Cycling is a cheap, accessible and green way to get around, and in most cities and built-up areas it can often be faster than any alternative. But owning and maintaining a bike isn’t free. Buying one is a significant investment – even if you spread the cost using initiatives such as the cycle to work scheme. New parts and maintenance fees don’t come cheap, either, especially if you run your daily commuter into the ground without regular TLC. “If you don’t want to maintain your bike, [eventually] it’s gonna cost you,” says Lee Carter, head mechanic at Bespoke Cycling.
But you don’t need an A-level in Allen keys to make your bike last longer and keep it in working order. In fact, it’s possible to reduce trips to your local bike shop with a few simple tricks. Here, mechanics and experts share their advice and insight around cleaning, essential maintenance and when it’s best to call in the specialists.
How to look after your bike
Give it a wash
A bike is made up of loads of moving components, and when dirt and grime from roads or trails get into them, it can cause additional wear with every turn or rotation. Regular cleaning keeps the worst of it at bay, but it is particularly important over winter when road salt is added into the mix.
“No one cleans their bikes enough, but just a hot, soapy bath once every two weeks would save people hundreds of pounds,” says Carter. “It’s not considered the most prestigious cleaning style, but it’s the one that’s accessible to everyone and it works” – he suggests avoiding chemicals such as WD-40.
“Avoiding pressure washers is a big one – anything that can blow that grease out of the moving parts,” adds Ryan Elson, co-founder of BikeBook. “Hand cleaning is the best way to do it, and use a rag rather than letting it drip dry because that can create rust. It’s all about keeping stuff dry and clean.”
Clean and lube your chain
A bike’s chain touches all parts of the transmission, and its location means it’s in the line of fire for all sorts of road spray, rain and general gunk. It’s, therefore, important to keep it clean to prevent it from grinding down more costly components such as chain rings and cassettes.
“The two best things you could do with your chain would be to wipe it down with a dry rag to remove any surface debris, and then lightly apply a small amount of lube,” says Carter, but he warns against going overboard with application. “Too much is actually detrimental – you end up attracting large amounts of debris, usually road grit and grime, which then turns all that excess lubricant into a grinding paste that increases the wear tenfold.”
Mary Clarke, mechanic at Bee Pedal Ready, says: “Put one drop of oil on each roller, and that will flow through the chain and then put a rag around your chain and wipe off the excess. She adds that if you want to do a more thorough clean first, you can use a chain-cleaning tool or an old toothbrush and organic degreasers, but it’s important to make sure it’s clean and dry before applying the lube.
All-weather lube, 50ml
Chain cleaner
Top up your tyres
One of the most common mechanical issues that cyclists of all ages and abilities face is the dreaded puncture. Although there’s not a lot you can do about it if a sharp object slices through your tyre, it is possible to reduce the risk of pinch flats – where the inner tube gets caught between the rim and a blunt object such as a kerb or pothole – by keeping your tyres inflated.
“Inscribed on the sidewall of every tyre will be a maximum inflation pressure, and you want to be about 5PSI under that, as a good sort of guide,” says Carter. If you don’t already own a pump, it’s a worthwhile investment. He recommends an electric pocket pump for use at home and on the move, which easily fits in a pannier or pocket.
Elson says checking your tyre pressure before each ride, which takes seconds, is a good habit to get into. “If you leave a bike for a while, air can seep out of anywhere – whether you’ve got an old valve or just around the seal itself.”
In addition to regularly checking your tyre pressure, Carter says it’s important to inspect the tyre itself for signs of wear – “splitting, cracking or any large cuts or slices, which compromise the tyres” – while a lot of bikes also feature wear indicators on the main tyre. “[Often] two circles pressed into the rubber; once they disappear, it’s time for the tyre to be changed,” he says.
Digital pump
Don’t break your brakes
Bike brakes fall into two camps – rim brake or disc brake – and each requires its own maintenance. If you’re not sure which your bike has, a rim brake sees the brakes applied to the wheel’s rim itself, while disc brakes have rotors at the centre of the wheels.
Rim brakes are found on older bikes and, as Carter puts it, are “very visual”: “[With this style of brakes], you need to check two things, the pad itself, and the rim. You can look to see if the pad material has gone – the pad has a wear-line indicator on it.” If the little grooves have disappeared and you’re dealing with a smooth surface, it’s time to replace them. “Also, if the rim has gone concave, it’s time to replace the rim, because if it fails, that’s a bigger problem.”
Prolonging the life of both is about keeping the rim surface clean and replacing the brake pads before they get too worn, which is when they can start to wear the rim even more, sometimes taking big gouges out of it.
