Road bike maintenance practices Periodic and Daily

Road bike maintenance – Periodic

Road bike maintenance, should be a the top of the list for every cyclist.  If you keep up with your bike’s maintenance needs, you eliminate surprises that can interfere with your rides, since you don’t want to be stranded on those quiet country roads far away from civilization.

Whether you are riding alone or with a group, you need to ensure the following:

• clean your drivetrain and perfect its operation for every ride
• check your brakes and make sure they are centered and functioning properly
• keep your tires in good condition within the wear limits of the tread
• Keep your bike clean. Cleaning your bike allows you to find any issues that may be occurring with your free.

These minimal checks will ensure that you show up for every ride with a machine that is safe and ready to function as designed.

Showing up for a Group ride with a bike that has mechanical issues:

•  increases the risk of your ride not going as planned.
• puts pressure on your ride mates into foregoing their plans to stop and assist you.
• is inconsiderate and  risky for the group and yourself.
• will make you unpopular and if it persists, no one will help you in the future

Keep your bike in working order for every ride by checking and dealing niggling issues as they occur.

If you cannot do the maintenance yourself, then make sure you take the bike to your LBS promptly before your next ride, group or solo.

Road bike Maintenance – Daily

After every ride, clean your drivetrain with a rag to remove the grit that accumulates on the chain, rollers, chainrings and sprockets.

Since our drivetrain is exposed to the elements, daily cleaning is necessary to prevent existing debris from being ground into the components during use.

Although it is not necessary to wash the bicycle daily, use a rag moistened with a mild cleaner to keep the major tubes of your bicycle clean after every ride.

During this time, check the clearance of your brakes and the alignment of your wheels to ensure proper working order.