The sun has finally peaked its head out from behind the everlasting cloud cover of another dreary Cincinnati winter season. As the weather improves, few things feel better than busting your bike out of the garage/basement and going for a ride with the warm breeze blowing through your hair. Unfortunately, our bikes aren’t always as eager to get going after a winter in storage, or for those of us who use our bikes regardless of the season, are looking a bit worse for wear in the new light of Spring. So what are the most important things to check as we enter this new season?
Start off with a general cleaning
The first thing you should do is just clean off any general grime that might have accumulated over the winter. Hose your bike down and wipe off any road salt or other dirt using an old rag so that you can really see how the bike is looking underneath.
2. Check your brakes
One of the most important components of your bike is the brakes, they keep you safe and make sure you can stop when you need to! So before you get on the bike, you should definitely check on the health of your brakes to make sure they are still looking out for you. Give the brake levers a pull and make sure both levers are engaging the brake pads on their respective tire. Does the lever engage and release smoothly, or is it sticky? Are they engaging with enough pressure to immediately stop the tire when it's in motion? If any of these answers aren’t 100% yes, then you will probably need to check on your brake cables and might need to replace them. Otherwise, make sure your brake pads don’t look too worn down and are hitting right on the rim of your tire firmly, not wiggling around or hitting the rubber itself. These issues can be addressed with some easy adjustments or by replacing the brake pads themselves.
3. Check on your Chain
One of the most obvious problems your chain might be experiencing is rust/corrosion from exposure to salt and the elements throughout the Winter. A bit of WD-40 and Chain Lube can go a long way towards cleaning this off and making the chain look and work better. Otherwise, chains naturally expand overtime and yours might be looking a bit loose. Make sure your chain isn’t looking too slack or moving much more than a quarter-inch if you press down from above, if so it might be time to replace the whole chain.
4. Check your safety gear
If you have a light or reflectors to ride in the early morning/night, make sure these are in the right position and full of battery. If you don’t have lights and are wanting to get out to catch some of those Cincinnati sunsets, then it might be time to pick some up and upgrade the safety of your ride!
5. Top off your air pressure
Anyone who has tried to grab their basketball after a long cold winter and seen it fall flat on the ground sees first hands the effects of cold air on reducing air pressure. Your tires are probably running low and need to be pumped up to the levels recommended on the sides.
Once your tires are gassed up and everything else is looking good to go, you're ready to get out and enjoy that good weather! If you need help with any of the steps listed above or want another set of eyes on your bike, make an appointment for our Bike Kitchen and have one of our trained mechanics give it a lookover! You can find information about our Bike Kitchen services here: https://www.uc.edu/af/pdc/sustainability/campus_initiatives/transportation/bike_kitchen.html. We look forward to seeing you out on the roads!