bike.

The resource of a bicycle chain averages 3-4 thousand kilometers. By regularly lubricating it, you can avoid problems with gear shifting and the transmission of pedaling forces. Before the lubrication procedure, the chain must be cleaned of dirt with a small brush, by washing in a solvent, or by using a specialized device – a chain cleaning machine (without removing the chain from the bike). petrol or WD-40 are often used as detergents.

This is how a chain cleaning machine looks like, which allows you to take care of a bicycle chain without having to dismantle it.

Various products are used to lubricate the bike chain:

  • Liquid lubricants. The form of their release is usually a bottle with a spout for ease of application. Also, liquid lubricants are applied using a conventional medical syringe.
  • Aerosols. Lubricants in the form of sprays, which are sprayed through a special nozzle on the package. Aerosols are suitable for use in all weather conditions, and their excess is easily removed with a cloth.
  • Silicone lubricants. Provide effective chain protection against water and excess dust.
  • Teflon lubricants. They have a polymer base, contain an antistatic agent and are characterized by increased wear resistance. Teflon lubricants reduce dust build-up and last as long as possible on the bike chain.
  • Calcium lubricants. Long-lasting, most resistant and most expensive. Withstand large temperature differences, protect the chain from corrosion.
An important point. It is not recommended to use compounds with a high content of lithium or solid oil for lubricating the bike chain. Lithium compounds corrode aluminium, and solid oil strongly attracts pollution.

Excess grease from the links of the bike chain is carefully removed with a dry washcloth or rags (to avoid dust sticking). At the end of the chain lubrication procedure, turn the pedals several times. It is also advisable to regularly check the bicycle chain for wear – over time, it slowly lengthens due to the wear of connecting pins, which can cause the teeth on the stars to grind. The length of the chain is measured in the bike shop with specialized gauges, it is recommended to do this at least once a year.

The bicycle chain needs the most frequent lubrication compared to other parts.

It is supposed to lubricate other moving parts of the bicycle. In particular, moving transmission elements (gear shifters), wheel hubs, cables and joints on brakes and entry points to the housing, threaded connections. Note that for the correct operation of the gearshifts, it is necessary to keep the cable tension in good shape. The adjusting screws are tightened or loosened until proper shifting is achieved.

The key threaded connections in the design of the vast majority of bicycles are the shell into which the bottom bracket is screwed, and the connection of the cranks to the pedals. The lack of lubrication in these places can come back to haunt you with annoying squeaks when pedaling or sticking of threaded connections. It is better to entrust the lubrication of the bushings together with the steering column to specialized bicycle maintenance specialists. When sorting them, it is customary to use thick grease formulations.

Popular MTB Bikes

Brake service

Brakes are the most important safety feature for cycling. The performance of the brake system should be checked regularly, as well as cared for.

If the bike is fitted with mechanical rim V-brake, the wheel rims must be kept clean. The pads should lie flat against the rim when the brake lever is pressed about half way. With less pressure on the handle, you will need to loosen the tension on the brake cables, with more pressure, you will need to tighten them more. With the brakes released, the gap between the wheel rim and the pads should be approximately 1 to 3 mm.

Visually, the degree of suitability of brake pads is determined by the size of the pads, the absence of potholes and wear marks on them. In rim brakes, you need to lubricate the bushings, relative to which the “V-brake” drives rotate. However, make sure that the oil does not get on the rim – the pads will slip on it.

To ensure reliable operation of V-brakes, the wheel rims must be kept clean.

The operation of disc mechanical brakes is regulated by adjusting the tension of the cables. Such brakes must be kept clean by periodically checking the condition of the pads – their residual thickness should be at least 1 mm.

The basis of hydraulic brake care is to check the system for leaks. The rider will need to strictly monitor the condition of the seals and the completeness of filling the system with brake fluid. If leaks are found, it is better not to hesitate and contact the service. Adjustment of hydraulic brakes is carried out on special equipment. Bleeding the brakes usually helps with hydraulic brake problems. The procedure is carried out to remove air from the brake system, as a result of which braking efficiency is improved. Air enters the hydraulic mechanisms after the bike is turned over or when it is stored suspended from the front wheel.

