What Your Annual Bicycle Maintenance Should Include

Like any vehicle, your bike needs basic maintenance to keep it running smoothly and ensure a safe ride for you. In fact, depending on how much you ride your bike, you might want to schedule a bike tune-up in Boca Raton, FL more frequently than just once a year. For the average rider, however, an annual bike tune-up should do the trick.

What should your bike tune-up include? Aside from any glaringly obvious problems, here is a basic list of what you’ll need to do on your own or what your professional bike tune-up should include in order to ensure your bike operates the best it can:

• Touchpoint examination: Touchpoints refer to the places where your body touches the bike: handlebars and grips, pedals and saddle. If the grips, saddle or pedals are worn, you should consider replacing them to improve your grip and stability. (A new saddle can also increase your comfort or help adjust your posture as necessary.) This is also a good time to talk to your bike mechanic about making adjustments to the stem and handlebar height, depending on the effect you’d like to achieve.
• Cable replacement: Your brake and shifting cables should be replaced annually—especially if you notice fraying or corrosion. Even if you don’t, be sure to replace them, since they’re an integral safety component. This should improve your bike’s responsiveness.
• Brake pad replacement: Your rim and disk brake pads should be replaced at least once a year, but if you’re a heavy bike user, you’ll likely want to replace them several times per year. Worn brake pads not only make it harder to stop, which is a serious safety issue, but it can also damage the rotors, necessitating serious repairs down the line.
• Drivetrain overview: The drivetrain is the “heart” of your bike—in other words, it’s what makes it go. This includes not only the chain, but everything it touches. The chain, of course, is subject to a lot of wear and tear thanks to the force you exert when riding. It can elongate over time, causing wear and tear on the rear cassette as well as the front chainrings.
• Rubber inspection: When’s the last time you replaced your bike tires? While they should last over a year (assuming you’re practicing good regular maintenance), it’s important that you check them out thoroughly during your annual tune-up, and replace them if needed.

Bike tune-ups in Boca Raton, FL

Bicycle Doctor House Calls is proud to offer annual bike tune-ups in Boca Raton, FL, brought straight to your doorstep. We have over 45 years of experience maintaining and repairing bicycles, which means you can trust us with any issue your bike may be experiencing. We take the time and hassle out of taking your bike to the shop for repairs or the frustration of doing it yourself. Schedule a tune-up with us once a year to keep your bike running great in every season. Get in touch today to arrange your next appointment!

Categorised in: Bicycle Maintenance

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