Disc brakes, meanwhile, should be left well alone. “If they’re working, don’t fix them,” says Clarke. A common issue she comes across is when people try to clean or oil their bike, and the brakes become contaminated. “If cleaning your bike, don’t get any cleaning solution or oil on the brake rotor or the pads, and probably take your wheel off or cover up your rotor. The contamination goes on the pads and the rotor, and it doesn’t wear off like it does with rubber pads and rim brakes – it just sinks in.”
The first thing a contaminated brake will do is squeal, but they can become very dangerous. “If they squeal and don’t stop you, then the brake is definitely contaminated,” adds Clarke. “It doesn’t matter how hard you pull that brake, you just ride through it because it’s slipping on the pads and rotor. You have to have new pads and new rotors to guarantee that it’ll work.”
Cover up
All the experts interviewed said that the best place for a bike is inside or in a bike shed, but if it has to be outside, then a cover is essential.
“The worst thing you can do is leave it out all the time, and then expect to come back in summer, have a service, and off you go,” says Clarke. “You’ll probably find so much is rusted and ruined, it wouldn’t be worth it.”
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She recommends Oxford’s waterproof cover – “it’s like a tarp that’s designed to go over your bike, and if it’s windy, just put some bungee cords around it”. Clarke adds, though, that it’s important to make sure the bike underneath is dry if you’re planning to leave it for an extended period. If not, “covers can often become detrimental”, she says. “The bike stays damp underneath them and will rust and corrode.”
Bike cover
Mount some mudguards
“If you’re commuting, swallow any fashion pride and get yourself top-end, mudguards,” says Clarke. “The SKS ones have got stainless steel fittings, last for ages, you can buy spares for them, and they not only protect you, but your bike too.”
Mudguards aren’t a fit-and-forget accessory, though, and Carter says it’s best to remove them come summer. “They often harbour dirt and grime,” he says. “Don’t just leave them, because they wear through frames, and then it becomes catastrophic.” In the early stages, this could be something cosmetic, such as chipped paint, but over time, a mudguard can take gouges out of a frame deep enough to weaken its structural integrity – particularly if it’s carbon fibre.
Mudguards
Lock it up
The best defence is a good offence, and elongating the life of your bike also requires it to remain in your possession for years to come. While the best bike lock will depend on budget, security requirements and factors such as weight, Elson recommends getting one with a guarantee attached. “It’s about looking for brands that prove they live up to the standards, and they will market that on the lock itself. You want something quite beefy, but at the same time you don’t want to be cycling around carrying something that weighs 10kg in a bag, so it’s a fine balance. Kryptonite ones are really good, and they’re proven to stop even angle grinders.”
For more, read the Filter’s guide to the best bike locks
Avoid overtightening bolts
While these are basic recommendations, there are plenty of YouTube how-tos for every kind of bike maintenance need, from fixing a puncture to stripping your bike down and giving it a full service. But the more you start to tinker, the more specialist your at-home toolkit requirements become.
One big issue inexperienced home mechanics face is overtightening bolts. Using too much force can often round the bolt heads, making them impossible to tighten or loosen, and at worst, it can damage and crack components – particularly if carbon fibre is involved.
“If you’ve got a good-quality bike and it’s got torque settings on it, you’ll need to buy a torque wrench,” says Clarke. “We have a Park Tool one, but you get them sometimes when they have Bike Week at Aldi. You’ve got to buy a bike-specific one; car ones have very high torque because they’re big old bolts.”
Adjustable torque driver
Remember to service regularly
There are times when even confident home mechanics need to take their bike into the specialists at a local bike shop, or community-based free drop-in sessions such as Dr Bike and Bee Pedal Ready. The mechanics interviewed recommend getting your bike checked over every six to 12 months.
“Regular servicing is important and is one of the main things people tend to leave because the bike visually looks clean,” says Carter. “When we take bits off, underneath is always a much bigger story.”
“I would always recommend every six months,” adds Clarke. “Get through winter, and then when the weather starts to get better in spring, look at having a service. If you don’t need anything, the shop will probably tell you. It’s not a legal thing like a car, but regular checks mean you’re less likely to get a massive bill.”
For more bike inspiration from the Filter:
10 safety essentials cyclists won’t leave home without
The best bike lights to see and be seen when cycling in the dark
The best bike panniers and handlebar bags
Charlie Allenby is a health and fitness journalist who puts running and cycling gear through its paces on increasingly ridiculous endurance challenges