Bikes with hydraulic disc front brakes

Preventative maintenance of a fork

Suspension bikes ( hardtails and full suspension) need regular fork maintenance. You can carry out its intermediate maintenance yourself. The procedure usually comes down to removing the "pants", cleaning them from the inside, bringing the "legs" of the suspension into proper shape. Before assembling back, a friction pair consisting of "legs" and "pants" is lubricated.

In the design of the suspension fork, regular lubrication is necessary for a pair of friction – the so-called "legs" (1) and "pants" (2).

Full fork maintenance requires knowledge of its structure, the presence of a repair kit and specialized tools. Experiments are not welcome here – it is better to entrust the replacement of oil and seals in the damper to specialists. When choosing the right oil, it is advisable to focus on the opinion of the suspension fork manufacturer. Gear and engine oils are not the best choice for a fork, as their use can adversely affect the condition of the suspension system.

Checking steering, wheels and tyres

To avoid trouble on the road , the bike must be sensitive to steering commands. There should be no cracks or play on the handlebars and stem of the bike, and the steering column bolts should be securely tightened. In models with stem adjustment, it is supposed to adjust the stem position by means of screw clamps, doing this alternately crosswise.

The next step is to check the condition of the wheels. Their geometry is determined visually: the rim should not deviate to the sides when the wheels are spinning at idle. In models with rim brakes, the “eight” is even easier to identify – the pads will certainly cling to the rim. Mild wheel bends can be corrected by hand, but serious geometry violations are best handled in a bike shop. Cleaning and lubricating the bushings will help get rid of extraneous sounds and backlash when the wheels rotate.

The spokes in the wheel structure must be tensioned with the same force. This moment is checked by sound – the spokes are plucked with fingers like guitar strings, and if one of them is knocked out of the general “choir” in sound, it needs to be loosened or tightened with a spoke wrench (but not with pliers, as is customary in the old fashioned way). It is advisable to entrust difficult cases to professionals in a bicycle workshop.

When adjusting the spoke tension in a bicycle wheel, you cannot do without a special tool.

The condition of tyres and tubes is checked visually. The tyre should not have a "web" of microcracks, signs of wear and abrasions. Otherwise, the risk of punctures of the air tube increases. By the way, it should also look appropriate – a worn-out tube does not normally hold pressure and no patches here will save the situation. Also visually assess the condition of the nipples.

It is important to maintain the required pressure in bicycle tyres. A bicycle pump with a pressure gauge will help to accurately control its value. Another option is wheel inflation using a car compressor. Tyre pressure must be checked at the time the bike is get from "winter hibernation". With regular cycling, it is desirable to control the amount of pressure from time to time and evaluate tyre deflection visually.

Popular City Bikes

Seat adjustment

Proper posture is a fundamental factor in comfortable cycling. The seat parameters are adjusted at the discretion of the rider. However, there are generally accepted rules for this.

It is important to install the saddle of the bike without tilting in a horizontal plane. Its placement height is selected in such a way that the foot can easily reach the pedals in the lowest position. As far as front-to-back stem adjustment is concerned, the distance between the edge of the saddle and the stem of the bike should be approximately the same as the distance from the tip of the fingers to the rider's elbow. By the way, according to the same rule, the steering wheel is adjusted.

Proper posture is the key to a comfortable bike ride.

Before you hit the road, it is worth checking the reliability of the clamping of the eccentric mechanisms of the seatpost, wheels, steering column. It is also necessary to tighten all the nuts, check the threaded connections.

What is the best way to store a bike

Out of season, bicycles are often stored in a garage or on a balcony. And if space permits – in the storeroom. It is not recommended to store the bike outside, since precipitation and temperature fluctuations can adversely affect the performance of the mechanisms.

Out of season, bikes are best stored hanging on the wall.

When assembled, the bike is most often hung on a wall so that the wheels do not touch the floor and the tyres do not deform when pressure is lost. For long-term storage, bikes are also get disassembled with the wheels and saddle removed. All this is packed in fabric or polyethylene bags to protect against dust. Note that it is better to bring the saddle home and store at room temperature in order to avoid deformation of the upholstery.


Conscientious bike care with thorough cleaning and regular lubrication of the mechanisms eliminates the failure of the bike at the most inopportune moments. A clean, shiny and well working bike provides a comfortable ride and does not cause problems for the rider.