Bike Maintenance 101

Many people think that bikes do not need much attention. If a tire goes flat, you get a new inner tube. If the tires need air, you pump them up. If the seat is too low, you raise it. Bikes are actually both complex and simple machines. They need a little more attention than that, but at the same time, basic care isn't difficult.

The best place to start with basic maintenance is the owner's manual, which, frankly, most people no longer have. Bikes get passed down, purchased at yard sales, and so forth. With the advent of the Internet, people have another source to get manuals for almost anything. Check the brand name of your bike, find the company's Web site, and request a manual for that specific model. You may incur a small fee, but it will be worth it in the long run.

If you can't locate a manual, there are many books at your local public library on bike care that will help.

Some basic checks for every bike include:

• Chain: It should not hang or be slack. If gummed up or caked with dust, dirt or small pebbles get a metal cleaner and spray debris. Make sure the chain is lubricated for smooth, uninterrupted movement. Know how to put your chain back on track, should it become derailed during a trip.
• Fenders: Most bikes don't have them now, but if yours does make sure the bolts that hold them on are tight, so one doesn't come loose and get entangled in your spokes.
• Reflectors: If you don't have a red reflector on the back of your bike, and orange reflectors on your spokes, purchase them at a local store to make your bike more visible at night. If you commonly ride at night, purchase a headlamp also.
• Brakes: Brake pads often become hard and slick if left out in the weather. You may have to get the hardened layer off the top of your brake pads with a light filing at the beginning of each bike season. Make sure that brakes apply evenly on each side of the tires, and that they don't grip hard enough to flip you over the handlebars or slip. Check your manual on adjusting brake tension.
• Tires: Do not over or under inflate. Make sure they are not overly worn. If they are, replace them. If you are planning to ride in remote areas, take a patch kit and a portable pump and know how to fix a flat.
• Wheels: Are they straight? Do they rotate without rubbing the frame or the brakes when released? Are all the spokes tight and the broken ones replaced? Are the bearings lubricated and free of gummed up dirt? Are the axle nuts tight?
• Handlebars: Make sure they are on tight and at the proper height. If the grips at the end of the handlebars spin unexpectedly or are worn or cracked, replace them.
• Seat: Is it adjusted to the right height? The proper height means that the bike pedals are not so far down that one must stand on tiptoe when the bottom one is all the way down. The ball of the foot should be flat on the pedal, with the knee slightly bent.

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