Spring Clean your Bike

It’s officially the start of Spring, so whilst some house cleaning may be in order, giving your bike a Spring clean is more important of course! And with all of our amazing offers here at ProBikeKit, it will be hard not to get your bike on board with the Spring cleaning spree this season.

There are probably two types of riders and owners of bikes reading this. Ones that ride their bike all winter in every weather condition, maybe commute to work and do 100’s of miles on a Sunday with the club – because this is the time of year where base miles are totally what you have to do, right? Then there are the other ones, the fair weather riders, the sun catchers, and the legs out weather only riders! So whether you have left it locked up in the garage all winter and barely touched it, or wore it into the ground then you’ll most likely need to give it a good old bit of tender loving care or some lube, a thorough Spring clean to get it back up and running. We’ve done some of the hard work for you and gathered some of the top tips to checking your bike is road worthy.

Give your Bike a Spring Clean:

1. 

   Check your Chain

   The good old chain – it is fundamentally what makes the wheels go round. It gets a lot of abuse from the constant pedalling motion and is susceptible to wear and damage, naturally. If you fall into that fair weather rider category and If you’ve not been riding over winter, and you’ve left it untouched then your chain may have a bit of rust and be a touch on the stiff side. Using a Chain Checker from Park Tool, you can very easily assess the situation. This handy tool allows you to see how worn your chain is – by attaching it and seeing how far the slider swings and is also an accurate way to check for wear of roller and pin on chains. Last but no least remember that all important lube.

   Make sure that you check this before riding again to ensure maximum performance of one of the most important bike components! If it turns out that your chain needs replacing, then fear not as we have a wide range of Chains and Cassettes at ProBikeKit that you can purchase today.

   Buy now with free delivery

2. 

   Check your Tyres

   Your tyres are subject to a lot of wear and tear on the road, with the roads deteriorating faster than could can say ‘hole’ they are fast becoming a bike breaker…or bone breaker. It certainly gives your tyres a lot of hammer. Things like gravel, rain, ice, snow and mud take its toll, as you cover your many miles on a weekly basis (or you should be!).  Check your tyres for small cuts, tyre wall deterioration- like thinning or stress and also wear on the main centre price of the tyre. Have you got any tread left? The longer you leave it the more prone you are to getting those irritating punctures and dangerous blow outs.

   If you’re dragging this out for your first ride of the year then check your tyre pressures. Even if they ‘feel’ okay, always check. Your bike tyre is usually marked with a pressure range to help guide you when pumping them up – you must not exceed the maximum displayed! To help with grip, it is usually recommended for you to use 10-15 psi less than normal when pumping your tyres in wet weather. Some bike pumps such as this Topeak Joe Blow Sport II Pump include a gauge so you can easily set the pressure whilst pumping.

   If you need to invest in a new set of bike tyres, shop here. And if you’re not sure what you’re after, our Bike Tyres Buying Guide has all of the information to help you.

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3. 

   Check your Brake Pads (or Blocks, as some people call them)

   Winter cycling plays havoc on brake blocks and are easily forgotten about. By neglecting the condition of your brake blocks it can lead to premature rim wear, which you definitely don’t want. Sometimes even if you think you blocks look fine – one wet and gritty ride can give them a right beasting and before you know it you have not pad left. Our advice is to be stocked up on brake pads at all times for that just in case moment. No one wants hear metal on metal.

   Buy now with free delivery

4. 

   Check your Chainrings

   Check your teeth.. Okay, we don’t mean take your bike to the dentist.. the sharp hooks on your chainring are known as teeth and these can become worn. One clear way of checking for this is to see if the teeth have started to hook – like a shark fin almost. This imposing predator (a worn chainring) can lead to imperfect shifting, uneven pedalling, chain suck and in some cases ‘slipping’ – these are all so annoying and inconvenient, it’s almost impossible to ignore.

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5. 

   Check your Wheels

   Briefly mentioned before.. Rims are susceptible to wear and tear as they say. It is important to check your wheels regularly. Improper care of the brake blocks and generally lots of miles in the lousy weather can lead to premature and unnecessary wear no matter what wheels you have. We recommend that you clean your brake blocks and rims after every ride to prolong their lifespan. Also, bearings are a common one to go first – this pesky weather constantly battering your moving parts will lead to play and deterioration. After you have tried to revive them by re-greasing and servicing the wheels time and time again this may just not be enough in the end and the wheels may just die. Let them go – they have served you proud, now you need a new and improved model..  Shop all bike wheels here.

   Buy now with free delivery